UI/UX case study | Resume builder app
Bloom | Personal portfolio project
Tools: Figma, Adobe Illustrator | Platform: Android
Overview
Bloom is an online resume builder app, aims to simplify the resume building process for job seekers. It offers user-friendly features such as resume examples, templates, and expert suggestions to create a polished and professional resume tailored to their desired job positions. It’s designed to be interactive and efficient, giving users the tools they need to create an up-to-date resume quickly and easily.
The Story: As a job seeker, I want to use Bloom to easily create a professional and tailored resume that aligns with my desired job position, so that I can increase my chances of getting hired.
Why this application?
Creating a professional and effective resume can be a time-consuming and overwhelming task for job seekers, often taking hours to edit and perfect the layout. As a result, individuals may be less inclined to spend the necessary time researching and understanding their desired job position, potentially leading to a lack of knowledge about the position and the company. This lack of research and understanding can result in resumes that are not tailored to the specific job and may not accurately showcase the individual’s qualifications and skills. In turn, this can make it difficult for job seekers to stand out among other applicants and secure their desired job.
The Problem trying to solve
The problem is that job seekers are not spending enough time researching and understanding the desired job position and are instead relying solely on their own insights when creating their resumes. This can lead to a lack of knowledge about the job and a lack of understanding of what qualifications and skills are required for the position. As a result, resumes may not be tailored to the specific job and may not accurately showcase the individual’s qualifications and skills. This can make it difficult for job seekers to secure their desired job.
A possible solution
The goal of this project is to create an app called Bloom that helps job seekers and recent graduates create professional resumes that align with the job positions they are applying for. Bloom will offer a variety of resume examples and templates, as well as expert suggestions on how to write a summary. These resources will be tailored to the specific field or industry the job seeker is interested in. The app will be easy to use and will guide users through the process of creating a visually appealing, up-to-date resume.
📍Preparation
Discover Phase
Initial research findings and how they will inform the design process
Initial research
A initial research was conducted to gather information of existing resume builder apps revealed a lack of customization and industry-specific guidance. Many users also reported difficulty in creating a polished and professional-looking resume. There is a growing demand for mobile-friendly and interactive resume builder apps that can assist users in tailoring their resumes to specific job positions and industries. The Bloom app aims to fill this gap by offering a user-friendly and interactive platform with customized options and expert suggestions for different industries and job positions.
Main goals of conducting an user interview.
- What are the common challenges faced by users during the resume creation process?
- How do users typically search for resume examples?
- Identifying any competitors’ names that users have previously used
- What features are currently missing for users during the resume creation process?
- How do users feel about creating a resume online, and what specific needs do they hope to fulfill through this process?
The Design Strategy I followed
Intention: To help job seekers create professional and visually appealing resumes tailored to their desired job positions by providing a range of resources and tools, including resume examples, templates and expert suggestions. It aims to make the resume creation process easy, fast and efficient for users.
Target User: Job seekers and recent graduates of all ages, specifically those who are just starting out in their careers and looking to tailor their resume to specific domain or field they are interested in.
General Task: The major task of Bloom is to assist job seekers in creating professional and tailored resumes that align with their desired job positions by providing an array of resume examples, templates, and expert suggestions. The app guides users through the process of creating a visually appealing and up-to-date resume.
Conducting user research.
The questions asked like.
- Are you looking for any specific types of resume examples?
- Can you tell me about your experience creating resumes in the past?
- Would you like to spend more or less time making your resume?
- Have you had any difficulties making your resume in the past?
- Why do you prefer using a pre-made template instead of making one from scratch?
- Do you have a clear idea of how you want your resume to look for the job you want to apply for? If not, what is the problem?
- What features are you looking for in a resume building app?
- Would you prefer to use a mobile app or website to make your resume
- Are you having trouble writing your own summary, profile or objective?
- Have you ever used a resume building app before?
- Have you faced any difficulties using a resume building app before?
Gathering Insights
- Use multiple columns to highlight key information, such as job titles, positions, schools, and other important facts to make it easy for someone to quickly review my resume.
- Create a short, concise resume with the main information highlighted to minimize the time needed to review it.
- Use appropriate fonts and formatting to make the resume easy to read and navigate.
- Create a creative resume with minimal colors and a simple template to make it look professional and easy to review.
- Keep my resume up-to-date without having to start from scratch, and minimize the time spent on this process.
Identifying pain points
- Lack design skills to create a professional-looking resume from scratch.
- Want to avoid using too many fonts and formatting that can be overwhelming.
- Want to avoid using large blocks of text as it may decrease the chances of it being read by recruiters.
- Want to keep the resume simple and avoid adding unnecessary details.
- Difficulty in finding unique templates that stand out from others.
- Want to minimize the time spent on creating the resume.
Define phase
Defining user personas and empathy mapping to guide the design process
Creating an information architecture and user flow that addresses the identified user pain points and goals.
Information Architecture/User Flow
Ideate phase
Creating sketches and wireframes to iterate on design solutions.
Building hi — fi prototype to test and gather feedback.
Hi — Fi Wireframes
Usability testing and Iteration on design
Refining and iterating on the design based on user and mentors feedback and testing results
Final Design.
In the final design of the wireframe, a “Create” button was placed in the bottom center and a “Discover” button at the top. The “Create” button navigates users to the resume creation page, while the “Discover” button takes them to a templates page where they can choose from different options for their resume, cover letter, or CV. By highlighting these options and making them more prominent, users are able to make quick decisions about what they want to do with the app, whether it be creating a new resume or selecting a template to use.
In the initial wireframe, all features were included on a single page which made it cluttered and difficult for users to enter their information.
To improve this,
- Simplified the design by removing unnecessary features and spreading them out over multiple pages.
- Moved the import option to the top and placed it alongside with preview option.
- Moved the section and view resume score together in a bar between the import and preview option.
- Removed the (Include picture in your resume) toggle button to manage section page.
- Improved the user experience by making it easier to fill out information without any confusion or misleading.
In the manage section page, users were unable to easily edit the name of sections and had to navigate to a separate page to reorder sections.
To improve this,
- The reorder section feature was combined into one page and an edit option was added to allow users to easily change the name of sections.
- The delete option was removed and replaced with a hide section option, allowing users to simply drag sections they no longer need to the hide section.
- The option to include a picture in the resume was added to the top of the page, allowing users to easily hide their photo if they choose to.
Design phase
Creating style guide and components.
Finalizing the design and presentation.
Style guide
Final design
What I Learned:
Through this project, I gained a deeper understanding of the user-centered design process and the importance of conducting thorough user research before starting any design work. I also learned how to use various design tools and techniques, such as creating user personas and empathy mapping, to guide the design process and ensure that the final product meets the needs of its target audience.
Additionally, I gained experience in designing for mobile applications and gained knowledge on how to create an intuitive user interface that allows for easy navigation and usability.
Overall, this project was a valuable learning experience and allowed me to apply my design skills in a practical and meaningful way.
Key takeaways:
Conducting user research and defining user personas are crucial for designing a user-centered product.
Creating an intuitive and easy-to-use interface can enhance user experience and increase user engagement.
Iterative design process allows for continuous refinement and improvement of the product.
Conclusion:
The resume builder app project highlights the importance of user-centered design and iterative design process. By conducting user research and defining user personas, I was able to create an interface that is intuitive and easy-to-use for the target users. The iterative design process allowed for continuous refinement and improvement, resulting in a final product that met the project goals and user needs. Overall, this project demonstrates the significance of putting the users at the center of the design process to create a successful product.
