Role
UX Design
UI Design
Researcher
Market Strategist
Product Envisioning
Platform
Web Application
Mobile Responsive
Introduction
Fullgap began as a B2C platform aimed at helping freelancers manage their projects, tasks, and clients. Through research, we expanded it to include a B2B offering, increasing the platform's business reach. Fullgap sought to streamline operations for both freelancers and businesses by offering a flexible, modular system.
The initial goal was to simplify the project creation process and boost engagement, but I later discovered that freelancers and businesses needed a more flexible system where they could manage projects, invoices, and contracts independently — a need identified during research and testing.
Problem Definition & Research
The Challenge
Fullgap initially required users to go through a tightly coupled series of steps—project details, deliverables, payment, agreement, and preview. This structure forced users to complete steps they didn’t always need, which led to frustration and lower engagement.
Business Goal
User Research
I want to understand the average user’s profile based on the current customer-base, and prove my hypothesis.
Interviews
I’ve arranged calls via Google Meet with previous customers to understand what influenced their decision when creating project and what motivates them to return.
70% said it’s because they are able to manage most of their activities using one tool (Fullgap) while others said to track their invoice and generate contract
Quantitative Study
I wanted to quantify the feedback on the current platform experience. At the end of my user interviews I’ve asked the attendees to assess the platform by completing a questionnaire that uses System Usability Scale (SUS). I used Google form to gather these insight
User Needs
After analysing the data from previous exercise, I was able to identify some key components
Identification of Target Users:
Key User Pain Points:
Desired Outcomes for Users:
Business Goals
After analysing the data from previous exercise, I was able to identify some key components
Business Goals & Objectives:
Constraint & Limitations:
Success Criteria for the Project:
Following that, a user journey map was produced which included their thoughts and feelings in response to a problem situation.
I was able to envision their difficulties and develop possibilities in the issue space as a result of this.
How Might We
These HMW statements focus on the core challenges from both the user and business perspectives, guiding potential solutions to improve Fullgap's platform and business strategy.
Users
Business Goals:
Ideation & Design
Wireframes
When we were designing the main screens, we had to think about how people would use them in different situations. This helped us figure out how to organize everything and make it easy to use.
First, I sketched out the process of creating a new project. I changed it a bunch of times until it felt just right! We had a lot of different versions and talked about how users would interact with each part of the app. We even tested these versions to make sure they were clear and easy to use.
This whole process helped us really understand our users — what they need, what they want, and what frustrates them. We also looked at what the company wanted to achieve with this product. By combining all this information, we created the structure of the app and basic layouts for the screens (called wireframes).
Project Creation
Project List
Milestone
Task Details
Initial Concepts
After all that work, we finally got to the really fun part: designing how the app actually looks! This is what people will see and interact with.
These designs were some of my early explorations, but they didn't quite make the cut. Sometimes user feedback steered us in a different direction, and other times we had to make changes based on technical limitations.
Project Creation Concept
While this is a huge improvement from the 5 steps creation phases, during testing, I discovered some users don't need client/invoice/contract at all, additionally, the payment structure is not flexible enough.
Earlier Iteration of Task View
The initial slide-out panel for task details had limitations. It restricted new features and scalability for collaborative tools. Plus, the colors were confusing. So, I went back to the drawing board to come up with a better solution!
Initial Invoice Manager
The invoice management page is a bit clunky, especially on smaller screens. Some users have given us feedback that it's tough to find their way around.
Testing & Iteration
User Feedback
After designing the single page system, I conducted usability tests with targeted users identified through analytics. Freelancers appreciated the flexibility, and B2B users welcomed the ability to manage internal projects without unnecessary features.
Method
Remote and in-person testing
Area Tested
Projection creation, invoice, task and contract management, competitors analysis, problem valuation
Participants
24
Participants
Who did I test?
Number of Participants
Years of Experience
Professional Background
Executive Summary
The Fullgap usability test revealed a divided response among users regarding the product's readiness. Some users responded enthusiastically, expressing a desire to use the tool immediately and share it with their teams. In contrast, few others did not see enough value in the current version and indicated they would wait to see how the product evolves before adopting it.
87%
Participants stated that they prefer the single page project creation.
70%
Participants completed all the tasks.
40%
Stated that they see a great potential in the app.
35%
Had a problem with the invoice and contract management.
Key Insight
Lorem ipsum dolor amet.
11 Negative insights
Defined problems divided into three categories: Crucial, Major, and Minor.
9 Neutral insights
Ideas and suggestions made by test participants.
10 Positive insights
All the positive feedback from the users.
Crucial
Major
Minor
Crucial
Major
Minor
Crucial
Major
Minor
Insight #1
Overwhelming Project Creation Process
The original multi-step process (project details, deliverables, payment, contract, preview) was too complex, resulting in high drop-off rates.
Location
online
Severity
Crucial
Type
Negative
Recommendation
Streamline the process and prioritise each component the user interact with
Insight #2
Split User Opinions on Initial Value
While some users saw immediate value in Fullgap’s new features, others felt that the product was not yet compelling enough to adopt fully.
Location
Every tested method
Type
Neutral
Recommendation
Competitive analysis and the use of feature flag
Insight #3
Significant Increase in User Engagement
The streamlined project creation process, combined with better task management, resulted in a 45% increase in user engagement.
Location
Every tested method
Type
Positive
Recommendation
Decouple project components into standalone and expand task management
Outcome & Reflection
Refined Visuals
After designing the single page system, I conducted usability tests with targeted users identified through analytics. Freelancers appreciated the flexibility, and B2B users welcomed the ability to manage internal projects without unnecessary features.
New Project Creation
- To streamline project creation, I designed a single-page workflow. This simplified approach focuses on essential tasks, making it efficient and user-friendly.
- Features like invoice and contract generation were made optional, ensuring the design caters to a wider range of users. Those who need these capabilities can easily add them later.
- To further boost efficiency, I created a reusable component for adding tasks and milestones. This component can be integrated into any page, eliminating the need for users to navigate away from their current context.
- Finally, I added a "duplicate" function for tasks and milestones. This allows users to quickly create similar entries with a single click, saving them time and effort.
Task View - List
Task View - Board
New Task Details
Share Component
New Invoice - Standalone
New Invoice Details
New Contract - Standalone
Lesson Learned
Research is sometimes more about learning what not to do. It helps us avoid repeating mistakes and guides us towards better solutions.
What didn't work
The initial design relied too heavily on visual streamlining, which wasn’t enough without decoupling the features.
What I'd do differently
Start with more modular thinking from the outset, rather than relying on visual design alone to solve complex user journeys.
What worked
The modular design was key in meeting both freelancer and B2B needs, creating flexibility and improving user satisfaction.
Conclusion
This project highlights my ability to identify and address user pain points through research, test-driven design iterations, and modular solutions.