```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2Fec5a0e87-a19b-4b05-b779-678c0e44f148.png?alt=media&token=cccd3677-c8b1-443f-a10f-66b4caa521b6","id":"ec5a0e87-a19b-4b05-b779-678c0e44f148","width":1080,"height":720,"filename":"upper-intro.png","type":"image/png","caption":"","border":false}]}
```

UPPER is a managed, closed-door freelancer platform that matches top vetted Developers, Designers & Product Managers from the EU to companies in need.\
\
*The Vision: Being the world’s digital department of the future.*

## Process

Worked closely with product, engineering, sales and marketing to ship their entire ecosystem of applications (internal, clients, freelancers) from early MVP phase to fully fledged products, based on the MVP’s learnings.

We knew we want to launch and validate fast, so in order to do this, based on initial requirements set by internal stakeholders, i decided to think of a flexible and scalable design system based on components that i can reuse in all of our apps.

This allowed me to easily build high-fidelity prototypes in Figma and validate them quickly, skipping the wireframing process, and allowed the developers to easily implement the apps.

### Client App

Had to allow clients to request for talents and later on to manage team, reports and invoices.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2Feefedcf1-adc5-4af0-bd8b-7dd09d693adf.png?alt=media&token=f4909bb6-1683-4bb0-b5a1-3cce52dac08d","id":"eefedcf1-adc5-4af0-bd8b-7dd09d693adf","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Client App03.png","type":"image/png","caption":"In the client app, everything clients need to use UPPER services can be done in one single touchpoint. It usually starts by creating a new job request and specifying it's requirements.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2Fbc17d343-b0d9-42eb-9695-f4070c49d61a.png?alt=media&token=7a730256-bb6b-45ab-b33a-3bdb117ee4ca","id":"bc17d343-b0d9-42eb-9695-f4070c49d61a","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Client App02.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Once UPPER finds the right candidates, clients can review them and connect directly for an interview and if they are satisfied they can hire the Freelancer and trigger the onboarding process.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F96b2f492-36d9-4d43-bc31-efdfbdd16ff5.png?alt=media&token=ecbaf1b5-4087-4243-a952-9beba57637ba","id":"96b2f492-36d9-4d43-bc31-efdfbdd16ff5","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Client App01.png","type":"image/png","caption":"And once Freelancere got hired clients can monitor their ongoing projects, review time reports and manage their invoices.","border":false}]}
```

### Freelancer App

Had to allow freelancers to register to the platform and be able to edit their profiles, manage their onboarding process into UPPER, apply to jobs and manage their reports and invoices

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F61caa59b-22e5-42cd-ac22-d6eb7718e66f.png?alt=media&token=53988f6d-2ebb-414f-b63f-79677961f126","id":"61caa59b-22e5-42cd-ac22-d6eb7718e66f","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Freelancer 02.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Here they can sign up to UPPER and go through the whole onboarding and vetting process in just a few simple steps.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2Fe8000a0b-e21f-411d-be65-cad006a240c5.png?alt=media&token=cd0b89b7-a783-46cf-88bc-1d0767a05246","id":"e8000a0b-e21f-411d-be65-cad006a240c5","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Freelancer 01.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Once they have signed up they can see jobs they might be interested in and apply directly. Also they can track their time and send UPPER their invoices.","border":false}]}
```

### Fellows app

Had to allow fellows to easily request talents for their clients or projects and manage the generated earnings.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2Fa8c88de6-f5e8-480b-8320-5a410acace85.png?alt=media&token=8c263b66-63f9-40c9-bf81-074f7d605642","id":"a8c88de6-f5e8-480b-8320-5a410acace85","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Fellows03.png","type":"image/png","caption":"We also created one single touchpoint for Fellows. Here they can refer new clients or create new jobs.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F50685566-3198-42c5-9419-6c60181473b0.png?alt=media&token=05d4bf24-49d4-42d1-8b7c-13b44f0c2ce6","id":"50685566-3198-42c5-9419-6c60181473b0","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Fellows02.png","type":"image/png","caption":"They can manage the entire staffing process. From proposal and interview to hiring.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F76070862-cb44-4a1c-ab9a-617444694acd.png?alt=media&token=20e3318f-4be4-478d-bcc5-d4840571de87","id":"76070862-cb44-4a1c-ab9a-617444694acd","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Fellows01.png","type":"image/png","caption":"And of course they can track their earnings tranparently and invoice UPPER easily.","border":false}]}
```

### Scouts app

Scouts could access the job board and be able to recommend freelancers to jobs. They also had to be able to manage their own freelancers pipeline and their invoices.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F71ca6f26-9a11-4bbc-afcf-9af7576d6419.png?alt=media&token=8dd5f3c5-86a9-4824-a7de-f6b257017218","id":"71ca6f26-9a11-4bbc-afcf-9af7576d6419","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Scouts 03.png","type":"image/png","caption":"Scouts use the talent scout app to see the currently available jobs with all requirements.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F30c60abc-07d0-46e1-b718-9e30427d3c4c.png?alt=media&token=68a5854e-eaf0-4ee3-8f6d-90fb6ffeeda7","id":"30c60abc-07d0-46e1-b718-9e30427d3c4c","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Scouts 02.png","type":"image/png","caption":"They can recommend people and manage their Freelancer database.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F1bbfbefb-bc89-40c8-8828-962619243838.png?alt=media&token=28230ffa-3b5c-43e9-8cb3-896d52bfc7fe","id":"1bbfbefb-bc89-40c8-8828-962619243838","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Scouts 01.png","type":"image/png","caption":"And of course also track their earnings and invoice UPPER easily.","border":false}]}
```

### Internal app

Had to allow company users to access the entire data coming from client app and freelancers app and easily connect match freelancers to companies.

```cv
gallery
{"layout":"hscroll","images":[{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F71464fc8-6f7e-43e6-a605-46020701ad58.png?alt=media&token=8e7319cc-9d1a-49bd-bdfe-f8c7a5ec1b92","id":"71464fc8-6f7e-43e6-a605-46020701ad58","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Internal 03.png","type":"image/png","caption":"The internal app is the heart of UPPER, where the magic happens. This is the place where the internal team collaborates to staff jobs efficiently and manage communications with clients and freelancers.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F7b7fc763-45bd-4dfa-8079-55342f80f7ef.png?alt=media&token=f8ac90d7-76bb-4adc-91aa-b1412d34f9d8","id":"7b7fc763-45bd-4dfa-8079-55342f80f7ef","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Internal 02.png","type":"image/png","caption":"It is also used as an extensive database to find the right freelancers and collect essential data to inform the matching process.","border":false},{"src":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/maitake-project.appspot.com/o/pages%2FHF4oLQywzIOndxdaGUFhFkLEhKm2%2FbZpvGitF5x99ynBNUx7s%2F06fc67bf-8efa-48d9-9105-bd9833cb3c4d.png?alt=media&token=71cabe24-735b-4fa0-8b6d-cbbd921ac89e","id":"06fc67bf-8efa-48d9-9105-bd9833cb3c4d","width":1080,"height":600,"filename":"Internal 01.png","type":"image/png","caption":"And also used to create compelling job descriptions and provide a very easy way for freelancers to apply to our jobs.","border":false}]}
```

## Challenges

Biggest challenge was in the first phase of the apps, where we had to build working prototypes based on constraints we had working with external platforms.

## Results

We managed to launch our first prototype in 1 month and later on the others followed within the same pace. Based on the learnings, we started building the final products, each of them going through a separate process and different team configurations.

The entire suite of tools were part of an ecosystem, each one of them used by different category of users, communicating between them and saving lots of manual work made by the team.

Talent acquisition & management apps ecosystem

Product Designer

Designing the world’s digital department of the future

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Sr. Product Designer

Started my career working in agencies, at Kaleidoscope Proximity, Green Pixel Interactive, Avantaj Net, 3WDesign, Antique Design.

Some of the clients include: Vodafone, Pepsi, Credit Europe Bank, Men's Health, Beau Monde, FHM, National Geographic

Csaba Nacu

2022