Platform: iOS, Duration: 10 Weeks
Idle was designed to allow users to file their unemployment application and weekly benefit certification within an app due to COVID-19. Through their stressful life situation the idle app also allows the users to check the status of their claim and payments for a peace of mind.
During these unprecedented times there are 16.6% of citizens in America that are jobless along with 1 million people throughout North Carolina filing for unemployment. I see on the local news everyday of people expressing their frustrations regarding the unemployment claim process. Which led my decision to solve this real world problem and seek a solution to resolve these matters.
User Research:
The research method I used is the Qualitative Research Method that includes a User Survey sent by email and a User Poll on Facebook for participant screening, 13 User Research Interviews to understand the pain points and behavior towards the unemployment claim processes. - So, I conducted 13 user interviews that show a surprising fact that most users were calm and neutral about applying for unemployment yet the other half of this group was confused and unsure of how to navigate through the unemployment filing process.
During this research process, I sorted out the different emotions, thoughts, quotes the user said and did during the user interviews, called empathy mapping.
Then grouped again into a focused affinity grouping to study my user. After completing the user interviews, empathy and affinity mapping - the user research boiled down into 2 types of personas.
Based on the user personas the user flows were developed.
Problem Statement: “How may we guide the user through the unemployment claim process and provide status?”
Branding Attributes & Personality:
‘idle’ has an inspiring purpose that goes beyond filing for unemployment and makes a real difference in people’s lives by understanding the status and timeline of things, giving people a peace of mind while in a high stressful life situation.
Branding Imagery Inspiration
It's important for the branding to feel secure and confidential. ‘idle is focused on the users accessibility and. making them feel at ease. The branding imagery conveys the sincerity and peace of this product.
Branding UI Inspiration
This UI inspiration has to be clean with simplicity. Easy to read for users of all ages and disabilities providing a timeline/status for the users to feel confident and at ease.Visually appealing and not clutter with overwhelming information.
Logo Design
idle verb · /ˈīdl/ - synonym for unemployed and jobless.
Designed this logo that conveys with the app’s branding of simplistic secure and trustworthiness following the brands color palette. Used the ‘idle’ name typography in a way to be professional and received as reliable. The ‘idle’ name is slightly elevated on the right side to be received as motivating to the user. The circular curved spaced lining around the logo demonstrates a focal point of the design. This logo is designed to be received as positive, focused and motivating.
Style Guide
Designed hues to reflect the branding attributes: secure, sincere, trustworthy, effortless, caring. Designed to inspire our user to focus while conveying the sincerity and peace of this product. Soft yet effective hues are used in this design for the user to feel a sense of security and sensitivity. While our users are in a high stressful life situation the apps softness will allow them to easily feel at ease. Speaking of ‘ease’ I've decided to design the interface a mute simplistic Neuromorphic design known as the trending (Soft UI). Elements each designed with 2 inner shadows.
Font Family
Our classic geometric sans serif font is used for this product. The word Avenir is French for "future”. We want our branded users of ‘idle’ to feel upside of their future.
Eliminate long hold times for the employment offices as the claimant has the ability to check the status via app. Allows the state to process the unemployment applications more efficiently as the app allows the claimant to easily upload supporting documentation. Further developments is designing this app for tablet size usability for the individuals without any mobile device access may utilize this system on a kiosk within their local unemployment facility.
Courtney Manery, purpose-driven designer who improves experiences with a human-centered mindset.
