EthicalJobs.com.au - Mobile App
Currently, jobseekers using Ethicaljobs.com.au need to use the web-based offering
on mobile, if they are browsing using their phone.
EthicalJobs.com.au wanted to offer their jobseekers a product that reflected their
2021 strategic plan to create jobseeker profiles.
My solution was to create a mobile application that could be used in tandem with the EthicalJobs.com.au website while taking advantage of the newly created jobseeker profiles.
Problem Statement
Australian jobseekers who want to contribute their professional skills to the ‘for-purpose’ sector, find it difficult to seek out these types of roles as other job search apps do not cater to these specific needs.
Discover
Research Plan
Background
The purpose of this research was to determine the major pain points and benefits our mobile application may deliver to users. This information was used to inform the initial rollout of the app and its deliverables.
The research was conducted in the following ways:
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Survey
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Competitive analysis
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Landscape review
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1-on-1 interviews
Research Objectives
Learn how users currently search for jobs using either EthicalJobs.com.au or other job search platforms.
Success Metrics
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Quantitative data displaying the most popular job-searching platforms
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Features that are currently used by users
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An understanding of the current market offerings on mobile
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Detailed understanding of how jobseekers conduct a job search
Survey Results
Desktop is the most popular device for job searching (61%)
The most popular job search platform is SEEK, with Indeed second and LinkedIn third
The most used features are email alerts, saving job ads, and storing application information
The most common pain points were with search functions and job ad information
The most requested features relate to search functions, with users requesting more refined search methods
Most respondents conducted their job search from home and found their platform satisfactory.
User Interviews
Participants for these interviews were chosen based on their current employment, job searching history and age bracket. It was determined that the participants would be aged between 24-36 and be composed of new graduates, recent or current job seekers, and seasoned professionals.
An interview script was developed using information sourced via a competitive analysis and landscape review. Sessions were conducted online using Google Meets and live transcription via Otter.ai.
Results were then analysed, compressed and sorted using Miro.
Define
Affinity Map
The Affinity Map assisted in working through the chaos of the results and organised the data into easy to identify pains points, benefits and the beginnings of possible solutions. The map provided the basis for a lot of the following tools created, as well as a point of reference moving onto the develop stage to ensure the design stayed on course.
Empathy Map
The results from the Empathy Map revealed the user experience from a variety of angles. As the Empathy Map below shows, all quadrants were able to be filled which ensured an adequate amount of research had been completed. Key findings revealed users found it difficult to keep track of jobs while searching and applying which informed the develop stage further down the track.
Customer Journey Map
The Alex Persona was utilised to map his experience searching for a job. The map was very useful to find pain points and opportunities within the customer journey and generate opportunities for change, or identify what already works well. Jumping into the voice of the user also provided a deeper insight into the user experience.
Persona
The Persona identified Alex as a representation of our users as a whole. Some key elements we uncovered include a dissatisfaction with his current role; a need to work within a role with purpose; a professional level qualification and an idealistic mindset. These insights were used to further inform the develop stage.
Develop
How might we?
The How Might We questions raised in the images above were generated through a few different brainstorming sessions. Initially, the ideas were more abstract, however in subsequent sessions they were refined in order to provide a leaping off point for the development phase. The questions were posted into the project board as a reference point to keep the develop phase relevant.
Crazy 8s
These sessions were completed with the addition of other participants including the client and other related stakeholders. The session took place in a workshop setting, with the participants briefed on the project and other project materials displayed around the room for inspiration. As a group we made our through each How Might We question and spent 8 minutes generating ideas.
Storyboard
The Storyboard details the experience of the user while using the EthicalJobs.com.au mobile app. It utilises the Persona created earlier in the project, and covers the main events that take place starting with a notification and ending in a job application. The Storyboard revealed some key points within the sequence that may enhance the users experience such as ensuring the user is able to move easily between the mobile application and desktop.
Information Architecture
Card sorting
User flows
Wireframes
The card sorting and user flows detailed above, provided a basis for the wireframe displayed on the right. The Wireframe also displays the flow a user might take to get to an application screen or donation screen. After the Wireframes were approved by the client, they formed a blueprint for the prototype.
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Deliver
Using the Wireframes as a guide the next step within the project was to deliver a Hi-Fidelity Prototype. To achieve a design that met system requirements on an Android device, Google's Material Design system. The following sections highlight this process and the iterations that took place to ensure the end product was of high quality for the purposes of usability testing.
Colour
Within the Material Design system, colour plays an important role. As shown above, a grey shade was chosen as the primary colour. This would cover components such as the bottom and top app bars. Green played the role of the secondary colours, used to highlight when a component was in an active state. This green was also an important branding colour. The Material Design colour tool was used to generate the colours above.
Typography
As EthicalJobs.com.au already included brand fonts the only requirement was to create a suitable type scale for use on mobile. The Material Design type scale was used to ensure each component was paired with the correctly sized and spaced font. This allowed for consistency across the application.
The image below represents the steps taken to ensure the end design encompassed all the elements of the Material Design system in a way that also represented the EthicalJobs.com.au brand. As shown in the final design, there was originally a strong use of green across multiple screens. However, as this colour was also needed to represent active states, it was decided the design would utilise white and grey to create a sleeker look. Additionally, upon feedback from the client, more imagery was included to add another element to the job seeker experience. These images include the banner image from the webpage as the background for the login page and other vector images to fill in space when there is no content.
Usability Testing
The following was used as a prompt to test the functionality and usability of the prototype to search and find a particular role.
As a job seeker
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Login to the EthicalJobs.com.au mobile application.
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You're interested in finding a new full-time role at a not-for-profit located in Melbourne, VIC.
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Once you've found something you like, you want to check the application instructions.
Results
The inital prototype was tested with users and found that some features required improvements. FOr example, users found it difficult to select from the drop down menus. The solution was to replace the dropdown with a new screen that displayed those options instead.
