Tl;dr
Project Overview
This project explores a mobile UX redesign of Engoo’s tutor hiring process, with the goal of demonstrating strong understanding and application of core UX design fundamentals and laws. The work focuses on identifying usability issues within the existing mobile experience and redesigning the process to improve clarity, reduce cognitive load, and increase completion rates for prospective tutors.
Engoo experiences a constant demand for new tutors, supported by an ongoing application pipeline. However, the existing mobile hiring flow presents several friction points that increase the likelihood of applicants abandoning the process. This project investigates those issues and proposes a redesigned experience that creates a clearer, more supportive, and more confidence‑building journey for users.
Problem
The tutor hiring process requires applicants to complete multiple steps, including account creation, identity verification, and a language assessment. On mobile, this process feels fragmented, overly complex, and at times confusing, resulting in unnecessary friction and negative emotional responses.
The design challenge was to:
Identify and resolve key UX issues within Engoo’s mobile tutor hiring process in order to reduce drop‑off and improve user confidence.
Goals & Success Criteria
Primary Goal
To create a clear and intuitive tutor hiring experience that helps users understand what is required of them at every stage of the process.
How the Goal Was Achieved
- Bringing all critical actions and information into view
- Reducing unnecessary alternate paths and distractions
- Aligning the flow with users’ mental models of a step‑by‑step application process
Indicators of Success
- Faster and more confident navigation through the hiring process
- Clear comprehension of instructions and expectations
- A positive or uplifting feeling at the end of the application journey
Design Principles & UX Laws Applied
The redesign was grounded in established UX laws and principles, including:
Occam’s Razor – removing unnecessary complexity
Aesthetic–Usability Effect – increasing perceived ease of use through visual clarity
Hick’s Law – reducing choice overload during onboarding
Fitts’s Law – improving tap targets for mobile usability
Parkinson’s Law – avoiding unnecessary time‑consuming steps
Jakob’s Law – aligning patterns with familiar user expectations
Mental Models – supporting linear, step‑based progression
Serial Position Effect – prioritising critical information placement
Peak–End Rule – improving emotional impact at key moments
Research & Evaluation
Heuristic Walkthrough
The existing Engoo mobile application was reviewed end‑to‑end, with UX issues mapped against the relevant UX laws they violated. This helped prioritise areas with the greatest impact on clarity and completion.
Key Problem Areas Identified
1. Overloaded Onboarding (Hick’s Law / Occam’s Razor)
- Too many clickable options on the landing page
- Dual “Start Teaching” buttons with unclear differentiation
- Blog and social links distracting from the primary action
- Accreditations and awards competing with sign‑up CTAs
- Email confirmation required before progress could continue
- Password requirements not disclosed upfront
- Unclear need to sign in and out during the process
- Follow‑up email lacked clarity on review timelines
2. Confusing Language & Visual Cues (Jakob’s Law)
- Scrolling through long country lists
- Ambiguous globe icon representing language selection
- Over‑explained identity verification steps
- Negative phrasing such as “Have you worked for us before?”
- Excessively wordy instructions where visuals could suffice
- Poor‑quality camera background effects
- Visually cluttered or poorly placed call settings button
- Confusing phrasing of language test questions
- Questionable value of persistent social media links
3. Language Review Experience (Peak–End Rule)
- No warning before camera activation
- Lack of clarity that each recording generates a new question
- Five re‑takes allowed, but no option to submit the best attempt
- Timer difficult to locate and notice once started
- Same question difficulty regardless of language ability
(Opportunity to enhance: prioritise issues by severity or frequency of occurrence.)
Ideation & Flow Redesign
To explore alternative solutions, precedents from similar application‑based onboarding and assessment platforms were reviewed.
The original user flow was mapped and analysed, followed by a card‑sorting exercise to restructure the process. A redesigned user flow was developed that reduced steps, grouped related actions, and aligned the journey with clearer behavioural expectations.
(Image placeholder: Original user flow diagram) (Image placeholder: Redesigned user flow)
Prototyping
Low‑Fidelity Exploration
Paper wireframes were created to rapidly test layout, hierarchy, and interaction patterns informed by research insights and precedent analysis.
These concepts were then translated into low‑fidelity wireframes in Figma, structured around the redesigned user flow and incorporating:
- Simplified onboarding screens
- Clear call‑to‑action buttons
- A step‑by‑step language test walkthrough
(Image placeholder: Paper wireframes) (Image placeholder: Low‑fidelity Figma screens)
Testing & Iteration
User testing was conducted using A/B testing, exploring variations in:
- Button size
- Use of animation
- Landing page layout
Feedback from testing informed several refinements, including:
- Introducing Engoo‑aligned colour cues
- Adding confirmation animations to signal progress
- Reducing button size to improve mobile adaptability
Further testing through a cognitive walkthrough identified additional improvements, such as:
- Reducing logo saturation
- Moving key information higher on the page for visibility
(Opportunity to enhance: clarify number of participants and their profiles.)
Final Outcome
The final design presents a clearer, more focused mobile hiring experience that reduces cognitive load and supports users through each stage of the application process. By applying UX laws intentionally and iterating through testing, the redesigned flow improves comprehension, emotional response, and overall usability.
BP Portfolio 