PROSPLE | Sarah Lee

Increase user application rates by developing a personalised landing page for logged in users

CLIENT

Prosple

ROLE

UX Designer

TEAM

Zen Taureka

Claire Walsh

Sarah Lee

TIMELINE

6 Week Sprint

DUTIES

User Research
User Analysis

Prototyping
Design Prototyping

Interaction Design

Prosple is a career discovery platform that helps students and recent graduates find meaningful work opportunities. It connects students with employers, enabling businesses to engage with early-career talent while offering students valuable resources to launch their professional journeys.

THE PROBLEM

Returning users have to start their job search from scratch each time they log in and lack guidance in their search which increases the time and effort spent finding relevant roles.

THE SOLUTION

A personalised landing page with features that offer tailored recommendations, application tracking, and useful resources, simplifying the job search and helping users actively complete applications.

Our project was to develop a new homepage for logged-in users that displays previous job searches, tracks applications, and offers personalised recommendations based on the users profile.

Here are the problems that our users were facing:

PROBLEM

Repeat users have to start their search from scratch each time

Logged in users have no way of seeing what opportunities they have applied for

Some students don’t know what companies they should apply to

Competitor research: This was necessary to identify the gaps and to also determine how we could address the problems with the successful strategies used by our competitors.

User interviews: To gain a deeper understanding of the pain points and needs users experience when using job platforms, we followed up with user interviews.

Below are the key findings from our research:

RESEARCH

Key findings:

2/5 provide career advice, but does not feature on their landing page
3/5 rely on user provided information to give recommendations rather than a memory based system
Only 1 competitor has a ‘Recent Searches’ function
3/5 have an 'Application Tracking' feature
2/5 do not have a standalone discovery section on their landing page

These findings underscore key features that Prosple can adopt to enhance its landing page, improving user experience and better supporting job seekers in their journey.

We interviewed 8 students in their final year of study/recent graduates. Here we have included a few quotes from users highlighting the issues they currently face in their job searches.

Screenshot 2024-10-17 at 11.17.36 am.png

“I like a platform that is well tailored but doesn’t block you from exploring the website and jobs.”

Screenshot 2024-10-17 at 11.17.04 am.png

“Waiting and hoping is the worst feeling and not hearing back at all crushes that even more.”

Screenshot 2024-10-17 at 11.16.28 am.png

“It can be hard to filter through all the content on a job page, it feels like a lot of noise sometimes.”

The common themes that emerged from all interviews include personalisation, the ability to track progress, and a preference for a smart yet minimalist design. Here is a summary of the user concerns we identified as essential to our design process:

65%

of interviewees mentioned being frustrated at repetitive processes 

40%

of students mentioned feel overwhelmed by their job search and job platforms

90%

of users have other priorities outside of salary

With our user research, we then brainstormed some ideas.

One key challenge our team faced was that while our clients preferred removing the search bar entirely from the platform, our users said otherwise. We needed to find a solution that balanced both user and client needs.

How will we tackle this?

Firstly, to help us generate ideas and drive our design process, we transformed our problem statement into HMW statement.

HMW

How might we tailor information to each user without limiting their experience?

This aimed to remind us that whilst we had a focus on personalisation, users were concerned that at a certain point trying to personalise too much can actually limit users freedom and abilities to freely navigate.

It was clear that based on user research, we needed to retain the search bar.

We decided to move forward with a single concept that effectively addresses the users' needs while also considering the client's preference.

1

It is a standard feature on most job platforms that users are familiar with.

2

To reserve users' freedom to explore and discover other roles without restriction.

Preliminary Solution

Problem 1: Repeat users have to start their search from scratch each time.

Users can see recommendations based on their profile
Users can see their recent searches displayed below the search bar
Users can access jobs they've recently viewed under the "Recently Viewed" section

Problem 2: Logged in users have no way of seeing what opportunities they have applied for.

Users can view their application status just by switching tabs to "Your Applications"

Problem 3: Some students don’t know what companies they should apply to.

Users are recommended jobs and companies based on their profile

The solution to this problem: We decided to retain the search bar, but positioned it in a way that doesn't dominate the entire landing page. Instead, we ensured that the personalised section remained the primary focus of the page, while effectively tackling all three problems.

We then made several iterations and created a mid-fidelity.

After designing our mid-fidelity prototype, we proceeded to usability testing, conducting 9 sessions to understand user navigation and identify what information remains valuable to our users. Here's what our users shared...

SUCCESSES

100%

Identified 'Your Applications'

and would regularly access for updates and reminders on their progress

90%

Users would use the 'Recommended for You'

provided it reflects their previous searches

80%

Identified and understood the 'Recently Viewed' feature

and would help them backtrack in their search without having to remember search details

CONCERNS

80%

Did not find the badges

or goals to be motivating

users want more information about their prospects, that will help advance their search

65%

Found the 'Explore' feature to be unclear

and would not choose to navigate to or use this of their own will

70%

Mentioned inconsistencies in information and layout

primarily noticed on the 'Recently Viewed'

And heres how we addressed it:

SOLUTION

1

Users resorted to the 'search box' to expand their search.

Action: Maintained the inclusion of the search box in the top right corner as a secondary way to search different roles.

Based on user feedback, the 'Recommended for You' tab was the first point of contact.

Action: Maintained the positioning of the 'Recommended for You' tab as the primary tab for easy accessibility.

2 Before

After

Users found the layout and information of past searches to be inconsistent.

Action: We implemented the same card layout for displaying recent searches.

3 Before

After

Users were unsure about the content of the 'Explore' tabs and were not motivated to click on them.

Action: Created a dedicated section below featuring engaging titles and a list of aspects users might value in a company that is beyond salary.

4 Before

After

Regarding milestones and goals, users found it an interesting feature but deemed it irrelevant.

Action: We removed it completely.

For the calendar, half of our users were unclear about its purpose.

Action: We added text and instructions to clarify its functionality.

As a result, logged-in users of Prosple now have a personalised homepage that displays profile-based recommendations, application tracking, tailored suggestions, and valuable resources to guide students. This enhancement enables applicants to navigate the job search process more easily and with greater support.

Click Here to View Prototype

After usability testing on our first design, based on some of the insights and client feedback, the team decided to explore another design with a different navigation style. We eliminated some features and added a few new features.

ITERATION 2

Screenshot 2024-12-08 at 11.24.48 pm.png

'Edit Profile' text for quick access to inputting personal information

Modified tabs for a sleeker design

Addition of save buttons

Removed the to-do list and milestones from the landing page; kept them only on the profile page. While users indicated these features were not very motivating, we've retained them for further testing to explore potential improvements.

However, due to the time restraints, we were unable to test our second iteration. However moving forward, we imagine further iterations and testing could be completed to ensure the final product aligns more closely both the user and business needs and expectations.

This project reinforced the importance of aligning user experience with business objectives. Consistently referencing our users—understanding their goals, values, and pain points—while balancing these with business needs is essential for success.

Communication

A key lesson learned is the importance of frequent communication with the wider team during the ideation phase to prevent misaligned expectations. Prioritising early communication and conducting regular check-ins can help avoid misunderstandings later on. It’s also crucial to ensure that testing occurs only after aligning ideas with stakeholders, so they clearly understand what is being tested. One specific action we could take is to create more sketches in a shorter timeframe to ensure everyone is on the same page.