Freedo
Freedom to do the work you love with people you can trust.
Design Research, Web-Platform
Problem
As the workforce moves towards a gig economy, how can we help freelancers and independent workers who don't have the benefits and support structures that accompany a traditional office job?
Design Team
Seona Joung
Hui Zheng
Catherine Stoddard
Solution
Freedo is a platform that empowers freelancers and independent workers to build networks and community. Through meetups and team projects, freelancers can meet new clients and get to know new collaborators to expand their network.
My Roles
Project Co-Manager
Lead User Interviews
Insights and Design Principles
Concept Ideation
User Testing
Systems Mapping
Embark
Freedo offers a new way for independent workers to find and conduct work.
Collaborate
Freelancers collaborate with existing contacts or discover new collaborators to expand their networks.
Collaborate
View collaborator profiles and connections and start building a team.
Pitch
Freelancers can go solo or join collaborators to tackle projects together. Clients pitch and freelancers pick the work that fits them.
Meet
Meet ups allow collaborators to meet each other or new clients in person to build trust.
Design Process
Design
Research
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Reiterate
Final Product
Identify Stakeholders
Create Discussion Guide
Interview Users
Generate Insights
Design Principles
How-Might-We Questions
User Journey Game
Concept Ideation
Co-Creation Workshop
Group Critique
Rapid Prototyping
User Testing & Feedback
Research
We interviewed ten Subject Matter Experts across a variety of professions to understand their points of view and learn about their experiences.
Key Insights
Anyone could be a freelancer at any time in their career.
“When you work for a company, they always try put the idea across that, ‘Oh, we’re a family.’ But on the day you’re laid off, you see how little of a family you are. The lay off process is always very sudden. So why not? Why not do freelance work? You’re in charge of yourself."
Independent workers want networking events where they can form more substantial relationships over time.
“I’m an introvert, so I find networking painful. It’s completely energetically overwhelming to me. I’m good in small groups. When you throw me into a big group, I’m very shy. I’ve talked to a lot of other freelancers who feel similarly."
Freelancers working in isolation prevents transparency around important issues like pay and healthcare.
“It is very taboo to talk about health insurance. When you’re surface level friends with someone, you’re not just like, ‘Do you have health insurance?’”
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“Freelancing can be very isolating.”
Freelancers trust employers/clients more when they find work through personal means and connections.
“Clients like hiring people who they know. Working with someone who they know and will work well with is important, which is why they prefer referrals.”
Additional responsibilities besides the main work of freelancers puts an emotional toll on them and affects their efficiency.
We created a User Journey game with three personas to embody what we learned while interviewing subject matter experts and reflect the insights we discovered.
