Fuse Networking App
A comprehensive platform designed to simplify the internship application process and enhance job search experience for students.
Project Details
DURATION
ROLE
TEAM
Jan. 2024 - May 2024 (4 mo. total)
Design Strategist, UX Researcher, UI/UX
Heather Davies
Solo Project
Problem & Goal
Problem Statement
Navigating the internship application process can be frustrating for students. Many encounter outdated listings, disorganization, and a lack of transparency about qualifications and salaries. The frustration is compounded by poor follow-ups and difficulty in finding updated information. Students also struggle with complex, non-intuitive applications and wish for clearer filters. Additionally, there is a strong desire for easier connections with people who can provide referrals and resume support.
Solution
Imagine having a tool that simplifies the internship application process and enhances your job search experience. That tool is Fuse. It's a comprehensive application designed to keep you informed and connected. Fuse features a live application tracker and quick ways to connect with recruiters. Companies are required to list detailed job descriptions, requirements, and company statistics, with reviews available for each job listing. The app includes active/new listing sections, an easy apply feature, and a filtered search option. Additionally, Fuse offers chatrooms tailored to your occupational interests and seamless access to recruiters and mentors, making it an ideal platform for streamlining your job search and networking efforts.
Discovery
Before the meeting, our team conducted a comprehensive SWOT analysis to evaluate existing internship application platforms and identify gaps and opportunities. We also carried out customer interviews to develop detailed personas, capturing students' frustrations and needs. Additionally, we mapped out user journeys to understand their tasks, goals, and pain points. As we analyzed these findings, we identified areas where user needs and design requirements were unclear or misaligned. This prompted us to prepare a set of follow-up questions to refine our approach.
During our meeting, we reviewed the insights from our research, including the SWOT analysis results, user personas, and journey maps. This collaborative discussion allowed us to address critical aspects of the app design, ensuring that Fuse effectively simplifies the internship application process, improves transparency, and enhances user connectivity with recruiters and mentors.
- Search and Networking
- Applicant portal setup
- Job Listing Management
- Allow applicants to send acceptances and schedule interview times through the app and email.
Ideation
User Stories
The client provided three thorough user stories that addressed the entire user journey, involving tasks such as template form creation, sharing, editing, duplicating, and attaching a template to a post for others to complete.
- As a student, I want to create and save a template form so that I can easily apply to multiple internships with similar requirements.
- As a student, I want to share my template with other students so that they can use it for their applications.
- As a student, I want to edit and duplicate existing templates so that I can customize them for different applications.
- As a student, I want to attach my template to a job posting so that other applicants can use it.
User Flows
For effective management, we divided the flows. I worked in collaboration with another designer on user flow three—a pivotal flow that shapes the template experience within the CRM, and a prominent feature of the product. Initially, I tackled its complexity independently. After completing my version of the flow, I presented the design to my teammate, and together, we refined and improved the aspects that required attention. This approach allowed me to apply my design thinking skills to create a streamlined form creation flow.
User Flow 3: Template Creation and Management
Sitemap
The sitemap was created to address three main opportunities. It should provide a way for users to easily connect with recruiters and employees from similar roles to expand users network. Next, it provides a way for users to gain transparency on company information and on their application processes. Finally, providing a filtering system for active jobs and specialized roles with up to date information.
Sitemap: Navigation Structure and Information Architecture
Design
Wireframes
In our design session, we decided to start all user flows from the Submissions page. Our intent was to enhance clarity with precise language. To achieve this, we made a deliberate change, renaming 'My Applications' to 'Submissions,' making it clear that all types of submissions (applications, surveys, registrations, and more) would be conveniently accessible in one place. This strategic move to centralize submissions, along with features like individual submissions, a template overview tab, and a quick template creation button in the top-right corner, streamlined user interactions for a more cohesive and seamless experience.
Initial wireframes showing the submission flow and template management
Reflection
Presenting my prototype with the aim to help users find jobs and internships easily and apply to them quickly.
The first change I made to my prototype based on user feedback was with visuals. The initial version was looking to bland and old fashioned, so I switched to a visually more appeal look for all changes that you'll see in my prototype.
The second change I made was with the job filters. Initially users were having trouble finding specific filters so I incorporated a search bar and a filter system that relies on tags or keywords to find relevant job offers.
A third change I made related to the quick apply feature. Before there was no immediate feedback to the user that the application was submitted, so I added a confirmation page as well as a page where the user can view their pending or past applications.
Now moving on to my clickable prototype, first you'll be taken to the login and registration pages, where you would enter a new or existing username and password in order to get into the app.
Once registering or logging in, the next ideal step would be to go to the account page and fill out the information fields that appear, including uploading your resume in order for the quick apply feature to work. So let's go to the filters page and try looking for a job relating to relevant fields. So you would pick the filters you wanted and press 'apply filters' to see job offerings related to your entered fields.
Next, you should be able to see some job offerings, and be able to click on them to start your application. You will then be able to verify the information entered into you account is correct before hitting the 'quick apply' feature that will automatically fill the application out for you.