koalified

What if, as a student, you could get a job without applying for it? What if, as an employer, you can find the perfect candidate without sorting through resumes? We challenge the notion that the search is the best way to connect the right people in the first place.

As a final project in the MIT's Integrated Design Lab, we use systems- and design-thinking to identify a workflow that allows students to recieve job offers without actually applying for a job, and for employers to find temporary talent without sorting through mounds of students. Think of it as matching and bidding, rather than searching.

2018
‍
IN COLLABORATION WITH
KAREN CHENG AND MELODY MUI

THE PROBLEM
THE PERSONAS
We identified three primary personas through immeserive qualitative research of students in need of contract, part-time, and short-term work.
WE MAPPED OUT THE IDEAL EXPERIENCE
‍The main point of innovation came about when we framed the ideal experience for each persona. Looking at the experience as a system, we were able to re-order key components of the experience to eliminate the need of applying for jobs (and for employers, the process of sorting through candidates).
VALUE FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND EMPLOYERS
‍Our new experience system allowed for real innovation for both students and employers. You can think of it as matching rather than searching/evaluating.
WIREFRAME SKETCHES
‍Next in the scope of the project was to translate this experience system into a looks-like prototype. Step 1, of course, was wireframing.
WIREFRAME ITERATIONS
‍We used Invision to protoytpe a number of screens, working on UI/UX worfklows while testing with students and employers throughout.
THE RESULT
‍Koalified - a matching app for short-term, part-time, project-based, and contract workers to connect with companies who need the work. Our beachhead markets were early-stage college students and New England startups.