A Case Study for Freelance marketplace For UAE
Md Mezba Hus Julam
UX Designer
Product Designer
UI Designer
Figma
Google Docs
What is Flogapp?
You Click & We’ll Connect- UAE's largest freelance marketplace empowering freelancers to build and sustain their work dream by creating lasting professional relationships. With an array of professionals specializing in over 150+ categories, we transform your boldest ideas into reality.
FlogApp introduces a whole new approach, allowing freelancers to connect, collaborate, and succeed in a flexible and viable environment. Our focus is on narrowing down the gap between freelancers and users to ensure everyone enjoys success in fostering more economic opportunities.
Understanding the problem From the Client's Brief
We will analyze the market overview, Business operation-based problems, and what problem I found to conduct this case study. And also talk about the findings I get to create this system design. I also share my goal to achieve this system or the end result I found from problem statements.
Operation-based problems faced by business
Based on the information client provided, here are the three major problems identified in 3-month operation, written as concise points:
Client Search: Difficulty in finding clients and freelancers easily.
Accounting/Contact Management: Lack of a platform to handle client and freelancer interactions, eliminating the need for individual contracts.
Payment Distribution: Challenges in efficiently delivering payments from clients to freelancers via the platform.
Refined Problem Identification in Operation Analysis
Marketplace Overload: The vast number of marketplace options available makes it challenging to stand out and attract clients effectively.
Service Confusion and Clutter: The wide variety of services offered on the platform can be overwhelming and make it difficult to find the right service providers.
Skill Deficit: It is noticeable that individuals with limited skills have a strong presence within freelancing marketplaces worldwide, which affects the overall quality and competitiveness of the platform.
What Were the Key Findings from the Initial Research Conducted?
As a product designer, I have observed that despite the freelancing marketplace becoming a billion-dollar industry, many individuals struggle to fully capitalize on its potential due to limited user adoption and inadequate knowledge about job terms. Based on my initial research, I propose introducing an educational module comprising informative blogs and forums, aimed at empowering users to enhance their skills. Additionally, hosting events focused on marketplace success stories will provide valuable insights and inspiration. By bridging the knowledge gap, we can empower freelancers to unlock their true potential and maximize their rewards within the system.
Primary Research
What is the problem that we need to solve?
Through my analysis, I have identified significant challenges in the negotiation policy between freelancers and clients within the existing market. The current policy is characterized by its roughness, which often leads to unfavorable outcomes for freelancers. Furthermore, the high service charges imposed by the marketplace add an additional burden to freelancers, diminishing their earning potential. Additionally, I have observed that the marketplace tends to prioritize flexibility for clients, potentially disadvantaging freelancers in terms of their working conditions and terms. Addressing these issues is crucial to establish a fair and balanced ecosystem that fosters mutually beneficial relationships between freelancers and clients.
What is the purpose of the business?
My client aims to expand their freelancer base specifically in the UAE while maintaining their existing worldwide service coverage. Their objective is to capture a significant share of the UAE market and generate substantial revenue. Moreover, they have expressed their aspirations to venture into international markets in the near future. By strategically targeting the UAE market and gradually expanding their operations, they aim to position themselves as a prominent player in the global freelancing industry. This forward-thinking approach demonstrates their ambition to explore new horizons and capitalize on emerging opportunities beyond their current scope.
Who are the users?
In the UAE, individuals who are 18 years or older and meet the criteria established by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) can work regardless of their nationality. There is no specified maximum age for employment; however, companies may incur higher fees when employing individuals over the age of 65. This indicates that age is not a barrier to employment in the UAE, and individuals of various age groups can seek work opportunities as long as they meet the relevant requirements and guidelines set by the MoHRE.
Competitors for the freelancing marketplace in UAE
Proposed Solutions for the Flogapp System:
Freelance marketplaces have emerged as popular destinations for gig workers seeking side hustles. However, these platforms present their own set of challenges. Due to limited governance and control over the work, employers often encounter conflicts within existing freelance marketplaces. Let's delve into the issues they face.
Learning from world leaders for business-critical points
Master domains locked from Stakeholder
Final output Overview
NOW… THE ACTUAL FEEDBACK TO HELP IMPROVE THE DESIGN🙈
When I conducted research after the system launch into the market, also find several issues with customers. But for the improvement of the design, we pause a little bit and create version 2 schematics for this design.
The first and major issue is load time issues, the system is too slow to load.
When all pages are aligned we found several things some users won’t interact with the new system properly. Though the percentage is too low. So decided to stick with the old version for those users.
Some features are missing like Audio video calls, Calendar previews. Smart agreement.
The subscription model is not a piece of cake for freelancers out there.
It's a new company so clients are not able to interact with the system properly, so we have to implement several things like freelancer category shortcuts, and a smart filter.
No portfolio showcase system is there.
So I decided to add some screens and features to maintain usability. I added these screens.
Updated the job posting portion
Also, erase the categories but implemented a crawler to understand the categories for the job post. No user input is needed. Though till now for some programming-related issues, its don’t even been updated.
🚩 KEY LEARNINGS:
- I learned that all assumptions are not workable though your competitors are doing great using the same features.
- Not all the time users will be happy if we reduce click complexity. So I learned Jacob's law for reducing the issue.
- How does a freelancing marketplace work, what is the procedure, and why freelancers are not growing?
- Being a solo designer this project help me to learn several UX checklists like competitor analysis and Information Architecture.
