Scout

A seamless and organized platform for job seekers and recruiters.

A seamless and organized platform for job seekers and recruiters.

Overview

In response to the chaotic and disorganized nature of existing job board platforms, Scout stands out as a revolutionary job aggregator application.


Traditional job search platforms often resemble archaic stock markets, fostering an environment of chaos, noise, misinformation, and favoritism.


Scout aims to address these issues by providing a seamless and organized platform for both job seekers and recruiters.

In response to the chaotic and disorganized nature of existing job board platforms, Scout stands out as a revolutionary job aggregator application.


Traditional job search platforms often resemble archaic stock markets, fostering an environment of chaos, noise, misinformation, and favoritism.


Scout aims to address these issues by providing a seamless and organized platform for both job seekers and recruiters.

Deliverable

Deliverable

Prototype

Prototype

Duration

Duration

3 Months

3 Months

Target Demographic

Target Demographic

18 - 50 years

18 - 50 years

Research

Research

Secondary Research

Secondary Research

Tools

Tools

Figma

FigJam

Procreate

Figma

FigJam

Procreate

Project Goals

  1. Seamless Integration and Streamlined Experience:

    • Goal: Integrate multiple job boards into a cohesive platform.

    • Rationale: Simplify and streamline the job application process, providing users with a seamless and organized experience.

  2. User Well-being and Efficient Tracking:

    • Goal: Prioritize mental health with a Health Companion feature and enable easy tracking.

    • Rationale: Enhance the job-seeking experience by caring for user well-being and offering efficient tracking of job applications.

  3. Unique Feature:

    • Goal: Distinguishes the application from its competitors and enhances its attractiveness for sustained user engagement.

    • Rationale: Users come for X but stay for Y. In a crowded app landscape with similar functionalities, we require a unique feature that provides additional value to users..

  1. Seamless Integration and Streamlined Experience:

    • Goal: Integrate multiple job boards into a cohesive platform.

    • Rationale: Simplify and streamline the job application process, providing users with a seamless and organized experience.

  2. User Well-being and Efficient Tracking:

    • Goal: Prioritize mental health with a Health Companion feature and enable easy tracking.

    • Rationale: Enhance the job-seeking experience by caring for user well-being and offering efficient tracking of job applications.

  3. Unique Feature:

    • Goal: Distinguishes the application from its competitors and enhances its attractiveness for sustained user engagement.

    • Rationale: Users come for X but stay for Y. In a crowded app landscape with similar functionalities, we require a unique feature that provides additional value to users..

Research Insights

Desk Research, Interviews and process teardowns revealed that -

  1. Standardization Needed: Job applications share common sections, calling for standardized processes across web and mobile platforms.

  2. Resume Parsing Challenges: Parsing resumes can be unreliable, posing frustration for recruiters and applicants alike.

  3. Tool Usability Issues: Existing tools for job applications are difficult to use, highlighting the need for user-friendly alternatives.

  4. Lack of Procedure Standardization: Inconsistent procedures across platforms hinder efficiency for both recruiters and job seekers.

  5. Job Listing Duplication: Duplicate job listings waste applicants' time and effort, necessitating better synchronization across platforms.

  6. Limited Application Tracking: Job portals lack effective tracking systems, causing frustration during the application process.

Desk Research, Interviews and process teardowns revealed that -

  1. Standardization Needed: Job applications share common sections, calling for standardized processes across web and mobile platforms.

  2. Resume Parsing Challenges: Parsing resumes can be unreliable, posing frustration for recruiters and applicants alike.

  3. Tool Usability Issues: Existing tools for job applications are difficult to use, highlighting the need for user-friendly alternatives.

  4. Lack of Procedure Standardization: Inconsistent procedures across platforms hinder efficiency for both recruiters and job seekers.

  5. Job Listing Duplication: Duplicate job listings waste applicants' time and effort, necessitating better synchronization across platforms.

  6. Limited Application Tracking: Job portals lack effective tracking systems, causing frustration during the application process.

Research - Personas

The project emphasizes the importance of personas to understand the diverse needs users may have during the job application process. Through personas, I aimed to capture the varied experiences of individuals, including those with no experience, highly experienced professionals, and career changers. This approach enabled a comprehensive exploration of the job-seeking journey, catering to the unique requirements of each user group.

The project emphasizes the importance of personas to understand the diverse needs users may have during the job application process. Through personas, I aimed to capture the varied experiences of individuals, including those with no experience, highly experienced professionals, and career changers. This approach enabled a comprehensive exploration of the job-seeking journey, catering to the unique requirements of each user group.

How Might We?

The central challenge addressed by Scout is how to integrate various job boards into a cohesive platform to benefit job seekers and recruiters. Which leads me to -


“How might we integrate various job boards into one platform that benefits the job seeker and the recruiter to effectively sort, condense and track their applications/jobs posts.”


The central challenge addressed by Scout is how to integrate various job boards into a cohesive platform to benefit job seekers and recruiters. Which leads me to -


“How might we integrate various job boards into one platform that benefits the job seeker and the recruiter to effectively sort, condense and track their applications/jobs posts.”


Key Job to be Done

The key job to be done is the primary objective of why this app needs to be built.


"Capture job seekers with a seamlessly integrated platform that aggregates jobs from multiple sources streamlining applications while allowing for easy tracking crafted for humans.”

The key job to be done is the primary objective of why this app needs to be built.


"Capture job seekers with a seamlessly integrated platform that aggregates jobs from multiple sources streamlining applications while allowing for easy tracking crafted for humans.”

Mental Note Models

Mental note models allow for my system to be designed to positively influence the decision users make while navigating the interface. These models I chose are intended to enhance the experience of the app. They are -


  1. Periodic Events: Staying on top of job applications and consistently applying is challenging. Periodic and timely reminders at specific times can be a great motivator to follow through and perform the mundane/repetitive activity.

    This can be seen in the application tracker.

  2. Delighters: Navigating the job finding process can be mentally taxing and demanding. Incorporating elements of motivation and mood upliftment, even in small doses, can significantly enhance the user experience.

    This can be seen in the job details page, with the health companion section and in the rewards.

  3. Chunking: Grouping / clustering similar elements or pieces of information can reduce cognitive load and make information processing much easier and faster. Humans learn to subconsciously expect information in a certain area due to vast standardization of apps and way information is presented.

    This can be observed throughout the app with well designed info cards and neatly categorized detail pages.

Mental note models allow for my system to be designed to positively influence the decision users make while navigating the interface. These models I chose are intended to enhance the experience of the app. They are -


  1. Periodic Events: Staying on top of job applications and consistently applying is challenging. Periodic and timely reminders at specific times can be a great motivator to follow through and perform the mundane/repetitive activity.

    This can be seen in the application tracker.

  2. Delighters: Navigating the job finding process can be mentally taxing and demanding. Incorporating elements of motivation and mood upliftment, even in small doses, can significantly enhance the user experience.

    This can be seen in the job details page, with the health companion section and in the rewards.

  3. Chunking: Grouping / clustering similar elements or pieces of information can reduce cognitive load and make information processing much easier and faster. Humans learn to subconsciously expect information in a certain area due to vast standardization of apps and way information is presented.

    This can be observed throughout the app with well designed info cards and neatly categorized detail pages.

Journey Map

The journey map serves as a visual guide to the essential features of Scout, outlining the golden path—the primary objective of a job seeker. This map illustrates how users can navigate within the app, emphasizing the interconnectedness of features. The golden path represents the user's primary goal, with supporting elements enhancing the overall experience.

The journey map serves as a visual guide to the essential features of Scout, outlining the golden path—the primary objective of a job seeker. This map illustrates how users can navigate within the app, emphasizing the interconnectedness of features. The golden path represents the user's primary goal, with supporting elements enhancing the overall experience.

Low Fidelity Designs

This is where the initial sketches and ideas took shape. Low-fidelity designs provided a foundational structure, emphasizing layout and essential user interactions. These designs laid the groundwork for the entire project.

This is where the initial sketches and ideas took shape. Low-fidelity designs provided a foundational structure, emphasizing layout and essential user interactions. These designs laid the groundwork for the entire project.

Mid Fidelity Designs

As I moved into mid-fidelity designs, the rough sketches began to transform into more detailed, visually cohesive representations. This stage brought the concept closer to reality by incorporating refined elements, such as color schemes and typography.

As I moved into mid-fidelity designs, the rough sketches began to transform into more detailed, visually cohesive representations. This stage brought the concept closer to reality by incorporating refined elements, such as color schemes and typography.

High Fidelity Designs

The high-fidelity prototypes represent the culmination of the design process. Here, every detail was meticulously refined, and interactive elements were introduced to create a lifelike user experience. These prototypes provided a compelling and realistic vision for Scout. The cherry on top comes from the completely prototyped application that made users feel that it is an application that is live.

The high-fidelity prototypes represent the culmination of the design process. Here, every detail was meticulously refined, and interactive elements were introduced to create a lifelike user experience. These prototypes provided a compelling and realistic vision for Scout. The cherry on top comes from the completely prototyped application that made users feel that it is an application that is live.

Dashboard

The dashboard provides an overview of the job application status, to-dos, follow ups and motivation.

The dashboard provides an overview of the job application status, to-dos, follow ups and motivation.

Tracker

The tracker automatically tracks the applications that you have applied to and tracks the progress through various stages of recruitement.

The tracker automatically tracks the applications that you have applied to and tracks the progress through various stages of recruitement.

Explore

The Explore feature allows you to enhance your job search by applying filters that manage the diverse job boards contributing to job aggregation.

Every individual job card indicates the platforms where the identical job opportunity has been posted. Additionally, the detailed job page presents the job description and an application form, facilitating a seamless application process within the app without redirection to external websites.

The Explore feature allows you to enhance your job search by applying filters that manage the diverse job boards contributing to job aggregation.

Every individual job card indicates the platforms where the identical job opportunity has been posted. Additionally, the detailed job page presents the job description and an application form, facilitating a seamless application process within the app without redirection to external websites.

Health Companion

The Health Companion, powered by AI, monitors your application progress.

Utilizing mood check-ins and tracking your journey, it delivers timely, non-intrusive feedback ranging from motivation to rest suggestions and awards.

Seamlessly integrating into every aspect of the application, the companion enhances your experience.

The Health Companion, powered by AI, monitors your application progress.

Utilizing mood check-ins and tracking your journey, it delivers timely, non-intrusive feedback ranging from motivation to rest suggestions and awards.

Seamlessly integrating into every aspect of the application, the companion enhances your experience.

Prototype

Next Steps

The ongoing design process for Scout involves continuous refinement and improvement. Key focus areas include:

  1. Enhancing contrast and visibility in specific areas to improve the overall user experience.

  2. Addressing font size concerns to meet accessibility standards and ensure a user-friendly interface.

  3. Aligning with platform standards, enabling redundancy in interactions, and maintaining consistency for user familiarity.

  4. Exploring the possibility of introducing a dark mode version to cater to diverse user preferences.

  5. Considering the addition of features initially tabled due to development constraints.

The ongoing design process for Scout involves continuous refinement and improvement. Key focus areas include:

  1. Enhancing contrast and visibility in specific areas to improve the overall user experience.

  2. Addressing font size concerns to meet accessibility standards and ensure a user-friendly interface.

  3. Aligning with platform standards, enabling redundancy in interactions, and maintaining consistency for user familiarity.

  4. Exploring the possibility of introducing a dark mode version to cater to diverse user preferences.

  5. Considering the addition of features initially tabled due to development constraints.

Conclusion

As a designer, my commitment with Scout is to redefine the job-seeking experience. By providing a platform that efficiently aggregates job listings and prioritizes the mental well-being of users, Scout aims to stand out in the competitive landscape of job search tools. The ongoing refinement and addition of features underscore my dedication to creating a seamless, empowering, and human-centric job search tool.

As a designer, my commitment with Scout is to redefine the job-seeking experience. By providing a platform that efficiently aggregates job listings and prioritizes the mental well-being of users, Scout aims to stand out in the competitive landscape of job search tools. The ongoing refinement and addition of features underscore my dedication to creating a seamless, empowering, and human-centric job search tool.

© Hastin Bagewadi 2024

All illustrations and images are free, open source and taken from stroyset.com and blush.design

All illustrations and images are free, open source and taken from stroyset.com

and blush.design