Creating Solutions for a Canadian Gig-Job App to Increase User Engagement in the USA
OVERVIEW
Spotwork, a gig-job app originating in Toronto, Canada, expanded into the US market recently. While initially offering gig jobs with instant payment solely in Canada, the app now extends its services to selected US cities, focusing on integrating W-2 jobs. The challenge lies in understanding the US tax system, improving onboarding, and increasing user engagement in the US market.
THE PROBLEM
Spotwork aims to attract more US job seekers by introducing W-2 jobs. However, their app needed improvement for an intuitive profile and W-2/1099 information process to search for and apply to jobs. The task involves comprehending the US tax systems and optimizing the W-2 onboarding process within the app. The current industry-standard W-2 onboarding methods are time-consuming, unclear, and discouraging to users.
HYPOTHESIS
Streamlining the W-2 onboarding process through clear guidance and educational resources will enhance user engagement and completion rates of necessary forms, fostering increased job search and applications.
CLIENT
Spotwork
MY ROLE
UX Researcher/Designer
TEAM
Me, 3 designers, 2 supervisors
TIMELINE
4 weeks
USER RESEARCH
Understanding the Gig-Job Industry and Learning from Competitors
First, we researched the recent US gig-job market and the difference between 1099 and W-2 jobs and tax systems. After that, we studied the top ten gig apps in the US market, examining their app flows and features.
We wanted to understand how other apps handled:
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Profile creation
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Job search process
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W-2/1099 tax and personal information through mobile platforms
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How easy or difficult it was to process from login to job application
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UI features
Competitive Analysis
Following our market research, we focused our competitive analysis on our three key rivals to gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.
Common user pain points:
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Lengthy submission process for sign-up or personal information
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Difficult to know how many process and information are required
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Limited job variety and availability in select cities
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Frequent last-minute cancellations
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Incorrect clock-ins result in erroneous payments
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Slow or non-responsive customer support
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Software experiences glitches
Insights:
Sing-up, information submitting, and job searching processes were...
Time-Consuming
Unclear and Confusing
Problem Statement
"How might we provide clear guidance and support to increase user engagement?"
Guide for Clear W-2/1099 Instructions and Processes
Within the user flow process, we identified areas for app improvement. Our subsequent focus centered on refining the five app features for the next steps.
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W-2/1099 Education
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W-2/1099 Onboarding Process
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Accessibility to 'Job Search' and 'Application'
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Job Management in 'My Jobs'
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Customer Support
Decision to Offer Both US W-2 and 1099 Jobs
Spotwork previously offered only US 1099 jobs. However, after studying competitors and researching recent trends in the US gig job market, seeing a rise in W-2 positions, the client chose to offer both W-2 and 1099 jobs. The design goal was to establish a seamless end-to-end flow for US W-2/1099 onboarding end-to-end flow.
User Flows
5DAY DESIGN SPRINT
We conducted research for three weeks as requested. However, at the week's end, our team decided to push further. In the final week, after completing usability testing and redesigning, we engaged in a 5-Day Design Sprint.
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This comprehensive sprint included ideation, sketching, prototyping, and testing. Usability testing with real users highlighted positive feedback but revealed critical issues in support buttons, indicator tabs, and tax process explanation. Minor concerns involved messaging features and navigational clarity.
Ideation and sketches
We sketched multiple user flows to quickly visualize our ideas. At this stage, our focus was on illustrating each MVP flow.
W-2/1099 Education
Provide instructions on using the app and clarity the distinctions between 1099 and W-2
Job Search for First Time Users
Search for 1099 and W-2 job opportunities
My Jobs & Messages
Review job histories, statuses and messages
Help & Contact
Categorized FAQs are designed to address user needs, or they can opt to send a message or initiate a chat
Low-Fidelity Prototype
We created the low-fidelity prototype within a day using a shared Figma workspace. Collaborative discussion and design sessions facilitated consistency in our design approach and accelerated our work process.
W-2/1099 Education
Upon starting the app, provide guidance on W-2/1099 information
Job Search for First-time Users
Users can select either W-2 or 1099
before searching for jobs
My Jobs & Messages
Check job status and history & Receive job notification for W-2 and 1099 positions
W-2 Onboarding Process
Provide clear guidance for each process, including a process indicator in the footer
Support
FAQ with a search bar, messaging and chatbot for contacting the company
Test
After finishing the low-fidelity prototype, we conducted in-person moderated usability testing with four US citizens who are over 18 years old and have experience finding and applying for jobs. During each session, we asked them to use all clickable icons, buttons, and navigations to go through all the screens. We also asked them follow-up questions to discover where they encountered troubles and what their confusions were while using the app.
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After gathering all the user feedback, we identified several issues and prioritized them from critical to minor.
Design Iterations
We found three major issues: confusing support buttons, low contrast of indicator tabs, and an unclear tax process explanation. Additionally, we identified four minors related to message and inbox notifications, the ‘How to use' section order, and ‘Chat’ buttons on all the screens.
We came up with solutions for each issue and then redesigned the app accordingly.
Learn prior to starting the app about W-2 and 1099 jobs
Before
After
Better contrast
Education comes first
Avoid confusion when filling out the Form 1099-MISC
Before
After
Delete the section not for employees to avoid confusion
More and quicker support options
Additional contact option for quicker communication
Before
After
UI for better readability
Before
New message notification
After
Better contrast
CONCLUSION
What did I learn?
The project emphasized effective teamwork, fostering creativity through collaboration. Understanding the gig work industry became imperative, showcasing the importance of industry knowledge in enhancing user experiences
What's next?
Given more time, refining the tax and background check form complexities on smaller screens remains a focus. Implementing a segmented document approach with progress indicators could enhance the mobile form-filling experience.
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