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Overview
What is CareerConnect?
Navigating a new career path can be unnerving. So why do it alone? That’s why I created CareerConnect, an app and inclusive platform that connects individuals with mentors and networks to unlock their full potential. Users can tap into the support they need to level up their skills and make empowered moves towards their career goals.
My Role
End to end UX Designer
Tools
Figma, otter.ai, Zoom, pen & paper
Timeline
10 weeks
Type
Hybrid app | Academic
Employees are Burning Out
The Problem
Burnout negatively impacts employee mental and physical well-being, leading to poor work performance and higher employee turnover rates. To avoid burnout, employees desire careers that align with their values and interests. However, they lack the confidence and reassurance needed to successfully transition careers.
61% of workers
are still contemplating leaving their job 2023
72% of Gen Z workers
and 63% of Millennial workers are contemplating career changes in 2023
70% of workers
across 7 countries reported burnout in 2021
Digging Deeper
User Participant Interviews
I wanted to understand the obstacles that hinder these younger generations when transitioning careers, and what can be done to help them achieve their professional goals. I reached out to peers in my network, ages 27-33, who were currently contemplating or pursuing a new career. These participant interviews revealed some fascinating insights.
01. Career Fulfillment
"
I would like a career where I can do what I love full time and balance that with making enough income.
"
Gen Z and Millennial workers seek careers that align with their values and interests.
02. Financial Risk
"
I don’t have an endless budget and an endless amount of time to really explore new things.
"
Gen Z and Millennial workers are concerned about the financial risks of transitioning careers.
03. Fear of Failure
"
If I go out and try new things and I fail, it's all my fault. It’s literally all on my shoulders.
"
Gen Z and Millennial workers fear failure and imposter syndrome after transitioning careers.
04. Mentorship + Networking
"
Mentorship, learning from someone who’s been there and done that, it’s important. That’s what I want.
"
Gen Z and Millennial workers desire mentorship and access to a professional networks.
Key Takeaways
Much to my surprise, each participant expressed a need for mentorship or a network to help them feel confident in their career transitions. To keep my solution space focused, I developed the following How Might We Question:
How might we help Gen Z and Millennial professionals easily access mentorship and networks in order to succeed in their career transitions?
Designing for User Needs
The Solution
CareerConnect is a digital platform and hybrid app that fosters connections between users and mentors, as well as networks, in order to support career transitions. CareerConnect relays accurate mentor matches, provides access to networking events, and supports users with personalized tools and resources.
Major Features
The Dashboard
The user can learn more about upcoming networking events, find a mentor, and read articles relevant to their career interests - straight from their home screen.
Mentor Feed
Here, the user can scroll through CareerConnect mentors that are automatically sorted by best match. To make sure the user selects the right mentor for them, they can filter the results.
Sort + Filter
To narrow down their mentor results, the user can filter by inputting their mentor preferences, including their skills, years of experience, and availability.
Mentor Profile
Lastly, the mentor profile screen lists all the information a user needs to confidently request a mentor. To build trust with the user, I included testimonials from previous mentees, a robust "about me" section, and the option to view the mentor's work and resume.
Design Development
Mapping Out an Efficient Solution
Before I started sketching and building out wireframes, I needed to make sure I was designing the most efficient user experience. By constructing the task flow diagram below, I was able to eliminate any unnecessary user actions or app screens that would thwart the user from "requesting" a mentor.
CareerConnect Home screen
User taps "Find a Mentor"
Results Feed Screen
User taps
filter icon
Sort + Filter
Modal
User inputs mentor details and taps "done"
Results Feed Screen
User taps on
a mentor
Mentor Profile Screen
User taps "request"
Visual Branding and Identity
My research revealed that the target users experience insecurity and uncertainty while transitioning careers, which is why they desire the support and reassurance of a mentor or professional network. To make sure the visual design resonated with the current experience of users, I wanted to create a safe, inviting, yet professional space where users feel encouraged to work towards their goals.
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Monochromatic Color Scheme
I opted for purple as my primary color to help users feel creative and inspired as they work toward their career goals. During the user participant interviews, I learned that users feel overwhelmed and stressed as they navigate a career transitions. For this reason, I decided to follow a monochromatic color scheme, conveying a sense of ease and calm throughout the design.
Typography + Accessibility
Accessibility was a priority consideration. I chose Open Sans, an extremely legible typeface with distinguishable characters. I followed a low contrast type scale - major third - to determine font sizes for the mobile application. To ensure readability, all text has a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
Open Sans Semibold 20
Open Sans Semibold 18
Open Sans Semibold 16
Open Sans Regular 16
Open Sans Semibold 14
Looking Back
Key Learnings
01. Iteration
Usability Testing
The most impactful stage in the design process for me was the usability testing. I conducted 10 total usability tests that altered my initial task flow diagram. This resulted in the removal of a 3-screen questionnaire, replaced by the current sort and filter modal. The usability testing taught me the importance of user freedom of choice, and how to prioritize feedback implementation.
View usability testing plan, script & sessions output document here.
02. Better Done than Perfect
Constraints
I had 10 weeks to design a user-centric solution that aligned with user needs. Given the time constraints, I learned to embrace the "better done than perfect" motto, and trust that the iterative process would reveal the most efficient and desirable design outcomes.
03. Unlearning Biases
Assumptions