PROJECT OVERVIEW
Book Freelancer is a location based marketplace designed to connect customers with trusted physical service providers such as cleaners, handymen, movers, and home maintenance professionals. The platform simplifies the process of finding, booking, and managing home services through a structured and secure experience.
I led the full product design from concept to high fidelity system, defining the product architecture, user journeys, service structure, booking logic, and scalable UI framework. The goal was to eliminate the chaos and uncertainty people experience when hiring local service providers.
PROJECT TYPE
UX UI, Branding, Case Study
TIMING
5 Months
ROLE
Lead UX UI Designer, Researcher
TOOLS
Figma, Fig Jam, Notion
DESIGN PROCESS
PROBLEM
Hiring someone to enter your home is a high trust decision, yet most local service marketplaces are fragmented, inconsistent, and unreliable. Customers often struggle with unclear pricing, slow communication, uncertain availability, and lack of accountability. Many rely on scattered classified platforms or outdated directories that provide little verification or structured booking.
Platforms such as TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, and Angi attempt to solve this problem, but they often rely heavily on request based quotes, back and forth messaging, and manual coordination. This increases friction and slows down decision making. There was an opportunity to create something more structured, predictable, and trust centered.
THE OPPORTUNITY
I identified a gap between classified listings and fully managed service platforms. Book Freelancer was positioned to introduce a booking first model for physical services. Instead of endless negotiations, customers can select predefined service packages with clear pricing, scope, and duration.
The concept borrows the clarity of hospitality booking systems and applies it to local service hiring. Customers know exactly what they are getting, how much it costs, and when it will be delivered.
MY ROLE
I led the entire product design process. I defined the service structure, designed the discovery experience, mapped booking flows, created both customer and provider dashboards, and built a scalable design system to support growth across multiple service categories.
SOLUTION
I led the entire product design process. I defined the service structure, designed the discovery experience, mapped booking flows, created both customer and provider dashboards, and built a scalable design system to support growth across multiple service categories.
COMPETITORS ANALYSIS
| Platform | Core Model | Pricing Structure | Booking Flow | Key Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angi (formerly Angie’s List) | Directory and lead generation | Quote based | Request first, wait for providers | No instant booking, pricing unclear |
| Airtasker | Open task marketplace | Bidding system | Post task, receive offers | High negotiation friction |
| Thumbtack | Request and quote | Variable quotes | Submit request, compare responses | Delayed commitment |
| TaskRabbit | Gig based booking | Hourly rates | Semi structured booking | Services loosely defined |
Book Freelancer Positioning
| Platform | Core Model | Pricing Structure | Booking Flow | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book Freelancer | Booking first marketplace | Predefined service packages | Structured, step by step checkout | Clear scope, fixed pricing, higher trust |
To position Book Freelancer correctly, I analyzed the leading local service platforms to understand their structural models and weaknesses. The main competitors are Angi, Airtasker, Thumbtack, and TaskRabbit.
RESEARCH
Before designing Book Freelancer, I structured a focused research plan to understand how people currently hire local service professionals and where friction exists in the process.
Hiring someone to enter your home is a high trust decision. My research aimed to uncover behavioral patterns, emotional concerns, pricing expectations, and operational pain points from both customers and service providers.
By defining the research structure before conducting analysis, I ensured clarity, consistency, and insight driven product decisions throughout the design process.
RESEARCH PLAN OVERVIEW
The research phase began with developing a structured plan that included:
• Project Background and Market Context
• Problem Framing for Local Service Hiring
• Research Goals
• Key Research Questions
• Competitive Landscape Review
• User Interviews and Behavioral Observation
• Hypothesis Formation
• Validation Roadmap
USER RESEARCH PLAN: BOOK FREELANCER
Problem
Hiring local service professionals such as cleaners, handymen, and movers often feels unpredictable, unclear, and trust-sensitive. Customers struggle with pricing transparency and verification.
Background
Existing platforms rely heavily on request-and-quote models, delayed responses, and negotiation. This creates friction and increases hesitation when allowing someone into a private home.
Research Goal
To understand decision triggers, trust signals, pricing expectations, and emotional barriers when hiring physical service providers.
RESEARCH INTERVIEW SCRIPT
Interview Goals
• Understand how users currently hire local services • Identify trust and safety concerns • Explore expectations around pricing clarity • Analyze booking and scheduling frustrations
Introduction
Explain the purpose of the interview, clarify that insights will help improve a local service booking platform, and request permission to record responses.
Key Questions
- How do you currently find cleaners or handymen?
- What concerns do you have before booking someone?
- What makes a service provider feel trustworthy?
- How do you feel about fixed pricing vs. quote-based pricing?
- What frustrates you most about current platforms?
3 important interview takeaways:
WHEN PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED:
Q: What frustrates you most about hiring cleaners or handymen through current platforms?
A: The majority of participants pointed to unclear pricing and waiting for quotes as their biggest frustration. Users expressed that submitting requests and waiting for responses creates uncertainty and delays decision making.
WHEN PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED:
Q: What makes a local service professional feel trustworthy enough to enter your home?
A: Participants consistently mentioned verified profiles, visible reviews, and completed job history as key trust signals. Several respondents emphasized that consistency in profile structure increases confidence, while incomplete profiles create hesitation.
WHEN PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED:
Q: How do you feel about fixed pricing and predefined service packages compared to quote based systems?
A: Most participants favored predefined packages with clear scope and duration. They stated that fixed pricing reduces anxiety, eliminates negotiation pressure, and makes the booking process feel more structured and professional.
USER PERSONA
RESEARCH KEY FINDINGS
The consensus based on my competitor analysis and user interviews revealed consistent friction in how people hire local service professionals.
Research Summary
1. Users want clarity before commitment. Most hesitation occurs when pricing, scope, or availability is unclear. Customers prefer knowing exactly what they are paying for before initiating contact.
2. Trust is the primary decision driver. Reviews, verification badges, and consistent profile structure significantly impact booking confidence, especially when the service requires entering a private home.
Design details
1. Users responded positively to the idea of predefined service packages with fixed scope and pricing. This reduces negotiation and builds predictability.
2. Visible availability before booking was identified as a key improvement over competitor models.
SOLUTION CHECK
1. Based on competitor analysis, there is a structural gap between directory style listings and fully managed service platforms. A structured booking infrastructure fills this gap.
2. User interviews confirmed that fixed pricing, verified professionals, and clear service scope would significantly increase booking confidence.
The consensus based on my competitor analysis and user interviews revealed consistent friction in how people hire local service professionals.
IDEATION
USER STORY
Insights from research were distilled into user stories that shaped the core experience of Book Freelancer. As a customer, I want to see exactly what a service includes and how much it costs before I commit. As a homeowner, I want to feel confident that the person entering my space is verified and reviewed. As a busy professional, I want to book a service in minutes without negotiating back and forth. As a service provider, I want consistent, structured bookings that reduce administrative friction and protect my time. These stories directly informed the platform’s booking first structure, predefined service packages, and trust centered design system.
Lo-fi wireframe sketches
MORE DETAILS
I created quick pen and paper wireframes to explore structure and flow before moving to high fidelity screens. Sketching by hand helped ideas move faster and allowed me to identify layout and booking logic early. These low fidelity sketches formed the foundation of the final design.
hi-fi wireframe sketches
USER homescreen
The home screen is designed for fast discovery and immediate action. Users can search for services at the top, browse popular categories through visual icons, and view nearby professionals with ratings and pricing at a glance.
service provider homescreen
The provider dashboard centralizes availability management and incoming service requests. Clear status tabs, structured booking cards, and quick accept or reject actions allow professionals to manage jobs efficiently while reducing administrative friction.
Logo Exploration
The Book Freelancer logo was crafted to reflect trust, scale, and accessibility. I chose a bold, clean typographic treatment to communicate reliability and clarity, reinforcing the structured and professional nature of the platform.
The globe symbol represents service providers distributed across different parts of the city. It visually communicates connection, reach, and the idea that trusted professionals are available wherever the user is located.
USER TESTING
USABILITY TESTING NOTES
INTERVIEW STYLE
One on one remote usability sessions were conducted with active and potential users of local service marketplaces.
Sessions focused on discovery clarity, switching between customer and provider mode, trust signals, and how quickly users
could complete a booking or manage a request.
PARTICIPANTS
26 years old, Working professional, Rents apartment
31 years old, Homeowner, Busy schedule
37 years old, Parent, Uses cleaners occasionally
INTERVIEW INSIGHTS
- Users found it difficult to switch into service provider mode because the control looked like a regular button rather than a clear mode switch.
- Participants expected an easily visible support entry point to chat with customer care when issues happen during booking or service delivery.
- Some users hesitated to sign up immediately and wanted a quick snapshot of the app experience before creating an account.
OPPORTUNITIES
- Redesign the provider mode entry as a clear switch with stronger visibility and context.
- Introduce a dedicated support area with customer care chat and issue reporting.
- Add a lightweight preview experience so users can explore key screens before sign up.
INTERVIEW QUANTITATIVE RESULTS
Question 1
How easy was it to understand the app flow for finding a service and booking a provider,
from 1 very difficult to 10 very easy
10
Very difficultVery easy
9
Very difficultVery easy
8
Very difficultVery easy
Question 2
How confident did you feel about switching between customer and provider mode and finding support if needed,
from 1 not confident to 10 very confident
9
Not confidentVery confident
8
Not confidentVery confident
7
Not confidentVery confident
MORE DETAILS
After completing usability interviews, insights were organized using affinity mapping to identify recurring patterns and themes across participant feedback. Notes from each session were grouped based on shared behaviors, concerns, and motivations, allowing patterns to emerge naturally without imposing assumptions.
FEEDBACK REVISION
ONBOARDING PREVIEW SECTION
Some users hesitated to sign up without first understanding how the platform works. They wanted to explore services and get a sense of the experience before committing to account creation.
In response, I introduced a lightweight preview flow that allows users to browse categories and view sample provider profiles before signing up. This reduced friction at the entry point and increased onboarding
SUPPORT SECTION
Participants expected immediate access to help, especially during booking, cancellations, or service disputes. The absence of a clearly visible support entry point reduced confidence in the platform.
To address this, I introduced a dedicated support section with direct customer care chat access. The support entry point is now consistently visible within key screens, reinforcing reliability.
Logo Exploration
After testing, it became clear that users struggled to switch into service provider mode because the control looked like a standard action button. The visual weight and placement did not communicate that it changed the entire app state.
I redesigned this interaction into a distinct toggle component with stronger visual differentiation. The updated design clearly indicates that users are switching modes rather than triggering a single action. This reduced confusion and improved navigation clarity between customer and provider experiences.
