Working in the gig economy is a decision made in the effort to have more freedom, yet it is often met with many complex and time-consuming tasks. Fidelity Investments wants to create an experience model to build trust amongst self-employed individuals, so-called indy workers. Our group decided to build a community space to reinforce the sense of belonging and provide support for the indy community by using Fidelity assets at which they excel. 

Following a typical design process, we defined the current problem by conducting user tests and secondary research, then distilled the findings into a descriptive journey map. We then created a user flow model and use cases of what “could be” from the insights.  After running a usability test, we manifested our use cases into potential solutions for the future. 

Three important characteristics emerged. 1. Many physical touchpoints, such as environments where self-employed workers can relax and have coffee with others, in a place full of conversation and valuable information exchange. 2. A space filled with accessible resources and tools; quick and easy access to the experts, workshops, and skill pools. 3. Opportunities for them to network and access data, allowing them to navigate their position by anchoring to reference points. At the end of the workshop, we chose three use cases: Reserving for a visit, Entering the café, and Activities inside the cafe.

We were able to approach the problem with the industry perspective, connected with actual interaction designers in the field. Also, we learned to be more comprehensive in creating interaction points since there are a lot of traps in UI design that get people confused. Lastly, a delightful, surprising, beautiful, and thoughtful moment experience — so-called ‘sizzles’— can differentiate your design from others and make it meaningful.

View the presentation here.