In 2015, I worked with Prodoo for 2 years, assisting them in starting their company from scratch. I was responsible for handling all design needs, including presentations, posters, web, branding, products, and more.

Prodoo is a technology company based in Denmark. I developed a platform to connect companies looking for specific skills with independent professionals. This platform is designed to facilitate collaboration on-site or within a company’s premises.

In 2015, I worked with Prodoo for 2 years, assisting them in starting their company from scratch. I was responsible for handling all design needs, including presentations, posters, web, branding, products, and more.

Prodoo is a technology company based in Denmark. I developed a platform to connect companies looking for specific skills with independent professionals. This platform is designed to facilitate collaboration on-site or within a company’s premises.

During my tenure at Prodoo, I actively employed a Human-Centered Design approach to create solutions for all their products. This approach underpinned every step of the design process, from concept development to implementation.

With a focus on this approach, I understood that users are at the core of all products and services developed. Through the Human-Centered Design approach, I aimed to create a better, more intuitive, and more relevant experience for the target users. This is a crucial step in achieving product success that can meet user expectations and deliver real value to Prodoo.

As a designer, I was deeply engaged with Robert and Henrik, the CEO and CFO of Prodoo, engaging in discussions with all stakeholders to address their plans, challenges, and goals.

Some common issues or phenomena that motivated them to create the Prodoo platform include:

1. Challenging Matching:
   Difficulty in connecting iPros with projects that align with their skills.
2. Lack of Transparency:
   Challenges in maintaining transparency and effective communication between iPros and workplaces.
3. Recruitment Costs and Time:
   Traditional recruitment processes can be expensive and time-consuming, especially through agencies or intermediaries.
4. Limited Access:
   Difficulty for iPros in finding projects that match their profiles and skills.
5. Intense Competition:
   Challenges for workplaces in identifying the best candidates in a competitive freelance market.

In addition to discussions with stakeholders, I conducted user research to understand the geography and conditions of Prodoo’s target users. Through this process, I identified several pain points experienced by iPros or freelancers, such as:

1. Difficulty in finding job opportunities that match their skills and experience.
2. Uncertainty in determining a fair and competitive hourly rate.
3. Challenges in maintaining transparency and efficiency in project collaboration.
4. Difficulty in creating standout resumes and optimizing their profiles.
5. Lack of in-depth feedback on resumes and ways to improve them.
6. Struggles to find jobs that closely match their skills, experience, and interests.
7. Difficulty in crafting compelling resumes that reflect their career growth.
8. The need to identify salary trends in their industry and geographic location.
9. Challenges in managing ongoing work and projects.
10. The need to track working hours and generate accurate billing reports.
11. Challenges in managing and organizing workflows and job tasks.
12. The need to maintain positive relationships with recruiting companies.

On the other hand, recruiters or companies in need of iPros also experienced some frustrations, such as:

1. Time-consuming and often inefficient recruitment processes.
2. Limited visibility into a large number of independent professionals with various skills.
3. Challenges in managing job parameters and candidate selections.
4. Complex candidate selection processes and difficulty distinguishing between various resumes.
5. Difficulty in accurately assessing candidate qualifications and understanding their potential.
6. Wasting time and resources in inefficient recruitment processes.
7. Challenges in evaluating the abilities and potential of potential employees.
8. Losing time in determining skill requirements and obtaining comprehensive salary insights.
9. Losing visibility in ongoing projects and iPro productivity.
10. Challenges in efficiently monitoring and managing freelance jobs.
11. Complex and time-consuming freelance team management processes.
12. Difficulty in monitoring project progress and ensuring timely delivery.

The objective of Prodoo is to create a platform and applications that enable companies to efficiently search, recruit, manage, and collaborate with independent professionals and freelancers (iPros). Prodoo aims to provide comprehensive solutions in human resources management and project collaboration between companies and iPros. By combining technology, artificial intelligence, and powerful tools, Prodoo seeks to enhance the recruitment process, improve transparency, and ensure that companies can easily find and work with professionals who meet their project needs.

Through discussions with Robert and Henrik, they have formulated a business model that allows Prodoo to offer various applications that address unique challenges for iPros and companies. In this way, users can choose services according to their needs, creating convenience and flexibility.

I then categorized user issues, enabling us to set clear objectives for each challenge. This will form the basis of a separate platform that supports the entire iPro ecosystem, delivering more integrated and beneficial solutions for all users.

All the data has been gathered, and upon reviewing user data, we have identified several needs and conditions. Some of these needs include:

1. Companies and recruiters need to search for and hire freelancers or independent professionals (iPros) with specific skills that match their projects or job requirements. They require a platform that facilitates the search and selection of freelancers who meet specific job criteria.
2. Freelancers and independent professionals (iPros) need to efficiently market and promote their skills to attract potential employers. They require tools that help them create standout resumes, provide customized resume analysis, and identify jobs that match their skills.
3. Professionals, whether experienced or recent graduates, need tools to optimize their career growth. They require an understanding of how to improve their resumes, gain insights into salary trends within their industry, and receive recommendations for developing sought-after skills.
4. Managers and recruiters need tools to manage and monitor the freelancers they hire. They require instruments that enable them to track job progress, timesheets, and easily evaluate the performance of freelancers.
5. Project managers and team leaders need tools to manage freelancers and optimize their project workflows. They need ways to integrate and manage a database of freelancers and iPros, as well as oversee workflows and tasks.
6. Users need tools that facilitate the search and discovery of freelancers based on various parameters such as skills, education, experience, and location.
7. Users, including freelancers and recruitment managers, need tools to easily track time, generate timesheet reports, monitor freelancer tasks, and manage payments transparently.

Considering the aforementioned user needs and in alignment with Robert and Henrik’s vision, I have formulated solutions that will be visualized in the form of separate application products. These include:

1. Assort by Prodoo: Facilitating companies and recruiters in searching, recruiting, and collaborating with freelancers or independent professionals (iPros) possessing skills suitable for specific jobs or projects.
2. Phillip iPro by Prodoo: Assisting freelancers and independent professionals (iPros) in efficiently marketing their skills, creating standout resumes, and discovering jobs that match their expertise.
3. NextStep by Prodoo: Aiding professionals, both experienced and recent graduates, in developing and accelerating their career growth through resume analysis, insights into salary trends, and skill development recommendations.
4. Prodoo Snapshot: Allowing managers and recruiters to easily manage, monitor, and evaluate the performance of freelancers while optimizing their management processes.
5. Embark: Providing project managers with tools to efficiently and seamlessly manage freelancers and project workflows.
6. Headsup: Enabling companies and recruiters to compile shortlists of freelance professionals and iPros based on specific project needs while managing searches quickly.
7. Phillip Searcher: Facilitating the search and discovery of freelancers based on various parameters such as skills, education, experience, and location.
8. Prodoo Ticktel: Offering tools for effortless time tracking, generating timesheet reports, monitoring freelance work, and transparently managing payments.

Prodoo has chosen to develop a range of separate applications with a focus on addressing the specific needs of users due to several strategic reasons that support this approach:

1. User-Centric Compliance: By offering separate applications, Prodoo can more precisely meet the unique needs of various user groups, such as freelancers, companies, or project managers. This provides a more tailored and relevant user experience.
2. User Flexibility: Users can select applications that align with their specific objectives, allowing them to concentrate on solutions that are truly relevant and avoiding potential confusion in overly general, one-size-fits-all applications.
3. Enhanced Efficiency: Separate applications enable faster and more targeted development and functional improvements. Prodoo can respond more efficiently to changing user needs by focusing on each application individually.
4. Distinct Revenue Streams: With separate applications, Prodoo can implement distinct business models for each, such as subscriptions or transaction fees. This supports revenue diversification and provides pricing flexibility.
5. Clear Value Proposition: Through separate applications, Prodoo can clearly convey the unique value of each solution. This helps users understand how the applications can effectively fulfill their specific needs.
6. Streamlined Integration: Despite being separate applications, Prodoo can offer seamless integration among them, facilitating smoother workflows and collaboration among different user groups.

Therefore, the approach of developing separate applications offers advantages in terms of customization, flexibility, and the efficient deployment of solutions. This enables Prodoo to better meet the specific needs of its users.

All the solution ideas mentioned above are still in their early stages. Therefore, I have designed site maps, information architecture, user flows, and even mind maps to establish the right framework for achieving the intended goals. I have undertaken these processes for all the applications that will be developed, ensuring that all the applications created are genuinely interconnected with distinct roles for each one.

In an effort to bring the solution ideas from the framework into reality, I began by designing each application in low-fidelity wireframes. This is the initial stage in conceptualizing the applications and solutions to be created. From low-fidelity wireframes, I proceeded to create lo-fi prototypes aimed at validating the best concepts and testing the visualization of planned solutions.

While testing these concepts, I received valuable feedback from users and stakeholders, such as:

1. Suboptimal User Patterns: Some parts of the application had less-than-optimal user patterns that could impact the user experience. It was important for me to ensure that the interface I designed was easy to use and enjoyable for users.
2. User Confusion: Users might be confused about which application is suitable for their needs due to unclear differences among the applications. This underscored the need for better understanding the unique features and benefits of each application.
3. Limited Integration Flexibility: The integration between applications was not flexible enough, making users feel restricted in accessing and using cross-application services.

However, I successfully addressed these issues through brainstorming sessions and active collaboration with stakeholders. The result was a viable solution concept, which served as the basis for developing the initial model or Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This process allowed me to refine each Prodoo application by prioritizing a good user experience and providing services that are efficient, transparent, and user-friendly.

From the wireframe concept stage, the next step was translating low-fidelity design into high-fidelity design. The high-fidelity design creation process is a crucial step in delivering an attractive and functional appearance and experience in the application.

Through a series of processes including Visual Design, UI Style Guide and Design Systems, Illustration and Iconography, and Prototyping and Interaction Design, I was able to produce high-fidelity designs that depict the final look and functionality of each application. This aids in conveying the Prodoo value message and creating applications that offer specific and appealing services to users.

Before delivering all the applications to the development team, I felt it was essential to ensure that the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of each application fully met the required quality standards and addressed the core needs of users. Therefore, I conducted a series of testing and evaluations to identify and rectify every aspect of the products.

Here are some of the testing and evaluation stages I carried out:

Usability Testing: I involved actual users to test the applications and assess how user-friendly they were. The results of these tests helped me understand potential user interface issues and ensure a smooth user experience.

A/B Testing: Through A/B testing, I systematically compared two versions of elements or features within the applications to determine which one performed better. This helped me understand user preferences and make data-supported decisions.

Design Testing: I tested the visual design, layout, and graphic elements of the applications to ensure they aligned with the brand identity and were user-friendly.

Analytics: By analyzing application usage data, I monitored how well the applications functioned in practice. This helped me identify areas in need of improvement.

Expert Review: In addition to user testing, I also engaged experts to review the applications from a professional standpoint. This helped me identify potential improvements that might have been overlooked for users.

The entire series of testing and evaluation was designed to ensure that each application met rigorous quality standards and reflected the vision and user needs. With this approach, I could ensure that the resulting products were of the highest quality and provided an optimal user experience.

The product development process doesn’t always proceed smoothly, and I understand that achieving a viable product requires a series of meticulous iterations. In an effort to ensure that Prodoo’s products meet high standards, I have undergone numerous significant iterations.

Some of the changes I implemented through these iterations include:

1. Improving the collaboration flow between iPro and hire managers. I aimed to streamline this collaboration process by integrating features for time tracking through to payment. I understand the importance of transparency and efficiency in this process.
2. Clarifying the functions of each product. In order to ensure that iPro and hire managers fully understand the utility of each application, I made significant improvements in explanations and documentation.
3. Providing the best solutions to iPro and hire managers. I am committed to addressing their needs and expectations. Therefore, I continue to strive to provide the most relevant and effective solutions to help them achieve their goals.
4. Simplifying the process for hire managers to send invitations to iPro. I realize the efficiency of this process is crucial. As such, I have implemented changes to make it easier for hire managers to interact with iPro.

In addition to the changes above, there have been many other iterations that I have carried out to ensure that Prodoo’s products are the best and effectively meet user needs. These efforts are an integral part of our commitment to delivering high-quality products and supporting an optimal user experience.

With the gradual launch of Prodoo’s products in the market, this strategy has provided several strategic advantages for the company. The phased rollout has given Prodoo the ability to carefully build the business from the ground up, focusing on product adoption and market feedback-driven adjustments.

We have achieved several successes during the approximately two-year partnership with Robert and Henrik. One of my most significant accomplishments for Prodoo is successfully securing funding for further development of the products I have created. With this support, I can expand and enhance Prodoo’s products to better meet user needs.

I have also succeeded in creating products aligned with Robert and Henrik’s vision and expectations of creating a platform that benefits all users. In this process, Prodoo has successfully acquired a number of early adopters who embraced the products since their launch. This is a gratifying achievement and indicates that we are on the right track.

The productive and positively impactful collaboration with Robert and Henrik over the past two years is the result of my dedication and hard work alongside Robert and Henrik. I am delighted to have contributed to their company’s success and growth.