Process Highlights
Design challenge & responsibilities overview
Challenge
Kindred is a pre-launch network intelligence platform that focuses on supporting job seekers and early career professionals. Kindred wants to create a mobile website intake form that builds social capital skills through AI practice conversations and matches users with relevant people to help build their network.
Opportunity
To build an intuitive AI integrated website that collects relevant information from users (alumni) to be used by their education organization, while providing the opportunity for users to up-skill in important networking communication skills.
Timeline
Mar 24 - Apr 11, 2025
3 Weeks
Disciplines
UX Design
UI Design
Project MGMT
Responsibilities
UX Research
Design Thinking
Wireframing
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Notion
MEGAN
LAYLA
SANISHA
RICH
The Process.
Research
Competitive Analysis
User Interviews
Affinity Map
Synthesis
Persona
Problem Statement
Site Map
User Flow
Ideation
Sketches
Wireframes
Hi Fi
Final Designs
Prototype
Usability Testing
Final Iterations
Reflection
Key learning
Conclusion
leading
Project Management
In leading the working group (with three additional designers), it was important to me to standardize the way we worked. Our work began with a daily scrum in order for everyone to have a voice and share their work. From there, we aligned on tasks for the day ahead (based on importance) and then checked in via slack throughout the remainder of the day. This enabled us to stay on track and work with a shared vision of the project. Below illustrates our collaboration through different phases of the project.
RESEARCH
Competitive & Comparative Analysis
Our competitive analysis was based around discovery of conversational AI platforms that offer career growth resources. Organizations analyzed were; Boardy, Hivebrite, People Grove, Talk Hiring, Prentus & Protopia.
For comparative, we analyzed organizations that offered AI (conversational & non-conversational) and/or career growth resources. These additional organizations were; Sesame, Facebook, Instagram and Snap Chat, which helped us round out a comprehensive C&C analysis.
Our key findings, using Boardy & Prentus as examples, were:
Boardy
An AI-powered networking tool that uses conversational AI to connect professionals by conducting phone interviews and facilitating introductions between individuals it deems compatible.
Pluses
Connected to LinkedIn - biggest job search & networking platform.
AI generated questions & somewhat natural feeling phone call.
Deltas
Limited communication preference - Phone call as only option.
Busy Network - unable to make a connection today. Call was left open ended.
Prentus
An AI-powered job search platform designed to simplify and enhance the job searching experience, especially for junior job seekers, by offering tools for tracking applications, generating cover letters, and providing personalized support.
Pluses
Chrome extension to keep up to date on applications.
Mock interviews & AI Chatbot.
Deltas
Recent posts - Unclear where these are generated from.
Manually add calendar events - unsure how/if this feature would be used
The below cartesian plot allowed us to pinpoint Kindred's space in the market, by analyzing against the aforementioned competitors relative to conversational/non-conversational AI and career/not career orientated.
Kindred's focus lies very clearly in the career growth and conversational AI focused zone.
research
Affinity Mapping
After surveying fifteen people and interviewing an additional six, we synthesized our information to make sense of what people were saying. We uncovered that:
Alumni felt a lack of support from their education organization.
Users were open to using AI to help them find jobs, but had limited experience with usage.
Users noted networking as a struggle and leaned mostly into people they knew (friends, family etc.)
SYNTHEISS
Persona & Problem Statement
Sonia seeks professional growth and authentic connections but finds current networking methods draining and superficial. She needs a better solution that directly connects her with relevant mentors and opportunities, helping her feel more supported and understood."
SYNTHEISS
User Flow
As we began creating user flows, it became clear that our 'must-haves' would lead us into two user flows, within three key features of the site.
A Conversational AI intake form
Practice conversations
Smart Connections
SYNTHEISS
Journey Map
Outlining Sonia's anticipated journey through Kindred, the Journey map below illustrates the actions she will take, as well as the emotional journey relative to each phase.
The introduction of Kindred at the right moment can create opportunity for Sonia to practice critical social-conversational skills, supporting her in her post-graduate journey toward employment.
IDEATION
Lo-Fi & Wireframes
By stripping away the visual distractions, we were able to focus on functionality, hierarchy and flow, while also having a keen eye for accessibility. During this part of the process, we iterated upon many initial ideas before moving to Hi-Fi.
IDEATION
Iterations: From Sketches to Hi-Fi
The above mockups illustrate how our designs were iterated upon (using only three examples). Our focus was to ensure accessibility and ease of use for users, hence decisions such as adding a text preference for users who may not be able to talk with the AI conversation tool.
FINAL PRODUCT
High-Fidelity
Below is our final product for Kindred. You'll find three key pieces to the product, being the AI Intake Survey, Practice Conversations and Smart Connections.
Intake Survey
We designed an intake survey to make it easier for educational organizations to collect valuable career information from their alumni. We know that alumni often find these requests tedious, so our goal was to create a seamless and engaging experience that reduces friction.
Our key innovation is a conversational AI tool. This tool utilizes natural language processing to interact with alumni in a simple and accessible way, making the information-gathering process feel less like a survey and more like a real conversation.
To further enhance this, we've enabled LinkedIn login. When alumni log in with their LinkedIn account, our AI tool can analyze their profile. This allows for a more meaningful and personalized discussion, as the AI can draw insights directly from their professional history to guide the conversation.
We also integrated a dynamic interface that visually represents active listening, making the conversational flow even more intuitive. After the conversation, alumni receive a summary of their discussion. Once approved, this summary is then used to generate smart connections (more about this later!)
Practice Conversations
Practice Conversations offers a unique opportunity to hone essential conversational skills that can significantly impact first impressions and job interview success. We designed this feature with natural interaction in mind, creating diverse personas for users to practice with.
Upon persona selection, users are provided with key objectives to guide their conversation. These objectives highlight crucial points to emphasize during the chat, enabling users to add value to the interaction. Following the conversation, users receive comprehensive feedback, in both text and audio soundbites, directly correlated to the objectives they were given.
Our goal in developing this feature was to create a robust up-skilling experience. By integrating clear objectives and detailed feedback, we ensured users can maximize their learning from each practice conversation.
Smart Connections
Smart Connections helps users forge valuable new professional relationships. Initially, in Phase One, an organization's administrator will facilitate these connections. Version 2.0 will leverage AI to generate connections based on user preferences, insights from intake conversations, and LinkedIn analysis for users who opt into this unique feature. After a connection is made, users can view a profile of their new contact and schedule a meeting, significantly extending their network and aiding their career advancement.
In developing these features, we meticulously prioritized a holistic approach, ensuring they collectively offer an exceptional user experience while simultaneously serving as a robust platform for continuous learning, professional development, and the cultivation of meaningful connections.
reflection
Conclusion & Learning
The Kindred project was an incredibly rewarding experience for me. Collaborating with a highly talented team of designers, we achieved exceptional success through efficient workflows and diligent execution. Our daily stand-ups and design decisions were consistently swift, allowing each designer ample time to focus on their strengths and deliver their best work.
Our innovative solution addresses a traditionally tedious task, offering users a significantly more enjoyable experience when connecting with their educational organization. Simultaneously, Kindred provides a powerful platform for upskilling through practice conversations and smart connections. Ultimately, Kindred delivers a win-win scenario for both the end-user and the educational organization.
Beyond the strong teamwork and meaningful mission, I also gained invaluable experience working on a project that harnessed artificial intelligence. I genuinely enjoyed the hands-on learning and direct exposure to various cutting-edge AI tools currently available in the market.
Process Highlights
Design challenge & responsibilities overview
Challenge
Kindred is a pre-launch network intelligence platform that focuses on supporting job seekers and early career professionals. Kindred wants to create a mobile website intake form that builds social capital skills through AI practice conversations and matches users with relevant people to help build their network.
Opportunity
To build an intuitive AI integrated website that collects relevant information from users (alumni) to be used by their education organization, while providing the opportunity for users to up-skill in important networking communication skills.
Timeline
Mar 24 - Apr 11, 2025
3 Weeks
Disciplines
UX Design
UI Design
Project MGMT
Responsibilities
UX Research
Design Thinking
Wireframing
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Notion
MEGAN
LAYLA
SANISHA
RICH
The Process.
Research
Competitive Analysis
User Interviews
Affinity Map
Synthesis
Persona
Problem Statement
Site Map
User Flow
Ideation
Sketches
Wireframes
Hi Fi
Final Designs
Prototype
Usability Testing
Final Iterations
Reflection
Key learning
Conclusion
leading
Project Management
In leading the working group (with three additional designers), it was important to me to standardize the way we worked. Our work began with a daily scrum in order for everyone to have a voice and share their work. From there, we aligned on tasks for the day ahead (based on importance) and then checked in via slack throughout the remainder of the day. This enabled us to stay on track and work with a shared vision of the project. Below illustrates our collaboration through different phases of the project.
RESEARCH
Competitive & Comparative Analysis
Our competitive analysis was based around discovery of conversational AI platforms that offer career growth resources. Organizations analyzed were; Boardy, Hivebrite, People Grove, Talk Hiring, Prentus & Protopia.
For comparative, we analyzed organizations that offered AI (conversational & non-conversational) and/or career growth resources. These additional organizations were; Sesame, Facebook, Instagram and Snap Chat, which helped us round out a comprehensive C&C analysis.
Our key findings, using Boardy & Prentus as examples, were:
Boardy
An AI-powered networking tool that uses conversational AI to connect professionals by conducting phone interviews and facilitating introductions between individuals it deems compatible.
Pluses
Connected to LinkedIn - biggest job search & networking platform.
AI generated questions & somewhat natural feeling phone call.
Deltas
Limited communication preference - Phone call as only option.
Busy Network - unable to make a connection today. Call was left open ended.
Prentus
An AI-powered job search platform designed to simplify and enhance the job searching experience, especially for junior job seekers, by offering tools for tracking applications, generating cover letters, and providing personalized support.
Pluses
Chrome extension to keep up to date on applications.
Mock interviews & AI Chatbot.
Deltas
Recent posts - Unclear where these are generated from.
Manually add calendar events - unsure how/if this feature would be used
The below cartesian plot allowed us to pinpoint Kindred's space in the market, by analyzing against the aforementioned competitors relative to conversational/non-conversational AI and career/not career orientated.
Kindred's focus lies very clearly in the career growth and conversational AI focused zone.
research
Affinity Mapping
After surveying fifteen people and interviewing an additional six, we synthesized our information to make sense of what people were saying. We uncovered that:
Alumni felt a lack of support from their education organization.
Users were open to using AI to help them find jobs, but had limited experience with usage.
Users noted networking as a struggle and leaned mostly into people they knew (friends, family etc.)
SYNTHEISS
Persona & Problem Statement
Sonia seeks professional growth and authentic connections but finds current networking methods draining and superficial. She needs a better solution that directly connects her with relevant mentors and opportunities, helping her feel more supported and understood."
SYNTHEISS
User Flow
As we began creating user flows, it became clear that our 'must-haves' would lead us into two user flows, within three key features of the site.
A Conversational AI intake form
Practice conversations
Smart Connections
SYNTHEISS
Journey Map
Outlining Sonia's anticipated journey through Kindred, the Journey map below illustrates the actions she will take, as well as the emotional journey relative to each phase.
The introduction of Kindred at the right moment can create opportunity for Sonia to practice critical social-conversational skills, supporting her in her post-graduate journey toward employment.
IDEATION
Lo-Fi & Wireframes
By stripping away the visual distractions, we were able to focus on functionality, hierarchy and flow, while also having a keen eye for accessibility. During this part of the process, we iterated upon many initial ideas before moving to Hi-Fi.
IDEATION
Iterations: From Sketches to Hi-Fi
The above mockups illustrate how our designs were iterated upon (using only three examples). Our focus was to ensure accessibility and ease of use for users, hence decisions such as adding a text preference for users who may not be able to talk with the AI conversation tool.
FINAL PRODUCT
High-Fidelity
Below is our final product for Kindred. You'll find three key pieces to the product, being the AI Intake Survey, Practice Conversations and Smart Connections.
Intake Survey
We designed an intake survey to make it easier for educational organizations to collect valuable career information from their alumni. We know that alumni often find these requests tedious, so our goal was to create a seamless and engaging experience that reduces friction.
Our key innovation is a conversational AI tool. This tool utilizes natural language processing to interact with alumni in a simple and accessible way, making the information-gathering process feel less like a survey and more like a real conversation.
To further enhance this, we've enabled LinkedIn login. When alumni log in with their LinkedIn account, our AI tool can analyze their profile. This allows for a more meaningful and personalized discussion, as the AI can draw insights directly from their professional history to guide the conversation.
We also integrated a dynamic interface that visually represents active listening, making the conversational flow even more intuitive. After the conversation, alumni receive a summary of their discussion. Once approved, this summary is then used to generate smart connections (more about this later!)
Practice Conversations
Practice Conversations offers a unique opportunity to hone essential conversational skills that can significantly impact first impressions and job interview success. We designed this feature with natural interaction in mind, creating diverse personas for users to practice with.
Upon persona selection, users are provided with key objectives to guide their conversation. These objectives highlight crucial points to emphasize during the chat, enabling users to add value to the interaction. Following the conversation, users receive comprehensive feedback, in both text and audio soundbites, directly correlated to the objectives they were given.
Our goal in developing this feature was to create a robust up-skilling experience. By integrating clear objectives and detailed feedback, we ensured users can maximize their learning from each practice conversation.
Smart Connections
Smart Connections helps users forge valuable new professional relationships. Initially, in Phase One, an organization's administrator will facilitate these connections. Version 2.0 will leverage AI to generate connections based on user preferences, insights from intake conversations, and LinkedIn analysis for users who opt into this unique feature. After a connection is made, users can view a profile of their new contact and schedule a meeting, significantly extending their network and aiding their career advancement.
In developing these features, we meticulously prioritized a holistic approach, ensuring they collectively offer an exceptional user experience while simultaneously serving as a robust platform for continuous learning, professional development, and the cultivation of meaningful connections.
reflection
Conclusion & Learning
The Kindred project was an incredibly rewarding experience for me. Collaborating with a highly talented team of designers, we achieved exceptional success through efficient workflows and diligent execution. Our daily stand-ups and design decisions were consistently swift, allowing each designer ample time to focus on their strengths and deliver their best work.
Our innovative solution addresses a traditionally tedious task, offering users a significantly more enjoyable experience when connecting with their educational organization. Simultaneously, Kindred provides a powerful platform for upskilling through practice conversations and smart connections. Ultimately, Kindred delivers a win-win scenario for both the end-user and the educational organization.
Beyond the strong teamwork and meaningful mission, I also gained invaluable experience working on a project that harnessed artificial intelligence. I genuinely enjoyed the hands-on learning and direct exposure to various cutting-edge AI tools currently available in the market.
Process Highlights
Design challenge & responsibilities overview
Challenge
Kindred is a pre-launch network intelligence platform that focuses on supporting job seekers and early career professionals. Kindred wants to create a mobile website intake form that builds social capital skills through AI practice conversations and matches users with relevant people to help build their network.
Opportunity
To build an intuitive AI integrated website that collects relevant information from users (alumni) to be used by their education organization, while providing the opportunity for users to up-skill in important networking communication skills.
Timeline
Mar 24 - Apr 11, 2025
3 Weeks
Disciplines
UX Design
UI Design
Project MGMT
Responsibilities
UX Research
Design Thinking
Wireframing
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Notion
MEGAN
LAYLA
SANISHA
RICH
leading
Project Management
In leading the working group (with three additional designers), it was important to me to standardize the way we worked. Our work began with a daily scrum in order for everyone to have a voice and share their work. From there, we aligned on tasks for the day ahead (based on importance) and then checked in via slack throughout the remainder of the day. This enabled us to stay on track and work with a shared vision of the project. Below illustrates our collaboration through different phases of the project.
The Process.
Research
Comp Analysis
User Interviews
Affinity Map
Synthesis
Persona
Problem Statement
Site Map
User Flow
Ideation
Sketches
Wireframes
Hi Fi
Final Designs
Prototype
Usability Testing
Final Iterations
Reflection
Key learning
Conclusion
RESEARCH
Competitive & Comparative Analysis
Our competitive analysis was based around discovery of conversational AI platforms that offer career growth resources. Organizations analyzed were; Boardy, Hivebrite, People Grove, Talk Hiring, Prentus & Protopia.
For comparative, we analyzed organizations that offered AI (conversational & non-conversational) and/or career growth resources. These additional organizations were; Sesame, Facebook, Instagram and Snap Chat, which helped us round out a comprehensive C&C analysis.
Our key findings, using Boardy & Prentus as examples, were:
Boardy
An AI-powered networking tool that uses conversational AI to connect professionals by conducting phone interviews and facilitating introductions between individuals it deems compatible.
Pluses
Connected to LinkedIn - biggest job search & networking platform.
AI generated questions & somewhat natural feeling phone call.
Deltas
Limited communication preference - Phone call as only option.
Busy Network - unable to make a connection today. Call was left open ended.
Prentus
An AI-powered job search platform designed to simplify and enhance the job searching experience, especially for junior job seekers, by offering tools for tracking applications, generating cover letters, and providing personalized support.
Pluses
Chrome extension to keep up to date on applications.
Mock interviews & AI Chatbot.
Deltas
Recent posts - Unclear where these are generated from.
Manually add calendar events - unsure how/if this feature would be used
The below cartesian plot allowed us to pinpoint Kindred's space in the market, by analyzing against the aforementioned competitors relative to conversational/non-conversational AI and career/not career orientated.
Kindred's focus lies very clearly in the career growth and conversational AI focused zone.
research
Affinity Mapping
After surveying fifteen people and interviewing an additional six, we synthesized our information to make sense of what people were saying. We uncovered that:
Alumni felt a lack of support from their education organization.
Users were open to using AI to help them find jobs, but had limited experience with usage.
Users noted networking as a struggle and leaned mostly into people they knew (friends, family etc.)
SYNTHEISS
Persona & Problem Statement
Sonia seeks professional growth and authentic connections but finds current networking methods draining and superficial. She needs a better solution that directly connects her with relevant mentors and opportunities, helping her feel more supported and understood."
SYNTHEISS
User Flow
As we began creating user flows, it became clear that our 'must-haves' would lead us into two user flows, within three key features of the site.
A Conversational AI intake form
Practice conversations
Smart Connections
SYNTHEISS
Journey Map
Outlining Sonia's anticipated journey through Kindred, the Journey map below illustrates the actions she will take, as well as the emotional journey relative to each phase.
The introduction of Kindred at the right moment can create opportunity for Sonia to practice critical social-conversational skills, supporting her in her post-graduate journey toward employment.
IDEATION
Lo-Fi & Wireframes
By stripping away the visual distractions, we were able to focus on functionality, hierarchy and flow, while also having a keen eye for accessibility. During this part of the process, we iterated upon many initial ideas before moving to Hi-Fi.
IDEATION
Iterations: From Sketches to Hi-Fi
The above mockups illustrate how our designs were iterated upon (using only three examples). Our focus was to ensure accessibility and ease of use for users, hence decisions such as adding a text preference for users who may not be able to talk with the AI conversation tool.
FINAL PRODUCT
High-Fidelity
Below is our final product for Kindred. You'll find three key pieces to the product, being the AI Intake Survey, Practice Conversations and Smart Connections.
Intake Survey
We designed an intake survey to make it easier for educational organizations to collect valuable career information from their alumni. We know that alumni often find these requests tedious, so our goal was to create a seamless and engaging experience that reduces friction.
Our key innovation is a conversational AI tool. This tool utilizes natural language processing to interact with alumni in a simple and accessible way, making the information-gathering process feel less like a survey and more like a real conversation.
To further enhance this, we've enabled LinkedIn login. When alumni log in with their LinkedIn account, our AI tool can analyze their profile. This allows for a more meaningful and personalized discussion, as the AI can draw insights directly from their professional history to guide the conversation.
We also integrated a dynamic interface that visually represents active listening, making the conversational flow even more intuitive. After the conversation, alumni receive a summary of their discussion. Once approved, this summary is then used to generate smart connections (more about this later!)
Practice Conversations
Practice Conversations offers a unique opportunity to hone essential conversational skills that can significantly impact first impressions and job interview success. We designed this feature with natural interaction in mind, creating diverse personas for users to practice with.
Upon persona selection, users are provided with key objectives to guide their conversation. These objectives highlight crucial points to emphasize during the chat, enabling users to add value to the interaction. Following the conversation, users receive comprehensive feedback, in both text and audio soundbites, directly correlated to the objectives they were given.
Our goal in developing this feature was to create a robust up-skilling experience. By integrating clear objectives and detailed feedback, we ensured users can maximize their learning from each practice conversation.
Smart Connections
Smart Connections helps users forge valuable new professional relationships. Initially, in Phase One, an organization's administrator will facilitate these connections. Version 2.0 will leverage AI to generate connections based on user preferences, insights from intake conversations, and LinkedIn analysis for users who opt into this unique feature. After a connection is made, users can view a profile of their new contact and schedule a meeting, significantly extending their network and aiding their career advancement.
In developing these features, we meticulously prioritized a holistic approach, ensuring they collectively offer an exceptional user experience while simultaneously serving as a robust platform for continuous learning, professional development, and the cultivation of meaningful connections.
reflection
Conclusion & Learning
The Kindred project was an incredibly rewarding experience for me. Collaborating with a highly talented team of designers, we achieved exceptional success through efficient workflows and diligent execution. Our daily stand-ups and design decisions were consistently swift, allowing each designer ample time to focus on their strengths and deliver their best work.
Our innovative solution addresses a traditionally tedious task, offering users a significantly more enjoyable experience when connecting with their educational organization. Simultaneously, Kindred provides a powerful platform for upskilling through practice conversations and smart connections. Ultimately, Kindred delivers a win-win scenario for both the end-user and the educational organization.
Beyond the strong teamwork and meaningful mission, I also gained invaluable experience working on a project that harnessed artificial intelligence. I genuinely enjoyed the hands-on learning and direct exposure to various cutting-edge AI tools currently available in the market.