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CareerMate is an app designed for job searching for blue-collar professionals.
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One-month sprint to design a mobile-first marketplace connecting hands-on workers and small employers. We simplified search and posting, added fast screening and lightweight messaging.
In usability sessions, users finished core tasks faster with fewer errors, had clearer next steps via explicit statuses, preferred the posting wizard and inbox-style messaging, and reported lower cognitive load on mobile.
• Filters and search felt complex on small screens, leading to drop-offs before viewing relevant jobs.
• Applying required multiple steps and repeated data entry, with unclear confirmation and next steps.
• Employers struggled to post quickly and review candidates without bouncing between pages.
• Status transparency was poor for both sides; candidates did not know where they stood, employers lost track of pipelines.
• Messaging was fragmented, causing slow back-and-forth for basic questions like availability or location.
Rapid interviews and desk research to map pains for job seekers and small employers. Role-based IA and shortest paths for find or apply and post or review. Clickable mobile prototype, task-based tests, and iterations on filter defaults, labels, and success states.
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Design thinking approach
Most job platforms skew toward office roles and feel heavy for workers and small employers. The opportunity was to surface essentials first—location, schedule, pay, skills—and streamline the apply/post loop for both sides.
User persona
Questions and answers for an in-depth interview
• Role-based entry. Separate home screens for Job Seeker and Employer with the most common tasks up front: find jobs, track applications, post a job, review candidates.
• Fit-for-purpose search. First-class filters for location radius, pay range, shift type, contract type and skills. Instant results with helpful badges such as Urgent, No experience, Starts this week.
• Quick apply. One compact screen using a saved profile, skill chips, a short pitch, and optional docs or photos. Clear success state with next steps.
• Posting wizard. Five concise steps with defaults, validation, and preview so small employers can publish in minutes without errors.
• Inbox-style messaging. Short, WhatsApp-like threads with quick templates to reduce typing and speed up screening.
• Application tracking. Shared statuses for both sides — Applied, Viewed, Shortlisted, Interview, Hired — with timestamps and bulk actions for employers.
• Credible profiles. Skills and certifications chips, short work history, availability windows, distance to job, verified contact details.
• Mobile-first patterns. Large tap targets, sticky calls to action, offline-friendly forms, dark mode, and readable typography.
• Design system foundations. Tokens and reusable components for cards, lists, filters, forms, empty and error states to keep shipping fast and consistent.
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UI kit
This is a prototype of the application
Geo-aware recommendations and commute time, verified badges and interview scheduling, employer tools for scoring and notes, sponsored listings with transparent ranking rules, and instrumentation for search-to-apply and post-to-hire funnels.