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FreeFind

My Role

Timeline

Solo Designer

  • UX/UI

  • Researcher

  • Interviewer

2 weeks of design sprint + 1 week of refinement work

Tools Used

Figma + Photoshop

Project Type

Personal Project

PROBLEM

Freelancers, especially underground ones, have difficulty with finding clients.

Coming from a program at university that holds graphic design/packaging/art oriented freelancing students, I noticed major difficulty when it came to finding the right clients. This doesn't just apply to university students, but to all freelancers of any age, gender, ethnicity, and status. 

SOLUTIONS

Integrating 3 solutions so freelancers can freely run their business!

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Profile & Review

  • Similar to Instagram, this profile page has additional features like the "Pricing Info" option and only keeping "Posts" and "Likes."

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  • I didn't include follower counts to minimize recognition loss (especially for underground freelancers)

  • Added a "My Skills" section to show off credibility to clients (building trust beforehand)

  • Added a "Reviews" section to open endorsements from past clients (similar to LinkedIn)

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Finding Clients Nearby - Map

  • It doesn't show the EXACT location to protect the clients/freelancers location, but it will show you who is nearby

  • When you click on their profile picture, a small description of the needs and wants of clients will pop up

  • Freelancers are able to send them a quick automated message of their profile as a suggestion to the client

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Keeping Clients Organized

  • Instead of creating a traditional chat room, I went for a more organizational approach by adding the ability to group your clients

  • Grouping does not create a group chat per say, it groups clients in a similar "needs" section

  • When you are chatting, you have the ability to attach and send an invoice of payment to ensure you will be paid!

WHITE PAPER RESEARCH

Being honest here, it was hard to find raw data about this topic but after reading more than 20 articles, I stumbled upon this one statistic that sparked many questions for solutions:

 

"58% of freelancers report having worked with clients that fail to pay"

https://bloggingwizard.com/freelancing-statistics/

I started to gain empathy for freelancers that may not have as much recognition compared to others; which is why I didn't want a "follower/ing" count, this leads to insecurities and lessens the chances of recognition.

"Freelancing can feel like an uphill battle when you first start. Nobody knows who you are, what you do, or if they can trust you."

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/disadvantages-of-freelancing-2164223

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS & WHAT'S MISSING?

All of these apps are great for freelancers indefinitely; HOWEVER, they all lacked client connection and collaboration with different freelancers, basically a tight, loyal community. An additional problem included apps such as Instagram, Fiverr, and Freelancer lacked credibility; essentially the freelancer not being able to show credible skills.

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USER INTERVIEWS & ANALYZING THE GAPS

100% of my interviewees find it hard to organize clients.

I interviewed 20 of my fellow freelancing peers from my university. Age ranged from 18-23.

Interview questions I asked:

  • What are your top priorities when choosing a freelancing app to use?

  • Do you feel discouraged by not receiving the recognition you want?

  • Is it hard to keep up with clients in a general social media chat?

  • Is finding clients near you hard?

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AFFINITY MAPPING + TAKING IN USER CONCERNS

I individually interviewed 5 users to get in depth explanations and opinions.

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USER PERSONA + UNDERSTANDING USERS NEEDS

After analyzing and understanding the interview responses I received and the data I gathered, I developed this user persona based on the pain points MAJORITY of peers experienced.

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USER FLOWS --> HOW WOULD SOPHIE USE THIS?

Sign Up/In Flow

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Onboarding

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App Flow

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MY STRUGGLES AND IMPROVEMENTS

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THINGS I LEARNED & WILL CONTINUE TO LEARN

Here are top 5 things that I learned but will also continue to learn more about during future projects:

  • Building a deeper connection between my interviewees to fully empathize with their pain points

  • Take a step back often while designing for fresh and better ideas

  • Don't be afraid of color, especially bright and playful ones!

  • To be extra cautious when adding text on playful colours

  • It is important to explain why you made certain decisions, especially if they are not immediately apparent

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FINAL DESIGN & PROTOTYPE

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