UPSIDER
SaaS platform start-up that makes finding talent intuitive and efficient with the help of AI.
Team
Chelsey Pinke (me)
Yoyo Zhu
Marisa Chentakul
Alex Shin
thanks team!
My Role
Project Manager
UX Researcher & Designer
Client Liason
Time
2.5 weeks*
Platform
Web Application
Website
* After the initial short-term project, I was hired by Upsider to continue implementing the UX process as part of their team.
OVERVIEW
Upsider is a web application for recruiters that adds intelligence and automation to the candidate sourcing process. As a young start-up, Upsider was eager to expand their client-base.
The problem. Prospective clients were requesting a free trial of the software, but their initial experience did not meet expectations and, as a result, the conversion rate from prospective to paying clients was low.
Our goal. To improve the Upsider experience, specifically with regard to first-time users, by creating a more intuitive interface, improving the information architecture and navigation of the site, and highlighting Upsider's benefits to users.
The research plan. We started by conducted interviews and usability tests with first-time users, and then interviewed existing Upsider users. Through this research, we were able to determine both Upsider’s strength as a service and its usability deficiencies.
Prototyping. With approval from the client, the team focused our prototyping and testing efforts on enhancing the user flow that most directly leveraged the benefit of Upsider over its competitors: creating searches to source high quality candidates.
Delivery. The final delivery included designs for a dashboard, improved navigation, and a simplified and more intuitive candidate search page.
RESEARCH
Our client was most concerned with prospective clients’ experiences with the software on a trial basis. With that in mind, we determined that our primary user would be first-time users, and our secondary user would be existing Upsider customers.
We held interviews with both groups to understand recruiters' behaviors and pain points in general. Additionally, we conducted usability tests with our "first-time users" to assess the current software.
First-time users ran into multiple problems completing simple tasks due to confusing and inconsistent labeling combined with hidden features and unfamiliar organization.
Interviews + Usability Tests
FIRST-TIME USERS
#1
EXISTING USERS
Interviews
Existing users clarified the value of Upsider in its current form: Upsider does surface high-quality candidates that recruiters are not finding elsewhere.
#2
A Choice.
We could fix small labeling issues and glitches throughout the site to optimize the existing interface.
OR
We could do a full overhaul focusing on the elements that are providing the most value to the user: creating a search and filtering for candidates.
The client unanimously agreed that a complete overhaul would yield the better result for them, existing clients and future customers.
DESIGN TEST
To start off the next phase of the process, my team conducted a few rounds of design studio focusing on specific areas of the site. To ensure feasibility, we did a final round of design studio in collaboration with our stakeholders. From there, we created and tested a low fidelity prototype, followed by a high fidelity prototype. The evolution of the key screens are pictured below.
design studio final sketches
HOVER FOR SKETCHES
The current site had a link to a dashboard, but none existed. When asked what they expected to see, users had two basic answers:
1. A place to navigate the site 2. Performance data/analytics
Because we were focusing on the first-time user, we chose to design a simple navigational hub, leaving room to incorporate more features for the existing user later.
DASHBOARD
Our research revealed that Upsider is most useful as a candidate search engine. Users agreed that they do find high quality candidates that they aren't finding elsewhere. A good search engine must have a clear and simple search field, so we knew we had to prioritize this feature in our design studio.
CREATE A SEARCH
Users needed to be able to manipulate results easily and efficiently to surface the types of candidates they want to see. We took some design patterns from a traditional email inbox and designed a familiar interface that provided all the information users want to see in a digestible manner.
FILTER RESULTS
from sketches to low fidelity
DASHBOARD
Our initial design tested well with users, they could easily navigate the site and were beginning to understand the features available to them. However, our clients felt it was overly simplistic - we agreed.
We would incorporate some more actionable information in the next round of designs.
We needed to understand how users define a search vs. how they filter results so we could optimize this page. We did a round of card-sorting and found that users most commonly define a search using: job title, location (city + state), and years of relevant experience. We prioritized these in the search form.
CREATE A SEARCH
FILTER RESULTS
The existing site had the filters broken in two parts, both hidden behind buttons, which the users had difficulty finding and differentiating between. We took inspiration from standard e-commerce filters for an easier, more transparent experience that users easily understood and manipulated during testing.
from low fidelity to high fidelity
DASHBOARD
To create a more engaging dashboard, our final design incorporated snippets from the saved searches and folders features, granting the user more immediate access to their workflow. In testing, users had no trouble navigating the site, and our clients loved the added information and access.
A few minor tweaks improved the layout and design consistency of this page. Testers were easily able to input key information to initiate and save a candidate search. The "Save & Search" button further clarifies users' ability to save criteria that they can return to at a later date - a confusion earlier on.
CREATE A SEARCH
In testing, we saw how combining the two filter fields made for a much more intuitive experience for users. Additionally, adding more space between list results helped improve the visibility of the list. Finally, including % match clarified the hierarchy of the listed results - a confusion during initial tests.
FILTER RESULTS
On-Boarding & Account Settings
In addition to the three key screens detailed above, we designed a simple on-boarding pop-up on the dashboard prompting first-time users to set up their account on a new account settings page.
Dashboard
On-Boarding Pop Up
Account Settings Page
The new account settings page has many benefits:
1. Upsider staff no longer have to manually set up every new client - a big time saver and key for scalability.
2. By setting their accounts up themselves, users gain a better understanding of the site's technology and how to manipulate it to their advantage.
3. Each setup field has a short description that acts as on-boarding for the user - especially important for trial users.
Final Prototype
After three rounds of testing, we had a prototype that tested very well with our users and highlighted the benefits of Upsider.
"This is a million times better than it was originally. Much easier to understand and simpler to navigate."
- User 5
"It gives you easy access to collect a lot of candidates in a limited amount of time."
- User 3
DELIVERY
Our client had three initial requests:
1. Make the website more intuitive to improve the conversion rate of prospective to paying customers.
2. Create a dashboard.
3. Restructure the site’s information architecture to make it easier to navigate.
We delivered on all three and our client were thrilled with the results. Our deliverables included specification documents and functional annotations for Upsider's development team.
“Thanks again for all your hard work. We've been super impressed with you and the output has been awesome. Totally exceeded our expectations.”
-Josh McBride, Upsider Co-Founder
Thank you for reading!