TaskPaddy

Challenge

Finding a reliable service provider was a daunting task for customers, as most operated solely by word of mouth. To address this, the goal was to create a platform where customers could easily connect with the right service provider by simply creating a task and finding someone to complete it. The client provided initial wireframes to convey their ideas, and my role was to develop both an MVP and a scalable version of the app.

My Role

Managing and collaborating with a 5-person tech team, consisting of frontend and backend developers, holding weekly meetings to ensure alignment with the vision, strategy, and design processes. A key focus is ensuring that frontend designs are consistent with the user interface designs. I conducted extensive user research to uncover target needs, identify problems, and explore potential solutions. Additionally, I will continuously test the prototype and product with potential users in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.

The Problem

Service providers have only a small niche and are not able to earn enough money to grow and expand their businesses.

Customers are limited the the few Service Providers in their circle and sometimes fail to find the right one.

Customers thus have to manage the mediocre service providers around them because there is simply no option.

There is no warranty a stranger walking into the life of a family will compromise their safety.

Potential Solutions

Create a platform to advertise service providers, increase their reach and widen their niche.

Provide customers with options to hire service providers most suited to their taste.

Create an atmosphere of competitiveness for service providers to increase the quality of services.

Create trust between service providers and customers through features and policies that protect both parties and ensure agreements are fulfilled.

Design Principles

Simplicity
With the target market in mind, the aim is to make the flow and concepts of the app easy to understand and navigate. Customers and service providers need to focus on getting task done, not spending time figuring out how the app works.

Visibility and Clarity of Flow
As the flows require multiple steps and responses, service providers and customers should be able to tell what inputs they have provided or should provide at any point in time.

Error Prevention
The design decisions had to make it harder for preventable user errors to occur. If a mistake is made, it should be easy for users to take back that decision.

Familiarity
With multiple apps come interfaces people prefer, design decisions were made to create interfaces and patterns users are familiar with for ease of use as completely new and unfamiliar designs negate simplicity and visibility.

Key Features

Business and Services
Ability to easily create a list of businesses, services provided and its associated prices.

Service Categorization
Ability to easily categorize services and provide the right details needed for pricing.

Dashboard
Easily accessed dashboard with details of business, upcoming tasks, total tasks and hires.

Analytics
Provide high level analytics of hires, tasks statistics and earnings made.

Heuristic Evaluation and Audit

Some Features of the Heuristic Audit

Colored outline is overshadowing the image.

There isn’t a clear option that users can copy directly from the card. Find a familiar way of displaying the option to copy the completion code.

It is unclear that users cannot open the message feature by clicking the link. It is also not intuitive and a proper notification system will be optimal.

Familiarity with FABs tell users otherwise from opening up a calendar. Calendar option should be more prominent and concise as it is an important feature.

General white spacing was out of place and unaligned.

Button doesn’t draw the attention it needs to draw as it becomes a primary option after completion of task, the button needs to be a lot clearer.

Creating a Task - Customer

After setting up a profile, the customers creates their first task. They might need to add comments for extra information and upload pictures to assist the service provider in making the right call.

Accepting Task - Service Provider

By receiving a task request, service provider can either accept or decline the task, if they accept, it is added to the task list. Upon completion of task, the customer pays using a preferred payment method. If cash is selected, the service provider would have to confirm the payment.

Grievance

The provision of service can sometimes come with grievances where a customer may not be satisfied with service provided. A feature was thus designed to take care of this if it arises. The service provider is given the option of either rectifying the situation or paying a refund to the customer.