More listings did not create better choices.
Job seekers struggled to identify opportunities that matched their goals, qualifications, and priorities.
← IndexCase 03 / 06
Robin.
Answering a client's open brief by researching how job seekers actually work, identifying gaps and opportunities, and defining, prototyping, and testing the proposed product experience.
01 / 05Overview
The project in 30 seconds
The brief
An industry-sponsored RFP asked our team how the job-search experience could be improved — an open challenge, not a predefined solution.
What I did
I helped lead research and synthesis across surveys, journey mapping, a design sprint, prototyping, and user testing within a four-person team.
The direction
A human-centered, AI-assisted platform concept that centralizes applications, guides follow-ups, and makes progress visible.
Role
UX Researcher, Experience Strategist & Synthesis Lead (team of 4)
Duration
Spring semester
Methods
Surveys, journey mapping, design sprint, prototyping, user testing
Tools
Figma, Miro, Google Forms
02 / 05Discover
Understanding the job-search journey
The friction wasn't only finding a job. It was maintaining clarity and momentum.
Research job-search organization gaps, resume submission patterns, and where AI could genuinely improve the experience — then define, prototype, and test the features most worth building.
Robin came to our student team with an open RFP: explore how the job-search experience could be improved and propose what a better product should include. The work started with the market and the users, not a predefined solution.
Research findingsWhat discovery revealed
The application journey felt fragmented.
Search, resumes, applications, follow-ups, and interviews were handled as separate tasks with little sense of progress.
Unclear feedback increased uncertainty.
Users needed stronger status visibility, clearer next steps, and more control during a high-stakes process.
03 / 05Define
Diagnosing the experience
Too much information
Disconnected application tasks
Limited status and feedback
Job seekers did not need another list. They needed a system that made progress visible and decisions easier.
Relevant discovery
Connected workflow
Visible progress
Competitive & usability evidence
Studying existing experiences showed where trust breaks down.
Evaluating current platforms against usability principles exposed consistency, feedback, and control problems. Those patterns turned broad frustrations into specific design priorities for the concept.
04 / 05Design
A concept grounded in research
A job-search experience that helps people move forward.
The proposed concept connects the moments job seekers previously managed alone: understanding priorities, preparing materials, tracking activity, and knowing what to do next.
Clarify what comes next
A more useful home experience surfaces priorities, recruiter messages, interviews, and actions instead of making users reconstruct their progress.
Connect application materials
A guided resume workflow and reusable library make it easier to create, manage, and apply with the right version.
Turn activity into feedback
Application analytics help job seekers understand patterns and make more informed adjustments to their strategy.
Solution visual 01 / 05
05 / 05Next
Client value & next validation
The work delivered
Research synthesis
Feature strategy
Product concept prototype
User testing analysis
What testing surfaced
Users validated the calendar, AI-assisted resume builder, job board, and stored application credentials — and asked for skill assessments, resource integration, and resume review with ATS checking.
The team presented research-backed product recommendations directly to the client. Outcomes are framed as intended value rather than invented product metrics.
Reflection
An open brief means research defines the product. Testing confirmed the core concept — and showed exactly where to refine next.
This project demonstrates
Product DiscoveryUser ResearchFeature StrategyDesign SprintPrototyping & Testing
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Supercuts Turnaround.
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