Whitespace
An app that promotes community and creation among freelance creatives.
Platform
iOS, iPhone 11 Pro / X
Roles
User Research
Data Analyst
Designer (UX + UI)
Tools
Figma (high-fidelity mockups + prototyping)
Twitter (engagement groups for feedback)
- Whitespace is to be regarded as an active element, not a passive background. - Jan Tschichold
What is whitespace?
Whitespace is a well-known business term for an area where unmet needs are discovered to create new opportunities and innovation. Of course, in design it’s known as the unmarked or negative space that surrounds other elements. But whitespace is more than something unmarked or unmet. It’s not void of design or function. It’s integral to design and function.
Whitespace is where collaboration happens. It creates harmony in a digital world and it’s the place where growth and opportunity converge in the business world.
Personal design challenge
Wouldn’t it be cool if there was an app that showed you all your city had to offer when it comes to the creative-professional world? An app that connects you with other freelancers for an opportunity to collaborate? An app that tells you where all the best work locales are for independent professionals without a traditional office?
In an effort to transition careers from the interiors industry to the UX-UI industry, I set upon a personal design challenge: design an app that builds community and fosters collaboration among freelancers by offering them a platform to network and engage, all while providing the most up-to-date information on the best locales for independent work.
What are others saying
After asking potential users about what they expect from a community app like this, I identified the following two core functions:
- Search feature
Help users find local places to work that suit their needs based on a variety of defined features – or tags.
- Connect feature
Provide a platform that connects freelancers and independent professionals with other freelancers for the purposes of networking, collaboration, or general engagement and feedback.
Competition + user research
Search feature defining – user feedback
Connect feature defining – user feedback
- Google Maps
“most reliable for directions and hours.” Users seem to trust Google for the most basic information. But if they wanted detailed information about a locale they had to “dig through reviews” to find it, which was “exhausting and time consuming.” The typical business descriptions are not “robust enough” for their needs.
- Apple Maps
“used by default” – most users did not initiate a search via Apple maps and only ended up there because a source online or another app directed them there. In general, Apple maps are “not helpful.”
- Yelp
“not quite enough information” – this app is really helpful for quality reviews of a place, but the “filter function is limited.” If selecting a place to bring a client, they might use it to “vet the location”.
“inexhaustible source of inspiration” – access to new information and inspiration made this app evergreen for discovering new creative styles and sharing work. Users also saw this as a “social media portfolio” – while all creative freelancers interviewed have their own portfolio, the “reach and recognition opportunity” available with Instagram could not be beat.
“sense of community” – the opportunity to engage with anyone in the industry provided an endless source of support, curiosity and trending updates. But it also created a “source of negativity” – paradoxically, this opened the users up to negative, non-constructive feedback, which “distracted from the valuable comments” and helpful suggestions. It also made them more “inhibited to share work” or ask for feedback.
Analysis + user persona
I focused on qualitative research for this project, and interviewed 20 users, which started with a few preset questions but evolved into an organic conversation about their experiences as freelancers or remote workers. From this I was able to better understand their wants, needs, and their own “wouldn’t it be cool if…” ideas when it came to an app dedicated to their community.
User needs
- “Robust and reliable database” that allows users to search for defining and “verified features” to help them select a work space.
- A platform to “connect and engage with a community” without the internet “trolling” or added pressure for likes and follows.
- “Opportunity to network” for new jobs, collaborate or hire people for a job.
Pain points
- Google or Apple Maps do not offer “enough information” when finding work spaces. Missing “features” makes searching for a place to work “exhausting.”
- There is no dedicated platform that allows users to network, collaborate and find jobs among other freelancers or independent professionals. Most sites are missing the “social component.” And social sites are missing the “collaborate and work” component.
- Freelance communities are difficult to find because “stiff competition” drives collaboration and connection away. Users feel like they “get lost” in sites like Behance and Dribbble.
User A
Job | Freelance Photographer
Age | 31 years
Background | Typically obtains new work via word-of-mouth and occasionally social media but always looking to network on a regular basis.
Main concern is finding a suitable place to work when not in the studio. Difficult to navigate specific criteria via Google Maps [power outlets, good lighting, desk top seating]. This often means scouting a place in person first.
He doesn’t feel like he can rely on Google for enough detailed information about potential work places. Would really like verified features in his search parameters.
User B
Job | Freelance Web + Graphic Designer
Age | 29 years
Background | Currently obtains work via existing client referrals and organic search traffic. Always looking for community spaces where she can meet other designers and collaborate.
Seeks feedback from others as freelance work can feel lonely at times. But often finds many platforms are difficult to engage or receive quality feedback, especially if you do not have a large following.
Would even like the opportunity to meet local freelancers where they can work side by side in a shared working space or coffee shop.
Analyzing the data
- Search Feature
- search by filtered features*
- update + add a location or feature
- verify features
- favorite a location
- share a location
- review a location
*Upon further discussion with users, I was able to distinguish between two main categories of features: objective and subjective. Among the objective features were ‘type of place’, ‘hours’ and ‘functionality’. Among subjective features were things like ‘atmosphere’ and ‘food/beverage’ quality. To keep the feature component from becoming too convoluted, I allowed users to add less relevant features during their review process as a “community review feature” instead of a “search feature.”
- Connect Feature
- post a job
- find a job
- engage + collaborate
- message privately
- view profile + portfolio
like or rate a user*
*After the first round of feedback from user-testing it dawned on me that liking or rating a user based on their work and / or involvement level in the community would create an in-group out-group and most likely foster competition in the same way most social media sites do. As several users expressed the desire for a supportive and collaborative environment, I felt this feature would detract from that. I also found it irrelevant for a professional app. So, it got the boot.
Site architecture + visual mapping
- Flow
The user’s primary tasks when opening the app are to search for a work locale or to connect with others in the community. Initially, the site architecture was designed so that the search feature and map appeared when opening the app. While convenient, it detracts from the other very prominent feature: engagement. With a landing page that showcases both work locales and community members, it provides equal opportunity for users to explore either from the home page.
- Hierarchy
To keep both the search and connect features in a prominent position and easily accessible for the user, these are not only accessed via the tab bar but also on multiple sub pages throughout.
- Navigation
A tab bar is intuitive and familiar for most users and is the primary means of navigation. Cross navigation only occurs where convenient for the user. For example, within the community page, a user might post about a new work locale. Clicking on the locale will take the user back out to the search / map feature. And vice-a-versa, clicking the share button on a particular locale will give the user the option to share it with the community within the app.
Gathering feedback from potential users
LANDING PAGE OVERHAUL
OPTIMIZING THE COMMUNITY PAGE
INCORPORATING THE FEATURES OR "TAGS"
What went right
This was my first glimpse into app design, user research and feedback. So perhaps defining what went right is best told from a personal perspective. Overall, this was an excellent crash course on UX-UI design and I learned a ton in the process.
Much like it is in the interiors world, decoding what a user or client is really saying can sometimes be tricky to navigate. Often, observation and learning to ask the right questions with little interference provides the best insight. I found that asking open-ended questions led to the more insightful feedback, such as the community page overhaul as mentioned above.
This was also a great exercise to familiarize myself with Apple’s iOS design standards when it comes to mobile app design as well as how scale, typeface and color help or hinder a user’s interaction with an app. I also learned a ton about Figma and prototyping along the way.
What could be improved
In terms of functionality, a few users mentioned that they would probably not use the app as a communication tool. It was hard to visualize interacting on a daily or weekly level with an app outside of the well-known social media apps, such as Twitter.
However, they were keen on the app providing access to collaboration and job opportunities. Perhaps a redesign would focus on highlighting that feature instead of day-to-day communication. In doing so, the community page could be pared down significantly.
A few users mentioned they’d like to see more tags for each location to help paint a clearer picture of what the location will be like before visiting. I agree with this. I think this is something that could easily be added over time. As mentioned earlier, having the option to up-vote tags will help flush out the less relevant or false tags, allowing the most helpful ones to be displayed first for the user. I can also see pop up modals asking a user to rate or review a place when leaving (assuming the user has given the app permission to access its location). This will help keep the data relevant and updated.
Final thoughts
This project was a wonderful opportunity to unearth all the similarities between my former profession (interior design) and UX-UI; understanding how a user interacts with a product or a space, how color, size, texture, shadowing and the like affect the look and feel of an interface or space, and how to address a user’s needs in a seamless, yet intuitive way. While I continue learning new things about UX-UI design everyday, I am blown away by all that I was able to accomplish and learn from this personal design challenge. And I’m excited to pursue more!