Thanks Boss
Role
Duration
UI/UX Designer
User Reaserch
Brand & Product Designer
May - July 2025
Team
1 other UX Designer
Marketing team
Development team
Fully remote
Tools Used
Figma
FigJam
Discord
ThanksBoss is a startup building a recruitment web site that uses AI to match candidates with recruiters and helps users prepare for interviews.
TL;TR
The problem
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Most recruitment platforms don’t combine AI-powered matching and interview training in an engaging, human-centered way, nor do they address the emotional and mental health challenges job seekers face during their search.
The solution
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A clear, empathetic, and easy-to-use web site that integrates AI features while focusing on mental health and wellbeing throughout the job search and hiring process.
The outcome
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A full Figma prototype with redesigned UI, a mini design system for consistency, and improved UX flows ready for internal feedback and iteration.
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The existing website was unfortunately not updated.
Understanding the Users
| Context
As part of a startup team for the project ThanksBoss, I was tasked with redesigning ThanksBoss's recruitment platform to better serve both job seekers and recruiters. The existing platform had functionality issues and lacked the human-centered approach needed to address the emotional challenges of job searching.
| Key findings
Through discussions with the team, then user research and competitive analysis , I identified critical gaps in how recruitment platforms typically handle user experience, particularly around mental health support and AI integration.
I discovered sevral pain points :
1
Emotional Stress in Job Searching
Job seekers experience significant anxiety, rejection fatigue, and mental health challenges during their search, but most platforms ignore these emotional needs entirely.
2
Disconnected AI Features
Existing platforms use AI for matching but fail to integrate it seamlessly into the user experience, making it feel robotic and impersonal rather than helpful.
3
Poor Interview Preparation Support
Most platforms focus only on job matching but provide little to no support for interview preparation, leaving users unprepared for the final crucial step.
| Users
I discovered two distinct user groups with different needs and pain points that the platform needed to address effectively. Understanding these segments was crucial for designing features that would serve both audiences while maintaining a cohesive experience.
Based on user interviews and research insights , I developed personas representing our core user base:
Emma – Active Job Seeker 28, Marketing Professional, Remote
Goals : Find meaningful career opportunities quickly while maintaining mental wellbeing during the search process.
Pain Points : Interview anxiety, rejection fatigue, unclear feedback from recruiters, feels overwhelmed by job search process.
David – Corporate Recruiter 35, Senior Talent Acquisition, Tech Company
Goals : Efficiently find qualified candidates who are genuinely interested and well-prepared for interviews.
Pain Points : Too many unqualified applications, candidates unprepared for interviews, difficulty assessing cultural fit, time-intensive screening process.
Following this research, I identified a clear direction:
Problem statement
Current recruitment platforms focus solely on matching functionality without addressing the human elements of job searching - emotional support, interview preparation, and meaningful connections between candidates and recruiters.
Goal statement
Create a recruitment platform that combines effective AI matching with comprehensive interview support and mental health awareness to improve outcomes for both job seekers and recruiters.
This raises importants questions:
How might we design a website that…
✔️ Reduces job search anxiety while maintaining effectiveness ?
✔️ Integrates AI matching in a human-centered way ?
✔️ Provides comprehensive interview preparation support ?
✔️ While having a professionnal image?
Ideation and Prototyping
Ideation and Prototyping
| Structure
To create a logical and supportive user experience, I restructured the platform's information architecture to prioritize both functionality and emotional wellbeing.
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Dashboard with personalized AI recommendations and progress tracking
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Job Matching with intelligent filtering and preference learning
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Interview Preparation with practice tools, tips, and mental health resources
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Profile Management with skills assessment and personal branding tools
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Recruiter Hub with candidate management and communication tools
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Wellbeing Center with mental health resources and community support
| Creation
I began with wireframes and prototyping using Figma to explore different layout concepts, focusing on how to best present the artisan's work.
dashboard
Some key psychological and UX/UI principles guiding this phase:
Cognitive Load Theory (Cognitive Psychology)
Why?
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Job searching is inherently stressful; reducing mental effort in platform navigation is crucial.
Implementation : Progressive disclosure, clear visual hierarchy, simplified decision-making processes.
Self-Determination Theory (Behavioral Psychology)
Why?
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Job seekers need to feel autonomous and competent to maintain motivation during their search.
Implementation : Personalized dashboards, progress tracking, skill-building features, and choice in how they interact with AI.
Social Support Theory (Social Psychology)
Why?
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Emotional support significantly improves job search outcomes and mental health.
Implementation : Community features, mentor connections, encouragement messaging, and celebration of milestones.
| Design System
Based on the established wireframes, I made some tests on mockups , and ended up following this design system:
Color Palette
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Deep Navy (#0D2E4D) for trust, professionalism and main branding
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Bright Orange (#FFB84C) for call-to-actions and key highlights
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Light Blue (#B7E0E6) for interactive elements and positive feedback
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Soft Purple (#A8A8D7) for secondary actions and accent elements
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Light Gray (#F3F3F3) for backgrounds and subtle elements
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White for clarity and breathing space
Typography & UI
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Montserrat for headings (modern, professional, strong visual impact)
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Average Sans for body text (clean, readable, approachable)
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Clear hierarchy with consistent sizing and spacing
Design Philosophy
Every design decision prioritized reducing anxiety while increasing user confidence and capability throughout their job search journey, while staying professional and familiar for the user.
| Key features
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AI-Powered Matching job recommendations that learn from user behavior and preferences while maintaining transparency about how matches are made.
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Interview Preparation tools including practice questions with an AI, video recording capability, feedback systems, and anxiety management techniques.
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Mental Health Integration Embedded wellbeing check-ins, resource library, progress celebration, and connection to mental health professionals when needed.
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Personalized Dashboard interface that adapts to user preferences and job search stage, providing relevant information without overwhelming.
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Recruiter Communication Tools messaging system with template responses, scheduling integration, and feedback collection to improve candidate experience.
Fully responsive design ensuring job seekers can manage their search effectively on any device, with touch-optimized interview practice tools and notifications.
Accessibility considerations
Before the final design, I prioritized accessibility to ensure inclusivity:
Clear Visual Hierarchy
Why?
Helps all users, including those with cognitive disabilities, navigate efficiently.
Implementation:
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Distinct headings and subheadings
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Logical content flow
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Scannable sections with clear purposes
High Color Contrast
Why?
Ensures readability for users with visual impairments.
Implementation:
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WCAG AA compliant color combinations
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Sufficient contrast ratios for all text
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Clear distinction between interactive elements
Readable Typography
Why?
Essential for accessibility and user comfort.
Implementation:
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Appropriate font sizes for all devices
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Clear font choices with good readability
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Adequate line spacing and character spacing
Final design
Key Takeaways and Learnings
Through my initial formation in psychology, I thought some of my ideas concerning human psychology where pretty commun, but after discussing with the team about my concerns and propositions to improve the project, I've learnt that my ideas might be more useflul and new for the team, than I thaught. It helped me gain confidancein my insights, and to share them with the team.
So in the end it was a great reminder of the importance of addressing emotional needs in functional platforms. Integrating mental health considerations into a recruitment website required balancing empathy with efficiency.
I learned that AI features become more trusted when users understand how they work and feel in control of their experience.
Another big challenge was designing for two very different user types (job seekers and recruiters) while maintaining cohesion.
| Next steps
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Conduct comprehensive user testing
Test the redesigned platform with both job seekers and recruiters to validate the emotional support features and AI integration effectiveness.
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Develop mental health partnerships
Establish relationships with mental health professionals to provide integrated support services within the platform.
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Refine AI transparency
Improve how the platform explains AI matching decisions to build greater user trust and understanding.
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Implement analytics framework
Create measurement systems to track not just job placement success but also user wellbeing and satisfaction throughout their journey.