ZenSearch
New product from scratch • Mobile responsive and desktop app
ZenSearch is a job search platform that puts the job seeker first. I’m the designer and founder.
Improving the job search experience
Existing tools for job seekers aren’t actually focused on job seekers. Most of them make it challenging for users to enter the specifications they’re looking for. . .then ignore what’s been chosen. I wanted to change that.
ZenSearch puts the job seeker first, allowing them to filter by whatever is important to them— the usual requirements: job title, experience, salary, and remote/location, along with additional preferences like industry, company, and keywords. Then we listen, only showing results that are true matches.
ZenSearch has grown from nothing to a thriving platform of over 17k users, with hundreds joining each week.
Check it out at zensearch.jobs
My role on the project
Everything!! But this is what’s pertinent.
Design
Design end-to-end workflows, creating functionality that allows job seekers to find opportunities that are perfect for them. Complete ownership of all design decisions, ideation, branding, visual presentation, interactions, and copy.
Component Library
While designing the app, I simultaneously created our design system, defining the visual language, composing Figma elements, documenting usage patterns, and collaborating with my engineering cofounder to build and refine components.
User Research
Conduct extensive interviews with Job Seekers to understand their needs and pain points. Actively solicit user feedback and incorporate it into the product. Gather input from HR professionals to gain expertise in a new industry and learn about trends in hiring.
Product Management
Plan and set quarterly goals for both usage and enhancements. Track data to confirm success or areas for improvement. Maintain a backlog based on user feedback and feature requests. Evaluate tradeoffs and prioritize improvements.
Job matches are shown with the details job seekers need to decide if they want to learn more.
Job details include the job description and information about the company. Users can save, exclude, or apply to jobs.
General job preferences are intuitive and straightforward to select. Users can enter any job title or choose from our defined categories.
Users can prioritize, only show, or exclude any company or industry to refine their search. This allows job seekers to conduct “passive” searches and only be notified if something opens up at a company they’ve favorited.
Keyword searching is unique to ZenSearch. It’s useful for filtering for tools, technologies, or really anything important to the job seeker. Like companies and industries, users can prioritize, only show, or exclude.
