UI/UX Design
Project
Kollabra
What is Kollabra
Kollabra is a social tool that helps individuals connect with other individuals outside of their field of expertise. Designed to focus on local tech talent and in-person meetings users are able to search based on their geographic location to meet up in person or via virtual means to get expert consultation on their project ideas.
Role
UI/UX Designer
Software
Figma
Photoshop
Illustrator
Details
2021
Project Goals
Connect tech-savvy entrepreneurs with professionals outside their field
of expertise to move their projects and ideas forward.
Problem Space
Everyone has ideas for projects in the modern tech industry, whether it’s virtual reality, 3D printing, apps, or game ideas, but executing them can be difficult if you don’t have the proper skills and resources.
Rather than searching online for someone remote to help with an idea or concept such as UpWork, it would be great to just meet up with someone locally in your area either via zoom or a local coffee shop and have a one-on-one discussion about your concept or idea and see how feasible it is. An allocated time to go over a concept that may potentially lead to a future work partnership.
My Role
For this project, my primary role was to design an application for mobile devices that connects people with talented and experienced individuals outside of the user’s field of expertise. The goal was to make the app stand out from service-based apps as more of a social and collaborative tool to help individuals execute their projects with help from specialists.
Design Challenge & Constraints
Covid 19 has put a stop to in-person working and any potential collaboration. But people in the tech sector especially have a strong need to meet in person for face-to-face interactions. This can create challenges in the Covid 19 pandemic world we live in. However, experiences likie these just can’t be replicated through virtual meetings. Through in-person meetings accompanied by additional virtual interactions, people have found it much more productive and resourceful when executing projects and ideas.
Secondary Research
More Productive
In-person meetings accompanied by additional virtual interactions people have found it much more productive and resourceful when executing projects and ideas.
Collaborative
People have adapted to online virtual-based collaborations in the workplace it has actually underlined the need for face-to-face collaboration.
Builds trust and relationships
Face-to-face meetings have the added benefit of building a relationship with the person you’re collaborating with, which in turn builds a level of trust and loyalty, something more difficult to do virtually.
Allows for more expression and body language
In person meetings allow attendees to express themselves through things one doesn’t get with virtual meetings such as body language and facial expression.
In person is less rigid and systematic
Digital meetings become less fluid and free and become more rigid and systematic.
Primary Research
Based on secondary research I created a list of questions and reached out to interview people that work from home and in person to learn more about how this interaction effects them in both ways.
Insights and key learnings
In-person meetings accompanied by additional virtual interactions people have found it much more productive and resourceful when executing projects and ideas.
Having a local network
A local network of collaborators to run ideas to see if the idea and concept is feasible and aligned to individual values would greatly assist in determining the proof of concept.
Professional help before starting a project
Most people want to seek detailed expertise and advice from a skilled professional prior to starting a new project to determine if it’s a worthwhile venture to explore.
People Want a hybrid approach
People generally wanted a hybrid approach with online combined with in-person collaboration.
Face-to-Face Meetings
Having a face-to-face meeting for a fixed amount of time to go over the project would greatly help with the initial scope of the project.
Hypothesis
I believe that a local one-on-one connection either in person or via zoom would facilitate a more useful interaction to gauge the potential scope of a tech project or idea with a skilled professional.
With the Covid 19 Pandemic potentially winding down, people have more of a desire to meet in-person to collaborate on projects and ideas vs zoom meetings or engaging online.
Persona
Tim Ross
Age: 34
Occupation: Designer
Education: Graphic Design
Location: Vancouver, BC
Tim is a professional that lives in Downtown Vancouver, working as a designer freelancing for various agencies and and companies. He is tech savvy and interested in emerging technology and is usually working on a personal project alongside his day-to-day work. Tim has aspirations to build a VR project in the medical field.
Pain Points
- Difficult to find “the right fit” when looking for consultants. “Sales pitch” instead of a realistic look at the work required and costs.
- Accurately scoping the project in the early stages for a successful delivery.
- Limited budget is stretched by inaccurate costing and scopes.
Goals
- Realistically scope projects to deliver a prototype & finished project.
- Find cost-effective & time-efficient consulting from professionals outside his field of expertise.
- In-person or online explorations to ensure skill and work ethic alignment.
- Find consultants offering fixed-priced services to ensure the budget is adhered to.
Application User Flow
Process
Through sketching and wireframing versions of the application and through user testing I implemented the feedback to evaluate the application’s design and adjust it for the final version.
Design Solution
The design met my project goals, and my original hypothesis was validated. People saw value in the design as a tool to address some of the pain points I outlined through my research.
Challenges
Challenges arose when categorizing the industry types and focusing on technology-based industries but not alienating others. There is significant overlap when it comes to industry technology so this area will be expanding.
Colour Palette
The colour palette for the brand identity and application design was chosen to reflect a warm and positive feel more in line with socializing and collaborating instead of working and business.
Visual Identity
Wordmark Design
iPad Version
Marketing Website
Kollabra Marketing Page Desktop
Kollabra Marketing Page Mobile
Future Thinking
- Add a chat feature so the user can reach out with realtime messaging with a specialist. Make it feel more social.
- Add a escrow feature for hiring specialist either directly from app or after meet up.
- Iterate on the functionality and optimize sections for smoother user flow.
- Create a InVision style idea board to sent to collaborators.
- Add a “Zoom” style feature for virtual meetings.
- Location based check in so both parties know they have arrived at chosen place to meet.
