Curious about my day-to-day life as a Product Designer at Karat? Explore my world: from collaborative teamwork to user-centric design.
P.S. Unfortunately, due to my NDA, I can't share design prototypes in this case study. But don't worry, I'm still excited to take you through my process and journey. If you'd like to learn more about my work at Karat, let's grab a coffee/boba and chat about it ☕️.
Disclaimer: To comply with my non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted and obfuscated confidential information in this case study. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Karat.
Karat is an interview service startup that connects professional interviewers with companies to conduct technical interviews.
As a product designer, my primary objective is to craft a seamless experience for all users engaged in the interview process, encompassing Candidates, Clients, and Interviewers. This endeavor can be particularly demanding within the fast-paced environment of a startup, where resources are often limited.
10,000+
Candidates
I bring excitement by designing user-centric solutions that transform technical interviews into a less daunting and more empowering experience.
6,000+
Client Users
I make the search for the perfect fit candidates an exciting journey, instilling confidence in our platform.
1,000+
Interviewers
I enhanced the experience of our interviewers. I work closely with them to ensure their in-person interviews are seamless, professional, and yes, even fun!
20%
Cost Reduction
The new intuitive system I designed resulted in a substantial 20% cost reduction for interviewers.
90%
Time Reduction
Achieved a 90% reduction in recruiter time through my revolutionary candidate result sharing feature design.
10 hr
Per Day Time Saving
Boosted productivity through streamlined and automated process design, saving our customer support team an impressive 10 hours per day.
What's my Role in the Team?
🖌️
Research and Design
Collaborating with designers and researchers, I drive designs that meet business needs and transform the user experience based on research findings.
🤝
Working with Cross-functional Teams
Working closely with PMs and engineers, I gather business requirements, scope projects, prioritize user goals, and provide feasible design solutions.
🔭
Product Strategy
I played a pivotal role in product planning, leveraging user research insights to envision the next stage of the product.
🖥️
Presenting Designs and Gaining Alignments
I effectively presented designs to stakeholders, gaining buy-in for product vision, ensuring alignment , and driving project success.
📄
Creating an 0-1 Design System
Partnering with other designers, we build a 0-1 design system, utilizing tokens, reusable components, and patterns to deliver a consistent and innovative user experience.
🧰
Facilitating Workshops
I facilitated empowering accessibility workshops for engineers and designers, fostering the integration of inclusive design practices into product development.
What I do day-by-day?
Research, Design, Iterate, Collaborate, Deliver, Repeat.
I embrace an exciting and flexible design process that keeps me on my toes. While project scopes and deadlines may vary, I seamlessly jump between these steps to understand user needs, collaborate with stakeholders, and strike the perfect balance between business goals and outstanding user experiences.
Uncovering User Stories
🔍 Research
In a fast-paced startup, the importance of user research can sometimes be questioned. I collaborate with researchers to conduct user research, uncover valuable insights, and create user-centric solutions. By addressing root problems and leveraging research findings, I save time for engineers and drive impactful outcomes.
🎨 Design
Weaving Insights into Pixels
I brainstorm innovative solutions, create sleek wireframes, and carefully analyze options. My goal is to craft beautiful interfaces that captivate and delight users. Feedback from stakeholders and users helps me refine my designs.
The Quest for Improvement
🔁 Iterate
I conduct tests and gather feedback from users and stakeholders. It's a constant cycle of refinement and improvement, making each iteration better than the last. It's like leveling up, unlocking new possibilities for an exceptional user experience.
🤝 Collaborate
Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers
I host meetings with diverse stakeholders, including product managers, engineers, customer support, and legal teams, as needed for each project. By understanding their requirements and exploring design opportunities, I ensure effective communication and alignment. This results in solutions that meet stakeholders' needs and drive project success.
Bringing Designs to Life
✅ Deliver
I collaborate closely with developers, using my frontend knowledge to provide the necessary details for prototype implementation. Together, we transform visions into reality, watching imagination come alive on the screen. I offer support, address design questions, and ensure the final product exceeds expectations. User feedback drives continuous improvement.
What projects have I accomplished so far?
Interviewer Notifications System
Interviewers
Problem
The interview progress notification for interviewers is heavy reliance on Slack posed limitations and inefficiencies, impacting communication.
What I did
I took charge and spearheaded the transformation of the new notification system by eliminating the Slack dependency and implementing an innovative SMS and Email Notification system.
Impacts
I revolutionized the way interviewers received updates, automating manual notifications and ensuring a seamless communication flow, which saving the customer support team 10 hours per day.
Candidate Scheduling with Accommodation
Candidate
Problem
Candidates with disabilities faced challenges in scheduling interviews independently, relying on manual help from customer support and experiencing 3 hours waiting times.
What I did
I designed and implemented an inclusive accommodation feature that empowered candidates with disabilities to schedule interviews with ease.
Impact
My design solution eliminated the need for manual coordination efforts, reduced the scheduling time from 3 hours to 5 min.
Supporting New Paying Model
Interviewers
Problem
Our company is planning to introduce a new paying modal. The current UI system for interviewers lacked transparency, effective feedback, and an appeals process, leading to inefficiencies and demotivation.
What I did
I designed an intuitive and user-friendly system that addressed these issues. The system supported changes in the paying model, provided transparent performance feedback, and established an effective appeals process.
Impact
My design resulted in a 20% reduction in costs for the company, estimated at $80k in annual savings.
Sharing Candidates Results in a Click
Clients
Problem
Clients faced challenges in efficiently sharing candidates' results within their internal teams, resulting in time-consuming processes and limited collaboration.
What I did
I designed and implemented a result sharing feature that streamlined the sharing process, enabling clients to easily distribute candidates' results within their teams. This solution led to a significant 90% reduction in sharing time and 80% adoption rate of the new feature.
Impact
My solution led to a significant 90% reduction in sharing time and 80% adoption rate of the new feature.
Envision Candidate Landing Experience
Candidate
Problem
Candidates often lack preparedness for technical interviews, leading to a less optimal experience and affected their performance during interview negatively.
What I did
I addressed this problem by envisioning and designing the Northstar candidate dashboard. Through user interviews and concept testing, I iterated on the design to ensure its effectiveness. I then presented the dashboard to stakeholders, obtaining their buy-in and generating excitement for the project.
Impact
My design with RITE testing collects valuable product data, empowering karat to fill the product gap. The redesign improves candidate confidence and experience during technical interviews, leading to higher interview success rates and improved hiring outcomes.
... ... and that's just the tip of the iceberg! If you're interested in learning more about these projects or other aspects of my work at Karat, let's grab a coffee and have a chat. Feel free to reach out to me at zkzhiqi@gmail.com!
