When you dig for gold and come up with diamonds . . .
The Brief - Gold mining . . .
The Employability homepage refresh provided an opportunity to refocus the brand’s core values, principles, and overall direction. The project focused on:
Streamlining user journeys to improve task flow and facilitate seamless interactions, ultimately guiding users toward direct engagement with Employability’s team.
Clarifying the brand message through strategic content re-organization, creating an engaging, accessible, and welcoming experience that resonates with the target audience.
Optimizing information architecture to ensure intuitive navigation and clear content hierarchy, prioritizing the needs of key user personas: job candidates and employers.
UX / UI, Web Design, UX Writing, UX Research
Industry Not-for-Profit
The Client Employability is a program run by Spinal Cord Injuries Australia that helps people with physical disabilities find meaningful work by connecting them with employers and providing support in job preparation. It also offers specialised recruitment services for employers looking to hire diverse talent and meet inclusion goals.
Tools Figma, Slack, Miro, Otter AI
Year 2024
Scope User Research interviews, Competitive Analysis, Wire frames, Information Architecture, Style guide, Branding, Accessibility, Responsive Design, Hi-fi prototyping.
What we found was a different story entirely . . .
Our First Diamond . . .
Employability’s website had primarily served as a job search engine however user research revealed that candidates didn’t engage with the job search function but valued the “Life changing” Employability Program and direct access to job opportunities via Employability’s offline networks. In response, we refocused the design to better align with user needs by:
Removing the job search function and recommending integration with Seek's Beta Recruiter site to expand Employability’s reach in disability recruitment.
Creating hub pages for candidates and employers, centralising resources like blog articles, testimonials, and program features.
Adding a chatbot and accessibility widget.
Enhancing visual representation, incorporating videos and testimonials from other candidates with disabilities to create a more relatable and inclusive experience.
We started with a gold mine but what we found was diamonds.
Our Second diamond just needed a little polishing . . .
We focused on streamlining the journey for Employers by enhancing the “Building Employer Confidence Program” program that provides end-to-end support, education, and training for hiring people with spinal injuries. To reduce decision fatigue, we:
Created tailored packages for employers, offering quick buy-ins for time-poor users.
Improved clarity and focus with a little name change and some UX writing.
Highlighted stats and testimonials to demonstrate the effectiveness of inclusion in the workplace.
No rough diamonds here . . .
The UI and brand makeover drew inspiration from the heritage of the umbrella brand, SCIA, while evolving into a more engaging, fun, and uplifting aesthetic. To achieve quick wins, we:
Incorporated key brand messaging into dropdown menus, ensuring consistent communication throughout the user experience.
Ensured touchpoints and banners featured engaging copy that resonated with users and inspired action.
Siphoned blog posts and resources into empathetic information categories, aligned with key milestones in both candidates' and employers' journeys.
We went from a user journey that required picking up the phone to a simple 2 step booking process or buy in.
Our take away . . . along with a bag full of diamonds?
It pays to keep digging until you find the right problem.
Assumptions are made to be broken.
There’s always a diamond to be found!