UX Case Study: Glassdoor
New bootcamp, new project!
Advanced Bootcamp Time!
New year, new course!
I decided to embark in a new Bootcamp, to keep my UX and mobile UI skill at the top.
This time I had to work on a redesign, I chose Glassdoor, because I considered it was a good opportunity to improve the app and because the design is simple and basic, allowing me to touch it up.
Grab a tea and get ready for this long ride :)
If you rather check the slides you can check it out here! It's in Spanish.
Understanding Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a platform that was born with the idea of democratizing information about the work environment within companies, salaries, benefits, etc. through the possibility of leaving anonymous reviews on these topics.
Shorlty after going live, the company expanded and began offering job search as part of its core functions.
Glassdoor earns money through the company accounts. These pay to have their page in the app and to publish job postings. The app is free for the rest of the users!
How did I do this research?
I launched a survey and did interviews to understand how the users are interacting with the platform.
I targeted people mostly from the IT world who use / have used the app when changing jobs.
Job search
Most of our users search for jobs in the other platforms and then turn to Glassdoor to read about the company, interview processes, company culture, and salary.
Some out of habit or preference and others because they did not know that positions are also offered.
Web vs. Mobile
Although according to official data, 54% of users connect via the app, most of the users consulted use the web.
Features
Users are not taking advantage of all that the web / app has to offer, many are unaware of all the available features, for example most have no idea that there is the possibility of "Following Companies" nor do they fully understand what it is for.
Trust
Most of our users give it a value between 6, 7 and 8 to assess the confidence they have about the reviews. There is some doubt because they suspect that companies write reviews to improve their image or because they have had to leave some to access content.
How do users feel while using the app?
I was able to create two personas after the first research and conducted a user journey to really understand the users.
Web vs. App
Some people use the web / app only to find out about companies and salaries, we must enhance the search function.
Filters
Filters aren't that accurate, people use their time to fine-tune the search but it feels a bit wasted.
Company
Not having all the information of the company together with the ad forces the user to look for it separately, the process must be unified.
Info
Information that helps in interviews and processes is highly sought after, it could be exploited further.
Conclusion
Glassdoor has to improve the user experience to rank as the most complete job search platform.
We must improve the job search filters, the way reviews are posted and promote the use of the app.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN PAIN POINTS FOR OUR USERS?
STEP SIMPLIFICATION
When users are studying a job offer and want to know more information about the company, the transition is not clear or easy.
Users are forced to search for the company separately to find out more about it.
FILTERS
When performing a search, the filters are not clear and therefore the results do not fully match what users expect, generating frustration.
INFORMATION BLOCKAGE
Many users dismiss the use of the platform because it often blocks content from new visitors.
The user is proposed to leave a review to be able to see those that are already published.
Improvements to be achieved with our solution
STEP SIMPLIFICATION
Simplify the path between the job offer and company information.
Leave this path clear for the user, so that the transition is natural.
FILTERS
Have a complete group of filters so that the user receives the pertinent information.
INFORMATION BLOCKAGE
Eliminate the blocking to enhance the use of the app and gain more followers from a more positive path and not from the information blocking that can alienate users and promote misguided information.
Proposals to improve the app
STEP SIMPLIFICATION
When viewing the job posting, have a very clear button to access the specific information page of the company.
FILTERS
We propose a template for organizing the information in job applications and a new filter proposal to, together, improve the search experience.
INFORMATION BLOCKAGE
We want to remove this block to enhance the use of the app as a job search platform, since we detect that it is used to search for information but not so much work.
Architecture Information
I created a new information architecture based on the results of the initial research.
Wireflow
Based on this new Information Architecture, I created the Wireflow for the app.
See it in detail here :)
Tree Test
I tested the AI by a Tree test with several users, giving them four tasks to see how they navigated.
I analysed the behaviour and also checked in details what happened when the tree test ranked as not successful.
What kind of errors were made? Why did they happen?
Our value proposition is based on the three pillars, which are the basis and support our idea of redesign:
I continued working by defining the basis of our improvement proposal.
Modular
The design system is made up of interchangeable and reusable parts.
Consistent
We will use a general style for the components, facilitating user learning instances.
Universal
We will simplify the processes so that users only have to learn once how to use the app for the different tasks to be carried out.
Simple
We want users to feel comfortable using the app. With simple and studied paths, we want navigation to be natural, simplifying use.
Reticular
We will maintain a defined proportions system that will facilitate the design of new screens and will maintain a consistent image throughout our app.
Voice Brand Chart
With the three main values I got for the Golden Circle exercise I defined each of the lines of the Voice Brand Chart based on the concepts by Torrey Podmajersky.
This allowed me to define what type of words, vocabulary, etc will be used along the app.
Voice Style Guide
After the chart, I created a matrix where I defined the way different messages in the app should be communicated, indicating good and bad practices.
You can see both charts in detail in full UX Study here slides 29-30 :)
The course was done in Spanish, so sorry about that if you are an English speaker
Layout
I organized the project on the screen with the use of four columns of 70px each and with margins and separation of 20px.
Molecules
The molecules of the project were clearly defined: button states, cards, icons and details.
Starting Screen
When the user enters our app, they will be greeted with a dynamic animation, which will lead to the graphic mark and subsequent appearance of the login screen.
This was achieved with a combination of an Ease In & Out Back motion at first and a Ease In, both in a 900ms speed.
Result Loading
When showcasing loading screens, we want to anticipate the content that is being loaded using animated lists that convey what is happening.
A combination of Ease Out at 1200ms + Ease In at 1200ms + Ease Out at 1000ms is what I did here.
Remote testing time!
To ensure the quality of the proposed user experience, we carry out tests with users and an observer, to make sure every step is captured.
In short meetings with users of the app, we raised four scenarios and observed how they were solved.
To make sure everything was clear, I defined a task and made a document for my observer to know exactly what we were looking to test. This included:
User Goal
Task & Scenario
Success Measurements
Extra notes
The four tasks were the following:
1. Find out the salary
2. Look for a job
3. Find out the company's reputation
4. Leave a review
Conclusion
Carrying out the remote tests served to validate the proposed solutions. I was able to verify that the proposed changes were understood by the users and I could verify if the icons, sizes and button positions, etc. were well planned, or if I should rework them.
Understanding if users understand the app in the way I proposed it was extremely important to be able to validate the proposed changes and make the relevant improvements.
Want more details?
You can check the slides here! It's in Spanish.
