Research
UX Design
UI Design
Introduction
With the Sainsbury's Group expanding at pace, they recognised the need to improve their employee acquisition process and approached Squiz with interest in Funnelback (Squiz's best in class search product) to empower the user.
Team
Sam Marks - Design Director
Toby Margetts - Strategical Director
Jake White - Sr. Acc Manager
Chris Burnell - Sr. Front End Dev
Sonia Pitton - Sr. Project Manager
What I Did
User Interviews
User Testing
Experience design
UI Design
Interaction Design
Prototyping
Results
We designed a brand new job search experience combining strategical innovation and the technical implementation of Funnelback that contributed to a 20% increase in employment.
Background
The Sainsbury's jobs portal was home to thousands of jobs at any given time, and relied on plenty of patience from its users in sorting through listings via location and job type tabs. As an out of the box CMS solution Sainsbury's had managed up until this point, but with such rapid growth brought the appetite for employee acquisition at pace, and the current portal wasn't considered a powerful enough tool to bring the level of employees to the table that they required.
A showcase of the final output, demonstrating smart features and geolocation fuelled results.
We drew upon Sainsbury’s own data
Summary
User Surveys
We interviewed various users using different account types, gathering valuable qualitative data to help us formulate insights and validate early assumptions.
Recorded User Testing
We developed a script and recorded 100 users (using different account types) completing tasks that we had set them.
Funnelback Analytics
We implemented the Hotjar heat mapping into the front end of the website to further enable us the opportunity to analyse user behaviour, as well as monitoring a GA dashboard implemented in the early stages of the 1st iteration.
Competitor Analysis
We analysed how Sainsbury’s direct competitors are utilising technology within their job site domains, paying particular attention to how prospective employees might search for roles.
A walkthrough of the old Sainsbury's job search user interface.
Understanding
From the opening screen to discovering a role, users frequently mentioned the ambiguity surrounding where they need to click and what the position of their journey was.
Users felt navigation from A to B was unnecessarily confusing with lack of labelling, breadcrumbs, or any valuable nav indicators.
Understanding
With users relying on their smart devices so much, it was frequently commented that users felt the experience on tablet and mobile devices became very difficult.
With users having the ability to store their resume’s and cover letters on cloud based programmes, it has become apparent that the necessity to cater for that technology is required.
Problem
Finding job that matched the basic criteria of a first time user failed to inspire users to commit into the application stage in too many circumstances.
Problem
Over cooked attempts at contemporary user interface design had indadvertedly complicated the user experience and information architecture.
Problem
In many circumstances prospective applicants had adopted their mobile device to be their key tool in applying for jobs, to which the Sainsbury’s job site failed to cater for on both mobile an tablet devices well.
How might we
Synthesis
The concierge would house rich data and card based results to engage users and categorise results with every letter typed. This will be applied to the main site search as well as specific in-page search.
Search Concierge
The application of a concierge when the search module is activated to offer users a rapid search result discovery upon typing. The premise of a concierge could reduce multiple steps in their journey, often completely removing the need to use a SERP at all.
Smart Geolocation Application
Embracing the use of modern technology, using a geolocation module (using a Google API) integrated into Funnelback would remove the need for a full screen map and allow the user to quickly filter based on the location of the device they're using.
Enhancing SERP
Applying an advanced filter system on the search engine results page to empower search filtering and categorisation (reducing the need for load more/pagination reliance).
Synthesis
Solution
The search module from the point of activation delivers clear and concise options, utilising the UI kit from the Sainsbury's principle design system and completely detaching from the previous ambiguous approach.
The options to search for role types & enter location are available clearly upon landing upon the site without having to venture through any difficult journeys. Once the module is activated, suggestion tablets appear to assist the user showing popular or related prompts should they be a return user.
Solution
Within the newest design, geolocation is activated and requests the users permission to be able to deliver an experience personal to their location. The result contributes to a list of roles that can be further refined by the search term, ensuring results are as personable as they can be.
Whilst postcode input is a totally viable option, geolocation permission can be a phenomenal technical solution to improve accessibility, or simply benefit users who are new to their current location. It also operates excellently on a mobile device.
Solution
Letter by letter, users are presented with results within the smart concierge that contributes to a streamlined experience and often by passing the need to travel to the search engine results page altogether.
As users type they are presented with suggested words that intuitively complete text input and correct mis-spelling. Columns contained within the concierge related to roles, vacancies, and topics all update with every letter typed.
Solution
The implementation of filters that give the user the tools to further contextualise their search streamlines the experience altogether. Utilising the existing Sainsbury's UI Kit, we were able to incorporate slider and search variables to deliver interactive value.
Solution
We worked on creating a 'No Results' page that delivers value through understanding the terms and inputs used throughout the user journey.
Through housing the search module and search prompts, users may find related suggestions that redirect them correctly.
Solution
With the vast majority of users opting to use their mobile devices over personal computers, we worked on delivering an experience that prioritised users on the go. This mean't ensuring that the UI kit used was feature rich and equally as capable as it would be on a larger device.
The ability to upload documents, refine information, and operate efficiently was the priority.
Conclusion
Through using Funnelbacks very own search analytics dashboard (dedicated to pulling search analytics exclusively), Sainsbury's were able to monitor and report vastly improved conversion and engagement very quickly.
My project conclusion amplified that often interactive elements within websites can very quickly reduce the target audience based on accessibility and usability.
We often mistake 'advanced interactivity' as a step forward in product / infrastructure evolution, when behind the scenes we may be significantly reducing who can use our systems.
