Problem
The current job search options are a bit limited for ex convicts and people with criminal records. It can be quite a challenge to find an employer who is willing to work with them and the requirements that they may need to fulfill such as having to navigate around parole.
New Saints is a solution designed as a multi-platform job search service to help people who are formerly incarcerated to find new employment opportunities.
Additionally, this can help employers who are willing to work with ex cons to provide an easier avenue to connect the two parties.
Challenges
The major challenge here would be the fact that a decent portion of the potential userbase does not have enough exposure to the online application environment however listed below are additional items that were taken into consideration:
- Implementing a use interface that is intuitive and efficient for a new user to find the jobs they are interested in and apply.
- Ensure the application process does not exacerbate any kind of anxiety as this process itself can be a bit daunting as with any job application.
- Notify the user of a update to a job that they applied to.
Competitor Analysis
I wanted to have an assessment of the job sites that are available for ex cons to use and find a new job. I wanted to look at the usability and structure of these websites to ascertain how well a user can navigate the site and successfully apply to a position.
The website options available for ex cons are a bit limited in number and in most cases outdated. The following issues were noticed:
- Outdated website design.
- Code snippets appeared on the site.
- No mobile app.
- No responsive design used on the website.
Websites for ex cons to find jobs tend to be lacking in most modern aspects that are found in abundance on newly made sites such as having a clean design, clear hierarchy and intuitive design to allow for simple navigation.
Solution
I designed a website and mobile app experience that will allow ex cons to have access to new job opportunities quickly. I want to highlight an easy to navigate and responsive design so there will be more access for user who are limited to older devices. Also, the design would need to be intuitive so the users would adapt easily and used a minimal color selection to ensure that very little confusion occured for a user while navigating the interface.
Design Constraints
For this project, I wanted to ensure that the users were able to navigate the jobs available and apply to a job with little hassle but also have previous job applications stored for a user to visit as to prevent them from reapplying to the same job in the future unknowingly.
Process
- Emphasize – Putting oneself in the users’ shoes is very important for understanding what goals they want to achieve and how they can be helped.
- Define – Conceptualizing the user person and problem statement will help to keep our designs within scope.
- Ideate – Creating user flows and sketching our preliminary designs is key in creating a useful and effective user experience.
- Prototype – The fun part, putting together a prototype that has the main features needed to meet the goals of the users.
- Test – Assessing our prototype to see what changes can be made to improve upon before diving into a new iteration.
Persona
In order to understand the users a little better, I conducted qualitative research on people who were released from prison and were interested in finding new employment.
Fleece Jonson
Age: 42 years old
Location: Florida
Education: High School Diploma
Hometown: Chicago
Employment: Unemployed
- Summary
Fleece has recently been released from a state penitentiary where he served a 5 year sentence and wants to find a job.
While incarcerated he completed multiple certificates and diplomas including Computer System management and plumbing. He has some work experience and has an updated resume with the newly acquired credentials but he still has to compete with people who do not have a criminal record.
- Goal
- He wants to find a relatively well paying job that will accommodate the requirements of his release and accommodation into society.
- Wants to move in order to change his environment.
- Frustration
Being a newly released individual, Fleece is having a challenging time locating employers who are willing to work with him and the ones that do may not have a job that he is actually qualified to do.
User Journey
- Search for a new job – Fleece begins to look for a job but is having some difficulty finding the right one.
- Select a job of interest – After assessing the jobs and their descriptions available Fleece decides on a job that he likes.
- Apply – Fleece can now apply for the job and upload his resume.
- Interview – The date for the interview is set. Zoom or other online meetings.
- Start new Job – Fleece was successful with the interview and starts his new job soon.
Paper Designs
Site Map
Low Fidelity Mobile App Wireframe
High Fidelity Mobile App Wireframe
Desktop Low Fidelity Wireframe
Desktop Website High Fidelity Prototype
Tablet Website High Fidelity Prototype
Mobile Website High Fidelity Prototype
Key Takeaways
While working on this project, I wanted to ensure that the users had an easy time navigating and the experience was similar across devices. This was challenging somewhat as I had to come to terms with the fact that some of the users potentially did not have a lot of experience with websites and mobile apps. SO the name of the gam was effective and simple. I didn’t was users to feel overwhelmed or confused as I wanted the user to learn how to navigate easily.
Keeping the design somewhat uniform and efficient was more of a task than I originally thought as I had to catch myself during the design process and asked myself ,”Would a person who just got a smart device be able to navigate with or even understand this design feature?”. If the answer was no, then I would hold back and alter the design choice to be as clear as possible. I would like to keep this mindset as it will be beneficial to keep thinking about the user and how they will interact with the interface.