Fixers

### Case Study: Fixers – Blue-Collar Job Hiring Platform

Project Overview

App Name: Fixers

Type: Job Hiring Platform

Target Audience: Individuals and businesses looking to hire skilled blue-collar workers quickly and reliably

Role: Lead Product Designer

Duration: 4 months

Tools Used: Figma, Framer, UserTesting.com

Objective:

To create a user-friendly mobile platform where users can seamlessly search, connect with, and hire vetted blue-collar workers for various tasks, from plumbing and electrical work to construction and cleaning.

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### Problem Statement

Finding reliable, skilled blue-collar workers can be challenging, especially in areas where trust, vetting, and availability are major concerns. The Fixers app aims to bridge this gap by creating a platform that connects users with pre-screened workers quickly and easily.

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### Research & Insights

User Research

- Conducted surveys and interviews with potential users to understand common hiring challenges, expectations, and preferences for hiring blue-collar workers.

- Key insights:

- Users prioritized trustworthiness, verified skills, and prompt availability.

- There was a need for easy-to-navigate profiles that provided clear information on the worker’s experience, ratings, and past job reviews.

- Users preferred straightforward booking and payment processes.

Competitive Analysis

- Reviewed competing platforms to identify strengths and weaknesses. Noted that many platforms lacked streamlined booking flows and did not emphasize trust-building through worker profiles.

- Learned that users valued transparency in pricing and quality assurance features.

### Design Process

1. User Flow Mapping

Developed a simplified user flow for searching, reviewing, booking, and paying for services. This included clear entry points:

- Browse and Search: Users can search for specific job categories or browse based on worker skills.

- Profile View: Each worker has a profile showcasing experience, availability, customer reviews, and ratings.

- Booking and Payment: Users can book directly through the app with integrated payment options.

2. Wireframing

Created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the structure and key interaction points, ensuring a logical, intuitive experience that allowed users to find and book a worker in as few steps as possible.

3. Visual Design

Adopted a clean, approachable design style to build trust and promote accessibility:

- Used a professional yet welcoming color scheme to make the app feel reliable and easy to navigate.

- Designed with readability in mind, including large, accessible fonts and clear icons.

- Ensured that each profile section was visually distinct, making it easy for users to evaluate worker experience and ratings at a glance.

4. Prototyping

Created interactive prototypes in Figma and conducted internal testing with sample user flows from search to payment. This allowed the team to simulate the hiring process and identify areas where users might encounter friction.

5. Usability Testing

Conducted usability testing sessions with target users to gather feedback on the booking process, profile layouts, and ease of navigation. Feedback led to refinements in:

- Streamlining the search process with clearer filters.

- Adding a "favorites" feature to save preferred workers.

- Enhancing the profile layout to highlight top reviews and average ratings.

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### Key Features

1. Verified Profiles: Each worker’s profile includes verification badges, skills, ratings, and past job reviews to establish trust with users.

2. Quick Booking & Payment: Users can book a worker and complete payments directly within the app, with secure payment processing.

3. Location-Based Search: Integrated location-based search to help users find nearby workers for faster service.

4. Job Tracker: A feature allowing users to track the status of their job request, providing transparency from booking to job completion.

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### Outcome & Impact

User Feedback:

Feedback from beta users highlighted the app’s ease of use, particularly praising the profile transparency and seamless booking system.

- 90% of beta testers reported they would continue using Fixers due to the ease of finding and hiring skilled workers.

- Many appreciated the verification system and user reviews, saying these elements made them feel more confident in their hiring choices.

Metrics:

- Booking Rate: Over 70% of users who searched for a worker completed a booking, indicating a strong product-market fit.

- Retention Rate: The app achieved a 65% monthly retention rate, showing consistent usage among users.

- User Satisfaction Score: The app scored an average rating of 4.5/5 in post-testing surveys, with users highlighting trustworthiness and ease of use as top benefits.

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### Lessons Learned

1. Importance of Trust-Building Features: Verification badges, detailed reviews, and transparent profiles played a major role in user satisfaction and booking conversions.

2. Seamless User Flow Matters: Users valued the ease of moving from browsing to booking, emphasizing the importance of keeping user journeys streamlined.

3. Continuous Testing for Iteration: Regular testing allowed us to refine and validate design choices, making the app more user-friendly and meeting real-world expectations.

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### Conclusion

Fixers is a testament to the power of user-centered design in addressing common hiring challenges for blue-collar work. By creating a platform focused on transparency, simplicity, and trust, Fixers provides users with a reliable way to find skilled workers, ultimately simplifying and enhancing the hiring process.