The primary goal of the Sparc project was to elevate the online career networking experience through the integration of a design thinking strategy, aimed at amplifying user engagement and interaction. This project involved the creation of a cohesive and intuitive web platform, designed to seamlessly connect job seekers with potential employers, and facilitate a dynamic professional ecosystem.
Project Overview
Sparc aims to address the challenges faced by both students and employers through its feature offering. For students, it tackles issues such as outdated job listings, limited access to employers, and inadequate support from university career centers. Concurrently, Sparc assists employers in navigating complex relationships with career centers and student clubs, streamlining candidate filtration, ensuring diversity, and optimizing resource allocation. By providing a direct channel for college students and professionals to connect with employers, Sparc envisions itself as the future of the workforce and talent marketplace.
MISSION
To apply design thinking principles to SPARC, identifying and addressing stakeholder challenges regarding recruitment process. The objective was to suggest strategic enhancements that boost interactivity and ease of use for Sparc platform, facilitating seamless connections between candidates and recruiters, and empowering confident navigation within the platform.
EMPATHIZE
PRE-INTERVIEW PREPARATIONS
Interview Questions
INTERVIEW
We conducted thorough interviews with a varied group of 50 stakeholders—job seekers, recruiters, and student club members—to delve into their unique challenges within the recruitment process. These discussions provided valuable insights into their needs and pain points, equipping us with a clearer understanding of how to integrate their requirements into the SPARC platform. This approach is aimed at enhancing engagement and addressing the specific issues of each stakeholder group, thereby creating a more cohesive and effective recruitment environment.
IDENTIFIED BREAKDOWN
Breakdown 1:
🧩 Student Club leaders seek to expand their reach and influence but find large companies less accessible, limiting valuable industry connections for their members.
Breakdown 2:
💼 Job seekers encounter a highly competitive landscape, where a deluge of applicants dilutes the impact of individual outreach efforts.
Breakdown 3:
🚀 Students and recent graduates face generic career guidance; they crave personalized feedback and direct employer interactions to navigate the job market more effectively.
Breakdown 4:
🔍 PhD candidates grapple with niche specialization alignment, desiring more university-industry collaborations for tailored job placements.
Breakdown 5:
🌐 Recruiters from startups struggle to cut through the digital noise, needing more direct engagement channels to connect with fresh talent.
DEFINE
At this juncture, we meticulously crafted empathy maps to gain a deeper understanding of our users' perspectives. Following this, we constructed two comprehensive user personas, which served as the foundation for identifying the top five problem statements. These critical issues were pinpointed to be addressed through our design thinking approach, ensuring that our solutions are empathetically aligned with user needs.
Empathy Map for Recruiter
Empathy Map for job seekers
User Personas
Problem Statements
We conducted physical brainstorming sessions, as well as virtual brainstorming sessions using Mural. Throughout the sessions, we were careful not to judge ideas prematurely as doing so stifled innovation. We started off by having each team member throw out ideas that came to mind on Mural/ Miro. At this stage, we were aiming for quantity instead of quality.
We engaged in stakeholder mapping and delved into the "What, How, Why" to thoroughly understand the multifaceted challenges encountered by our two primary stakeholder groups: job seekers and recruiters. Leveraging collaborative brainstorming, we laid out a myriad of issues they faced. Through a democratic multi-voting process, also known as the dot method, we distilled these challenges down to the five most critical problem statements, ensuring our focus was on the areas of highest impact.
IDEATE
We carried out the prioritization techniques and depending on the feasibility and impact matrix, we chose our the top 3 problem statements and recommended solutions for them.
PROTOTYPE
Based on the 3 recommendations and solutions, we prototyped the solutions of how they will look and showed the recommendations to the CEO of Sparc and other stakeholders that we interviewed.
AI CHATBOT FOR INSTANT ELIGIBILITY CONFIRMATION
TARGETED OUTREACH FOR BETTER CANDIDATE MATCH
FEED + EVENT SCHEDULING TO ENABLE TRANSPARENCY FOR CLUB ACTIVITIES
The next phase was storyboard creation, where the abstract became tangible. Each storyboard was designed to reflect the user journey, emphasizing the touchpoints that our digital solutions would improve.
Storyboard for AI Chatbot recommendation
Storyboard for Targeted Outreach recommendation
TEST
Testing and Validation:
The iterative nature of design thinking brought us to the testing phase, where our prototypes were not merely evaluated but vivified through real user interactions. We presented our concepts to a diverse panel, eliciting insightful feedback that honed our recommendations into achievable metrics. This collaborative critique was instrumental in aligning our solutions with the nuanced needs of users and stakeholders.
Measuring Success:
In our final presentation, we didn't just showcase prototypes; we painted a vision of transformation, supported by clear metrics. By forecasting the efficiency gains in recruitment and the enhancement of user satisfaction, we underscored the tangible benefits Sparc could reap. These metrics served as beacons to guide the implementation process and to define success.
Stakeholder Endorsement:
The CEO of Sparc's endorsement of our work was not just an approval but a testament to the value of user-centered design. His commitment to adopting the Feed + Event Scheduling recommendation within a six-month timeline was a significant milestone for us. It underscored the feasibility and impact of our work, bridging the gap between theoretical design and practical application.
Next Steps and Impact Outlook:
With the green light from Sparc's leadership, we outlined a detailed roadmap for implementation. This timeline was not just a schedule but a strategic plan to ensure that the recommendations would flourish in the real-world ecosystem of Sparc's operations. The implementation of these initiatives promises to not only streamline Sparc's engagement strategies but also to set a benchmark for innovation in recruitment and user experience.
REFLECTION
Embarking on this project was like setting sail on a vast ocean of possibilities 🌊. It epitomizes the essence of my design philosophy—where empathy meets innovation 💡. This journey stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit of design thinking and its transformative power to enact real-world change 🌐.
Each storyboard crafted and every prototype tested was a step forward in my mastery of the user's narrative—a journey peppered with 'aha!' moments 🎉. More than a professional assignment, it was a symphony of analytical rigor and creative exploration 🎨, pushing me to transcend conventional solutions.
The CEO's nod to our timeline is not just a professional win; it's a shared dream taking flight 🚀. As these recommendations take shape within Sparc's operational framework, I eagerly anticipate the waves of change they will bring 🌊.
Adding this project to my portfolio is like adding a star to my constellation of experiences ✨. It's a story that intertwines resilience, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence 🏆. As I carry this narrative forward, it lights the way for future adventures in design thinking 🧭.