Shrey Panchal
Tori Jakpa
Ananya Desai
Interviewer
Secondary and Primary Researcher
UX Designer
3 weeks
Figma
Miro
Figjam
Zoom
Slack
Problem Frame
"Gig" employment offers valuable experience and income, but commonly used star-based rating systems on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and 99designs have drawbacks. These systems lack accurate client feedback, favorably bias average ratings, and suffer from selection biases. These limitations negatively impact freelancers who depend on reviews for success.
Background
The star rating system is widely used across various platforms to assist users in decision-making. However, it suffers from selection bias as reviews are often provided by users with extreme experiences, resulting in inaccurate representations of products or services. This can make it challenging to differentiate between slight variations in ratings. In the freelancing industry, where online labor marketplaces like Upwork are prevalent, unreliable feedback and ratings pose difficulties for companies seeking to hire freelancers. Sorting through numerous bids and interpreting the 5-star system can be confusing and lead to inconsistencies.
User Group
Through interviews with three freelancers and one client, several key issues with freelancing platforms were identified. These encompass the platform's competitive nature, shortcomings in the review system, challenges related to communication and professional ethics, absence of reviews, managing expectations, and difficulties in distinguishing genuine feedback from fake reviews. The star rating system was also deemed inadequate in accurately evaluating the nature and quality of freelancers' work. To address these concerns and improve the platform's effectiveness, a solution is required.
Ideation
To address the challenges associated with rating systems on freelancing websites, an ideation session was conducted using information gathered from primary and secondary research. Mind maps and sketches were created to explore potential solutions, resulting in the generation of three options. These solutions were then evaluated against the requirements expressed by key stakeholders during interviews, leading to the development of a detailed final proposal.
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Mind Maps
Solution
Our proposed design includes a Scheduling Assistant, Project Structuring, and a Revamped Profile system. These features aim to address challenges faced by clients and freelancers, such as communication overload, scope changes, and showcasing skills. Our goal is to create a more efficient platform that connects clients with the right freelancers for their projects. Let's explore how these solutions can transform the freelancing experience.
Initial Prototypes
Star-based system for rating the project.
Pre-filled text did not guarantee user reviews.
Pre-filled text misled users into thinking the textbox would be automatically filled based on the star rating.
Introduction of annotations for more accurate and clear feedback.
Text annotations helped freelancers understand areas for improvement and clients provide better reviews.
Lack of clarity for clients on the slider representation.
System could be frustrating and time-consuming, and failed to specify particular skills for improvement.
Suggestive text rating system for in-depth feedback and constructive criticism.
Aimed to provide the freelancer with areas for improvement and positive aspects.
Limitations in covering all aspects with auto-generated words.
Risk of users finding it tedious or providing fake reviews.
Final Iterations
Approved goals/milestones are locked, discouraging scope changes without additional charge.
Project structuring before contract signing, breaking project into smaller goals/milestones with finalized tasks, duration, and deliverables.
Sample structure template provided to new clients and freelancers for better project structuring.
Templates can be edited or customized to meet specific project requirements.
Scheduling assistant to establish set workdays and time slots approved by the freelancer.
Clients can only interact with the freelancer during the scheduled slots on the platform.
Restricting communication outside of scheduled slots reduces unnecessary contact and prevents freelancer from being overworked.
Break down freelancer profiles into three sections: Profile, Projects, and Reviews.
Rate freelancers individually on specific skills to provide a clearer picture of their expertise and areas for improvement.
A skill-based rating system to help clients find freelancers tailored to their projects.
Focus on showcasing freelancers' projects and their progress over time to highlight improvement and experience.
Utilize graphs to visually depict progress in various skills.
Implement project sectioning and categorization for clients to filter and view relevant projects.
​Display reviews specifically for each skill to help users identify the freelancer's capabilities.
Enable users to easily match the required skills with the freelancer's skill set.
​Focus on showcasing freelancer's technical and individual skills by breaking them down into subparts.
Findings
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Users faced confusion on Upwork when choosing freelancers due to the lack of information on their strengths and weaknesses in their profiles.
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In our updated version, users could easily identify the freelancers' skills, making the selection process for job postings much simpler.
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Posting ratings on Upwork was quick but lacked clarity in breaking down reviews by stars, resulting in many users giving 4 or 5 stars without certainty.
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Our version, although slightly slower for rating posting, was preferred by users due to the inclusion of suggestive text and precise input fields for breaking down the review.
Limitations
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Word suggestion limitations: The suggested word model in our version had some gaps in covering all possible suggestions, reducing the accuracy of context.
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Disadvantage for new freelancers: In the profile review section, new freelancers faced a higher disadvantage compared to established ones. A negative review could disproportionately impact their ratings and highlight negative traits.
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Implementation complexity: Breaking down every field of work into subcategories of skills would require significant effort for platform implementation.
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Contextual understanding: Without context, words can have different interpretations, leading to potential misunderstandings.
Next Steps
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Enhanced word suggestions: We can work on providing more detailed and context-specific word suggestions, giving clients a clearer understanding when reviewing freelancer profiles.
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Improved job posting: Enhancing the job posting process on platforms to provide comprehensive and detailed information, allowing freelancers to have a better understanding of the project requirements before accepting.