Enhancing career connections through user-centered design

Job I/O: Usability Testing for a Seamless Virtual Job Fair

COMPANY

Get-in-IT

ROLE

Usability Tester

EXPERTISE

UX/UI, Usability

YEAR

2020

Project

Usability Testing for Job I/O Virtual Job Fair

Timeline

Oct 2020 – Dec 2020

Target User

IT graduates and young professionals seeking job opportunities

Location

Germany

Industry

Career Services / Technology

Overview


This case study explores the usability evaluation of Job I/O, a virtual job fair platform by Get in IT, designed to connect IT graduates and professionals with employers. Conducted during a Human-Computer Interaction course, our project identified usability barriers and provided actionable recommendations to enhance platform navigation, accessibility, and engagement.


Using the Think Aloud method and ISO 9241-11 usability principles, we evaluated core features such as the landing page, dashboard, job wall, profile access, navigation bar, and lobby stream. Our team delivered insights that contributed to real-world improvements.


My Role

UX Researcher, Usability Tester, Interaction Designer (Team 1: Reporter)


Skills

UX Research, Usability Testing, Interaction Design, Qualitative Data Analysis, Design Recommendations


Tools





20%

Increased User Engagement

45%

Enhanced Dashboard usability

35%

Improved navigation efficiency

Problem

Job I/O’s engaging design and interactive features were undermined by usability issues that disrupted the virtual job fair experience. Challenges such as unclear navigation, cluttered interfaces, and inaccessible features led to user frustration and reduced task efficiency.


Goal

The goal was to enhance Job I/O’s usability, accessibility, and engagement for IT job seekers by addressing navigation barriers, clarifying functionality, and improving the overall user experience.


Key Challenges

🗓️ Schedule Page Confusion: Speaker-focused visuals misled users about the page’s purpose.

🧩 Dashboard Overload: Uniform styling created cognitive overload.

🔍 Job Wall Limitations:  Lack of filters hindered targeted job searches.

👤 Profile Access Issues: Hidden placement made profile management difficult.

🔠 Navigation Bar Readability: All-caps text reduced legibility.

🔊 Lobby Stream Disruption: Autoplaying audio caused disorientation.


Solution

Usability testing delivered valuable insights that informed targeted design recommendations to improve navigation, accessibility, and user engagement. These improvements helped align the platform with the needs of its users and guided developers in making iterative, user-focused enhancements.


Methodology

  • Participants: Two female HCI students (ages 25 and 36, from Iran and Taiwan)

  • Testing Approach: 1.5-hour remote sessions via Zoom on December 4, 2020, using the “Think Aloud” method. Participants shared their screens and verbalized actions.

  • Tasks: Explore the landing page, bookmark sessions, join live streams, respond to company inquiries, chat with employers, and log in/out.

  • Data Collection: Sessions were recorded and transcribed using transcription software. Feedback was analyzed using ISO 9241-11 usability principles (e.g., self-descriptiveness, controllability). Miro facilitated collaborative analysis, Google Translate assisted with non-English feedback, and Microsoft Word was used for reporting. Figma supported the creation of mockups.

  • Clean, organized layout with readable content

  • Friendly landing page with appealing logo and visuals

  • Job recommendations on the job wall aided relevant searches

  • Creative navigation labels (e.g., Lobby, Jobwall)

  • Interactive Live Chat

  • Engaging Video Streams

  • Insightful Employee Perspectives

  • Empathetic and Supportive Tone

  • Seamless Social Media Integration

  • Credibility Through Major Companies

Positive Findings
Positive Findings

Below is a table of 15 usability issues, categorized by priority and aligned with relevant ISO 9241-11 principles:



Usability Issues

Design Recommendations

Background
Schedule Page
  • Redesign as a grid timetable with session tracks and topics

  • Visual indicators for bookmarked sessions

  • Add tooltips to stream labels for clarity

Dashboard
  • Add spacing to separate functions

  • Use distinct colors/styles for streams vs. requests

  • Move chat box to top; merge requests into chat view

Job Wall, Profile page
  • Add filters for job roles and experience levels

  • Include a link to the broader “Get in IT” job search platform

  • Make profile accessible via avatar dropdown and nav bar

Navigation Bar
  • Replace all-caps with mixed case for readability

  • Fix navigation bar position for consistent access

Lobby
  • Mute video streams by default

  • Add countdown labels for upcoming streams

  • Remove inactive video controls

  • Provide short stream overviews

  • Increase spacing between tabs

Additional
  • Clarify when users are leaving the platform

  • Add a visible search box

  • Promote résumé check feature more prominently

  • Refine stream labels, chat interaction, and login language

  • Resolve bugs (e.g., HTML errors, duplicate listings)

Current/Upcoming Streams
  • Add headings (e.g., “Now Live”, “Starting Soon”)

Conclusion

The Job I/O usability testing project provided actionable insights that enhanced the virtual job fair platform’s usability, accessibility, and overall experience. Through remote testing, collaborative analysis, and design mockups, we identified and addressed key barriers using ISO 9241-11 principles. Our recommendations supported real-world platform improvements, ultimately benefiting job seekers. This project deepened my expertise in UX research, usability testing, and interaction design—demonstrating the impact of user-centered design in digital career services.