The only AI-enabled, inclusive referral-based support system focused on raising professional women up through career interruptions
ROLE
UX Research
Interface Design
Prototyping
DURATION
6 weeks
(Nov - Dec 2023)
TEAM
Nimra Erfan
Dana Burnham
Crystal Li
PROBLEM
Women frequently face hurdles in their career, yet existing support systems inadequately address these challenges, hindering their professional growth.
Despite their ambition, women encounter a multitude of challenges, including but not limited to caregiving responsibilities, family needs, financial constraints, workplace biases, and societal expectations, among others. There's a crucial need for an inclusive platform like ‘Be uninterrupted’ to provide personalized support and opportunities for women to overcome interruptions and thrive in their careers.
SOLUTION
‘Be uninterrupted’ offers a comprehensive suite of resources tailored to women navigating career interruptions
Women will now have access to personalized work-life plans, a curated network of professionals, real-time advice, individual mentorship, exclusive events, vetted partnerships, recognition programs, and outcome-oriented skills development. This comprehensive support system is intended to empower them to surmount obstacles and reach their career goals.
A simple, 2-step onboarding system
The user simply chooses the assistance they need from a menu of resources and then fills out a form to determine their eligibility for membership.
Users have the option to fill out the form manually or seamlessly connect with LinkedIn for added convenience. Credit card information is collected as a precaution; if approved, users will be required to pay the membership fee.
A comprehensive dashboard that helps users stay focused by offering an editable task list, a roster of professionals in their support network, top three career milestones, upcoming events, and additional features.
Not to miss - a set of personalized recommendations!
Mentorship Matching
Users are provided with expert guidance as they choose from a curated list of recommended mentors tailored to their needs and preferences.
Found a good fit?
Favorite the mentor!
Users have the option to review a potential mentor's profile, which outlines their professional experience. If they deem the mentor suitable, they can proceed to schedule an appointment.
In the “Women in the Workplace” report, which surveyed 22,000 women and 18,000 men, Lean In and McKinsey & Co.found that:
Women are leaving companies in unprecedented numbers
In the next 12 months…
30% of women plan to actively seek a new job
30% expect to leave jobs temporarily to care for family
27% anticipate resigning for physical or mental health
24% plan to leave the workforce permanently
In response to these findings, I conducted a survey to gain insights into the resources women deem crucial for cultivating their dream careers and the common roadblocks they encounter. Based on the survey results, which can be accessed through this link I gathered the following insights:
‘Mentorship’ was ranked as the ‘most valuable’ resource.
Please note: a thorough presentation of the results, which was delivered to the founders, is available here.
Based on the survey results and my client's requirements, it became evident that I needed to design screens for two key user pathways:
1. Onboarding - The onboarding screens would prompt users to provide essential details to complete their profile and assess their eligibility for membership.
2. Mentorship - In this pathway, the user is presented with a list of suggested mentors tailored to their profile information, following which the user initiates contact by sending a request to potentially become their mentee.
RESEARCH
USER PERSONA
USERFLOWS
WIREFRAMES
Because of the limited timeframe, we conducted only one round of usability testing. During this session, we focused on obtaining feedback for the two user flows and subsequently made some adjustments to the designs based on the insights gathered.
TESTING + IMPROVEMENTS
Hover over states for the resources
It's worth noting that 2 out of 5 users expressed a desire for a clearer understanding of the resources being provided to them. In response, I incorporated a brief two-line excerpt into the hover state of each resource to address this feedback.
Mentor availability indicator
In accordance with the specifications outlined by my clients, Jessica and Suzanne, it was imperative to incorporate a feature on the mentor's profile that distinctly communicated their willingness to accept mentees. This functionality fosters transparency and assists users in aligning their expectations accordingly.
SUMMARY
Overall, this was a short yet fruitful journey during which we tried to translate Jessica and Suzanne's vision into reality in a short amount of time. Embarking from ground zero brought both excitement and challenges. Nonetheless, I eagerly anticipate the upcoming stages of this amazing initiative.
What went well
My clients Jessica and Suzanne, are both highly accomplished professionals in their fields and brought forth extensive experience mentoring women within their networks. It greatly influenced the design process.
As a working woman myself, this project deeply resonated with me, fostering a personal connection as I was able to draw from my own experiences and those of my close associates.
Dana and Crystal, my teammates, made exceptional contributions. With a diverse range of skills within the team, we were able to leverage them effectively, ensuring we met deadlines and delivered high-quality work.
Key challenges
As the project was still in its early stages, several features were not fully defined from the client's end, necessitating multiple iterations and revisions in our designs.
There is a scarcity of comparable resources that caters specifically to women, this posed challenges in finding inspiration or conducting competitive analysis.
Numerous adjustments were made throughout the design process, reflecting its iterative nature, which proved both stimulating and challenging due to tight deadlines.
FUTURE STEPS
Moving forward, our team will be prioritizing the following tasks:
Elaborating on the user flows for the credit/point system, including functionalities such as checking balance and purchasing additional points.
Designing the AI chat feature, referred to as "Ask Anna" to enhance user engagement.
Developing an informational page for visitors to gain insight into the program's offerings, encouraging them to subscribe for news and updates until the website is live.