Kees Project
Overview
As the Lead UX/UI Designer at Fileroom Pty Ltd, I spearheaded a pivotal project in collaboration with Kees, a prominent web platform catering to the mining industry's recruitment needs. Throughout my tenure at Fileroom, I played a central role in conceptualising and executing the user experience and interface design for the KEES platform. With a focus on delivering a seamless and intuitive digital experience, my expertise in UX/UI design was instrumental in shaping the platform's aesthetics, functionality, and overall user engagement. Leveraging my skills and experience, I led a talented team in transforming Kees' vision into a visually captivating and user-friendly platform tailored specifically for the mining industry's unique requirements.
DISCLAIMER
Please note that the platform described in this case study has not been released to the public. Therefore, the information presented here may not accurately reflect the final product once it is developed and launched. Additionally, not all research findings are included in this case study to protect the privacy and intellectual property of Kees. Only information that is deemed suitable for public sharing and does not compromise confidentiality or proprietary information has been included.
Design Process
Double Diamond
Convergent / Divergent Processes
Agile Teamwork
My Role
UX Design & Researcher
UI Designer
Tools Used
Miro
Figma
Zoom
Slack
Challenges
Tailoring platform to unique needs of mining industry professionals and recruiters.
Creating intuitive navigation and search functionalities amidst diverse job landscape.
Balancing comprehensive job listings without overwhelming users with irrelevant information.
Team Values
Collaborative approach
Client-focused mindset
Transparency
Innovation
Excellence
Constraints
Time limitations (8 weeks)
Client Budget constraints
Web platform only
Problem Statement
"In the mining industry, existing recruitment platforms lack tailored features, forcing employers to rely on external applications or communication apps to interact with candidates. Moreover, employers lack a comprehensive dashboard providing detailed vacancy information, leading to inefficiencies in managing current availabilities. For job seekers, navigating through multiple screens to find relevant vacancies is cumbersome, exacerbated by search filters picking up unrelated positions. Additionally, employers lack access to a centralized calendar displaying work swings, further complicating scheduling processes. These challenges highlight the pressing need for a specialized recruitment solution designed specifically for the mining industry."
Research Objectives
Main Focus:
Understand the specific needs and pain points of both mining industry employers and employees.
Identify existing challenges faced by employers and employees in recruitment, communication, scheduling, and other related tasks.
Explore the functionality and features required for an effective employer portal, including recruitment tools, calendar management, communication channels, and advertisement capabilities.
Investigate the essential features and user experience considerations for an employee portal, such as job application processes, resume uploading, calendar access, and communication tools.
Analyze the user journey for both employers and employees, including navigation paths, task flows, and touchpoints throughout the platform.
Evaluate the usability of existing recruitment and communication platforms used by mining companies and employees, focusing on strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Research industry best practices and standards for user interface design and user experience in recruitment and employee management platforms.
Gather feedback and insights from potential users through surveys, interviews, and usability testing to inform design decisions and prioritize features.
Things to consider at a later stage:
Consider technical constraints and feasibility when planning and designing the platform, including compatibility with various devices and integration with existing systems.
Market Research Findings
Upon reviewing the market landscape, it's apparent that major competitors such as Seek.com.au, Indeed, and LinkedIn utilise existing technologies for job posting, candidate sourcing, and communication within the recruitment process. Seek.com.au, a significant player in the Australian job market, offers a broad range of job listings across various industries. It employs sophisticated search algorithms to match candidates with suitable positions. Employers can efficiently post jobs and manage applications through the platform's user-friendly interface. However, communication between parties is limited, necessitating the use of external platforms like email or SMS. Similarly, Indeed provides a comprehensive platform for job seekers and employers. It utilises advanced search functions and job recommendation algorithms to streamline hiring. Employers can leverage Indeed's employer dashboard to post jobs, track applicants, and communicate with candidates. LinkedIn, renowned for its professional networking capabilities, grants recruiters access to a vast talent pool through its job posting and candidate sourcing features. Employers can use LinkedIn's recruitment tools to post jobs, engage with candidates, and enhance employer brand visibility within the professional community. Overall, these competitors prioritise technology to improve recruitment efficiency, offering insights for the design and development of a competitive recruitment platform like Kees.
Based on our research, it's evident that Australian users heavily rely on Seek.com.au and LinkedIn for job searching and recruitment compared to Indeed. In a recent survey conducted with over 20 mining employees, the majority indicated a preference for platforms like LinkedIn and Seek.com.au when seeking job opportunities. Specifically, 70% of respondents reported using Seek.com.au as their primary job search platform, while 60% indicated using LinkedIn for networking and exploring career opportunities within the mining industry. In contrast, only 30% of respondents mentioned using Indeed for job searches. These findings highlight the strong presence and popularity of Seek.com.au and LinkedIn among Australian users, particularly in the context of the mining sector.
Affinity Mapping
Empathy Mapping
Insights + Pains & Opportunities
Personas
Interview Findings
During the interviews conducted with 60 mining industry professionals, several key insights emerged. Firstly, there was a unanimous preference for using Seek.com.au and LinkedIn for job searches and networking activities within the mining sector. However, participants expressed frustration with the lack of specialised job listings tailored specifically to the mining industry on these general job search platforms. Additionally, there was a notable desire for integrated communication features within recruitment platforms to facilitate smoother interaction between employers and candidates. Concerns were also raised regarding the accuracy of search filters, often leading to irrelevant job listings and cluttered search results.
Key Findings:
Seek.com.au and LinkedIn are crowd favorites.
Users crave tailored mining job listings.
Integrated communication tools are sought after.
Search filter accuracy raises eyebrows.
Usability Testing - Competitor Websites
Navigation Preferences: 85% of participants favoured intuitive navigation akin to Seek.com.au and LinkedIn.
Customisation Desire: 90% expressed interest in tailored job listings, highlighting a gap in current platforms.
Communication Integration: 80% emphasised the need for built-in communication tools for seamless interaction.
Search Filter Accuracy: 75% reported frustration with irrelevant job suggestions, indicating room for improvement.
Usability Testing - Painpoints
Navigation Challenges:
Users struggled with finding specific job listings due to cluttered interfaces and complex navigation.
Lack of Customisation:
Participants felt restricted by the generic job suggestions, desiring tailored options matching their skillsets.
Communication Hurdles:
Users cited difficulties in connecting with potential employers directly through the platform, hindering efficient communication.
Search Filter Issues:
Many expressed frustration with search filters, which often returned irrelevant job listings, wasting time and effort.
Opportunities
After thorough user interviews and usability testing, coupled with an analysis of popular existing platforms, we've identified key opportunities to tailor our platform for optimal user satisfaction and engagement
Streamlined Communication: Implementing a built-in messaging system could enhance direct communication between employers and candidates, facilitating smoother interactions.
Personalised Job Recommendations: Introducing machine learning algorithms to suggest job listings based on user preferences and qualifications could improve the job search experience.
Enhanced Search Functionality: Refining search filters to accurately match job listings with user queries could reduce irrelevant results and increase user satisfaction.
Comprehensive User Profiles: Developing user profiles that allow candidates to showcase their skills, experiences, and preferences could provide employers with better insights and improve matchmaking.
Persona
Jennifer was created to embody the diverse needs and challenges faced by users like her in the mining industry job market. By personifying these experiences, we ensure that our design decisions are driven by real user feedback rather than assumptions or preconceptions. Jennifer serves as a constant reminder to stay focused on the user journey, allowing us to avoid confirmation bias and maintain a user-centric approach throughout the design process. By listening attentively to Jennifer's pain points, gains, and opportunities, we can develop a platform that truly meets the needs of our target audience, fostering trust, satisfaction, and engagement.
Customer Journey
We've constructed this customer journey map to provide a clear visualisation of the user's path when applying for a job using other websites. By mapping out each step of the process, we gain valuable insights into the user's experience, pain points, and opportunities for improvement. This comprehensive understanding allows us to identify areas where existing platforms may fall short and enables us to envision a unique and innovative solution that caters specifically to the needs of users in the job application process. Through this map, we pave the way for the creation of a platform that stands out from the competition and offers a seamless and user-friendly experience for job seekers in the mining sector.
Learning Behaviours
Leveraging insights derived from comprehensive user research involving 60 individuals, we uncovered significant trends in user behaviour. Notably, a substantial 80% of respondents expressed a strong inclination towards platforms that offer an effortless and user-friendly job search experience. Additionally, 75% of participants showed a preference for platforms capable of delivering tailored job recommendations tailored to their unique skills and preferences. Moreover, 65% of interviewees emphasised the importance of transparent communication regarding application statuses and subsequent steps. Finally, a notable 70% underscored the significance of platforms that prioritise data privacy and security, particularly when sharing personal information during the application process. These insights provide valuable guidance for refining our platform to better align with user expectations and preferences.
How Might We
MVP
Initial Wireframes
How Might We
After concluding our market research into platforms akin to Kees, our focus shifted to crafting impactful How Might We questions aimed at uncovering innovative solutions tailored to elevate our designs and distinguish them from existing applications.
MVP
After the research and discussion with interviewees, we dived into the MVP segment and started thinking of prioritising the information that is most important to the users. then we need to start working on implementing them into our designs as we go.
Initial Wireframes
After discussions with stakeholders, we embarked on creating initial wireframe sketches to visualize the platform's layout and functionalities. This collaborative effort aimed to explore how various components would seamlessly integrate into the user interface, ensuring an intuitive and efficient user experience.
Style Guide
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Usability Testing
Prototype
Summary
What's Next
Style Guide
As we progressed to the style guide phase, we delved into refining the platform's visual identity. Custom iconography, carefully selected colors aligned with the brand guidelines, and fonts optimized for readability were pivotal elements. This meticulous attention to detail ensured a cohesive and engaging user interface, enhancing the overall user experience.
High Fidelity Wireframes
What's Next?
"As we move forward with the Kees project, our focus shifts towards refining high-fidelity wireframes and screen designs, prototyping for interactive testing, and conducting comprehensive usability assessments. Collaboration with stakeholders remains essential for iterating designs based on user feedback. Additionally, we aim to stay updated on industry trends for competitiveness. However, please note that the project is currently on hold due to management funding and other priorities. We anticipate resuming progress once these matters are resolved."
Next Steps:
Finalise high-fidelity wireframes and screen designs.
Prototype for interactive testing.
Conduct comprehensive usability assessments.
Iterate designs based on user feedback.
Stay updated on industry trends for competitiveness.
Prepare for platform development and eventual launch.
Additional features will be included in the design to ensure that users may utilise the application to post their next experience.
