Project Overview
The Context
Vivagas is a regional job platform distinguished by its personalized service and dedicated support for local business needs. While the platform effectively connected companies with talent, the recruitment process was primarily reactive, relying on companies to post vacancies and wait for candidate applications.
The Challenge
The primary friction point was the platform’s passive recruitment model. Recruiters were forced to wait for candidates to apply, which created bottlenecks for urgent roles. The challenge was to design a proactive "Resume Bank" while maintaining candidate privacy and the brand's human-centric service.
As the Solo UX/UI Designer, I led the end-to-end design strategy. I was responsible for everything from the initial discovery phase and user research to the high-fidelity UI execution. Working within a multidisciplinary team, I collaborated closely with managers and developers to ensure the solution was technically viable and aligned with the company’s business goals.
Steps
Market Benchmark
Analyzed industry leaders to identify best practices in active sourcing. This research was essential to understand how to balance high-volume recruitment with a premium, user-friendly experience.
User & Recruiter Research
I conducted qualitative interviews with recruiters and candidates to uncover friction points in the hiring journey. Recruiters struggled to proactively find relevant talent and often relied on external platforms to source candidates. At the same time, candidates expressed concerns about visibility and control when being discovered for new opportunities. This revealed a tension between recruiter efficiency and candidate autonomy, which became a key insight guiding the product direction.
Journey, Flows & Wireframing
Mapped the end-to-end journey and developed low-fidelity wireframes to validate core interactions. I conducted usability tests with these prototypes to ensure the filtering logic and invitation flows were intuitive for recruiters, allowing for quick adjustments before moving to high-fidelity design.
Design & System Evolution
Executed the high-fidelity UI by utilizing and expanding the Vivagas Design System. Created new scalable components, including advanced filters and talent cards, ensuring a consistent visual identity while improving the platform’s overall UI maturity.
Outcomes
The final solution transformed Vivagas from a passive job board into a proactive recruitment ecosystem. By balancing automation with user autonomy, I designed a seamless experience that empowers recruiters to hunt for talent while giving candidates full control over their professional visibility.
Smart Talent Onboarding
A streamlined registration flow where candidates can choose to make their profiles discoverable. To reduce friction, I integrated an AI-powered PDF parser that automatically extracts data from uploaded resumes, allowing users to set up their profiles in seconds.
Proactive Sourcing Dashboard
A comprehensive talent bank interface where recruiters can visualize and filter the candidate pool. The system supports both individual and bulk invitations, enabling companies to reach out to multiple qualified profiles simultaneously with personalized messages.
Invitation Management Panel
A dedicated area for recruiters to track the status of their outreach. This panel provides clear visibility into which candidates have been invited, who has responded, and the overall health of the sourcing pipeline.
Integrated Opt-in Experience
A strategic touchpoint during the traditional job application process. When applying for a specific role, candidates are prompted to join the talent bank, turning a single application into an opportunity to be discovered by multiple companies.
Results
Candidates joined the talent bank in the first week
Candidate sign-up time through AI-powered PDF parsing
Time-to-hire by shifting to active sourcing
Final Toughts
Final Thoughts
Building this ecosystem was a profound learning experience, especially in balancing the distinct needs of two different user groups. Through in-depth interviews with both recruiters and candidates, I was able to map the frustrations of the traditional passive hiring model and design a solution centered on active discovery. This project taught me that the most effective interfaces aren't just about features, but about creating a transparent and efficient bridge that respects candidate autonomy while empowering recruiters with speed and precision.