Designed an AI-powered job search assistant from concept to prototype, focused on creating a clear, intuitive UX for navigating complex job discovery workflows.
Job seekers today face an overwhelming, fragmented experience across platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed. They struggle with irrelevant listings, generic applications, zero feedback, and the growing threat of fake job postings. The process is not just inefficient, it's emotionally draining.
The Solution
HireWise is an AI-powered job search assistant designed to personalize discovery, automate tailored applications, track progress, and deliver interview preparation, all while protecting users from exploitative job postings.
My Role
End-to-end UX/UI Designer (Research, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Prototyping, Visual Design)
Timeline
8 weeks (Concept to High-Fidelity Prototype)
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Notion, ChatGPT (for research synthesis)
Problem Statement
Job seekers spend countless hours navigating bloated platforms, tailoring applications without guidance, and facing rejection without feedback all while increasingly encountering fake job postings designed to harvest data rather than hire candidates.
This broken experience disproportionately affects:
Young professionals (0-5 years experience)
Career switchers
International job seekers
Recent graduates
Research & Discovery
Research Methods
Secondary Research: Analysis of Reddit threads (r/jobs, r/recruitinghell), LinkedIn comments, Glassdoor forums, and Twitter discussions
Competitive Analysis: LinkedIn, Indeed, Teal, Huntr, Jobscan, Big Interview
User Quote Mining: Extracted authentic pain points from job-seeking communities
Key Insights
1. Information Overload
"Scrolling through job boards feels like drinking from a firehose. I'm getting listings for jobs I'm not qualified for or not interested in."
β Reddit user, r/jobs
Finding: Users spend more time filtering than applying, leading to decision fatigue and reduced application quality.
2. The Tailoring Paradox
"I spend hours tweaking my resume and cover letter for each application, but I never know if it's actually improving my chances."
β LinkedIn comment
Finding: Job seekers invest significant time customizing applications but lack any validation mechanism or guidance on effectiveness.
3. The Tracking Gap
"I apply to so many jobs that I lose track of where I am in each process. No app seems to do this well."
β Twitter user
Finding: Manual spreadsheets are abandoned halfway through job hunts. Users miss follow-ups and interview opportunities.
4. The Trust Crisis (New Reality)
"JD says '3+ years required' but the salary is entry-level. I waste time reading these."
β Reddit, r/recruiting hell
Finding: Fake job postings and engagement farming by recruiters create distrust and waste users' limited time and emotional energy.
5. Emotional Burnout
"It's demoralizing to be ghosted after hours of preparation. I don't know what I did wrong."
β Reddit, r/jobs
Finding: The job search is isolating. Users crave encouragement, progress visibility, and signs they're improving.
Pain Point Summary Table
Pain Point Table
User Personas
Persona 1: Vanessa Okoro
Junior UI/UX Designer | Age 24 | Lagos, Nigeria
Background
Recent design bootcamp graduate with a 6-month internship, applying for remote junior design roles globally.
Goals
Land first full-time remote UI/UX role
Build career at a startup
Improve application strategy
Pain Points
Doesn't know how to tailor resume per job
Feels invisible on platforms
Constantly ghosted with no feedback
Manual Notion tracking she forgets to update
Quote: "I've applied to 50 jobs and got 2 responses. I must be doing something wrong but I have no idea what."
Persona 2: Daniel Chen
Mid-Level Software Engineer | Age 31 | Toronto, Canada
Background
7 years in backend development, recently upskilled in AI/ML, wants to pivot into AI-focused product roles.
Goals
Transition into AI engineering
Communicate transferable skills effectively
Understand fit for AI industry jobs
Pain Points
Unsure how to rebrand for new industry
Vague JDs don't explain actual AI involvement
Confused about whether he's qualified
Quote: "I know I have relevant skills, but job descriptions are so vague I can't tell if I'm wasting my time applying."
Persona 3: Aisha Noor
Freelance Marketing Strategist | Age 28 | Nairobi, Kenya
Background
4 years freelancing for e-commerce brands, strong portfolio but no traditional employment history, seeking remote full-time role in Europe/US.
Goals
Secure stable remote income
Understand visa eligibility
Position freelance work professionally
Pain Points
Unsure which companies sponsor remote workers
ATS filters her out due to freelance status
Cover letter writing feels repetitive
Quote: "I've built entire campaigns from scratch, but on paper I look like I've never had a 'real job.'"
User Journey Mapping
Before & After: Vanessa (Junior Designer)
User Journey Mapping
Feature Prioritization
MoSCoW Method
Feature Prioritization
Should Have (Phase 2)
JD Analyzer & AI Summary
Email/LinkedIn Auto Import
Encouragement Bot
Success Stories Feed
Feature Prioritization
Could Have (Future Enhancements)
Community Check-In Space
Interview Readiness Score
Voice-based Interview Practice
Feature Prioritization
Won't Have (Out of Scope)
Tax Integration for Freelancers
Real-Time Recruiter Chat
Full Applicant Tracking System
Feature Prioritization
ποΈ Information Architecture
Sitemap Structure
Sitemap
π¨ Key Feature Designs
Feature 1: JD Red Flag Detector (Safety-First Innovation)
Problem: Fake job postings and engagement-farming recruiters waste job seekers' time and emotional energy.
Solution: AI-powered analysis flags suspicious job descriptions before users invest time applying.
Red Flags Detected:
Salary ranges that don't match experience requirements
Vague job descriptions with no specific responsibilities
Excessive experience requirements for entry-level pay
Missing company information or unverified employers
Requests for personal information upfront
Unpaid "test projects" or work samples
Design Decisions:
Warning badges appear directly on job cards in feed
Expandable "Why is this flagged?" section provides transparency
Color-coded system: π’ Verified Safe | π‘ Minor Concerns | π΄ High Risk
Users can still proceed but must acknowledge warnings
Option to report additional red flags to improve AI
Impact: Builds trust immediately; differentiates HireWise from aggregators; protects users' time and mental health.
JD Red Flag Detector
Feature 2: AI-Powered Interview Prep Module
Problem: Job seekers struggle with unstructured interview preparation. They don't know which questions are relevant for their specific role, lack practice opportunities, and receive no feedback on their responses.
Solution: A comprehensive, role-specific interview preparation system with AI-powered practice and structured feedback.
Module Components
1. Role-Based Question Bank
Design Decisions:
Questions automatically curated based on job title, seniority level, and industry
Categories: Behavioral, Technical, Case Studies, Company-Specific
Question Bank
2. AI Mock Interview
Interface Design:
Clean, distraction-free chat interface
Timer display (simulates real interview pressure)
Voice-to-text option for practicing verbal responses
Time saved per application (target: 40% reduction)
User-reported confidence increase
Business
Freemium conversion rate
User retention at 30/60/90 days
Referral rate from satisfied users
Future Enhancements
Phase 2
Voice-based interview practice
Peer comparison insights (anonymized benchmarks)
Email integration for automatic tracking
Success stories community feed
π Key Learnings
1. Safety Features Build Trust Faster Than Convenience
Initially focused on productivity (tailoring, tracking). Research showed users equally value protection from exploitation. Trust is the foundation of engagement.
2. Emotional Design Matters in High-Stress Contexts
Job searching involves rejection, uncertainty, and comparison. Every micro-interaction from loading states to error messages must acknowledge this emotional reality.
3. Fragmentation Is the Real Competitor
Users don't just want better tools; they want fewer tools. Integrating discovery, application, prep, and tracking into one flow reduces cognitive load significantly.
4. AI Should Augment, Not Replace, Human Agency
Users want AI to suggest, optimize, and educate, not make decisions for them. The interface always gives users final control and transparency into AI reasoning.
Conclusion
HireWise reimagines job searching as a guided, protected, and empowering experience rather than a demoralizing grind. By combining AI-powered personalization with safety features, structured tracking, and confidence-building feedback, it addresses both the functional and emotional dimensions of one of life's most stressful processes.
The platform doesn't just make job searching more efficient, it makes it more humane.
This case study demonstrates end-to-end UX thinking: from authentic user research to strategic feature prioritization to empathetic interaction design. HireWise isn't just a portfolio pieceβit's a vision for how AI can make a broken system work for people, not against them.