Gikslab, a Platform for Freelancer — Case Study

6 min readSep 25, 2023

Gikslab is a professional network for companies and talents in creative, technology, and financial related fields. We are here to bridge companies that are looking for exceptional people and the talents who have excellent skills.

Overview Project

Over the past two years at the startup I co-founded with 4 other friends, I have been responsible for working on a critical project in the development of Gikslab Company Profile, a company that specializes in connecting businesses with professional freelancers in three main fields: Creative Design, IT, and Financial, with a Remote Working system. Currently, we are primarily focused on two main areas: Creative Design and IT.

My Roles

Researcher
Visual Design
UI/UX Designer

Methods

User Interview
User Persona
Empathy Map
Site Map
Design & Prototype

Background

We observe a phenomenon where the Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally transformed the way work is conducted, enabling almost all types of jobs to be performed remotely. Furthermore, the pandemic has resulted in mass layoffs by many companies worldwide, including in Indonesia.

The system that has been in place for nearly three years during the Covid-19 pandemic has convinced many companies that remote work is more efficient. As a result, they have decided to continue using this system even as the impact of the pandemic has subsided.

Currently, businesses require greater flexibility in their recruitment processes and tend to focus on hiring freelance workers for specific projects with limited timeframes.

Research & Observation on Several Freelancers

In an effort to further understand the trends and behaviors of freelancers, we conducted research and observations on a number of freelancers who are the Target Users, namely those using freelancer websites, aged 18–30 years. Here are the main findings from our study:

We discovered is that 61% of the 51 participants we interviewed work as employees in companies.
The reason why they want to become freelancers, while remaining employees on the other side, is due to Financial Compensation and Freedom in their work.
“Time Based” and “Project Based” are two payment methods commonly used by them, where “Time Based” allows them to work with high flexibility. This benefits them if a project happens to exceed the agreed-upon timeline due to technical or non-technical constraints. Meanwhile, “Project Based” can be the best alternative to earn substantial compensation based on well-structured projects.

The Problems

We found a multitude of challenges faced by freelancers. They shared their negative experiences while working as freelancers, and these are some of the issues that frequently arise and that they commonly experience:

Clients disappearing during an ongoing project or vanishing the day before payment is due.
Clients delaying payments, with some freelancers stating they didn’t receive compensation for their work at all.
Lack of clarity regarding what the client wants.
Extremely low prices, often underestimating the freelancer’s project rate.

Our Problem Statement

After going through a series of data processing and information analysis provided by freelancers to gain valuable insights for our digital product development, we have concluded that…

Freelancers highly value certainty in their work. They desire projects or jobs that are clear in terms of timing, schedules, compensation, and task descriptions.

Possible Solution

The above problems require targeted and effective solutions to help freelancers obtain their rights in their work, and for us, as developers of a digital product for freelancers, it is essential to understand the importance of valuing people’s work. We have devised several solution concepts to address these issues; here are the solutions:

Creating a Work Contract letter and signing it together, including the Client with the Platform and the Freelancer with the Platform.
Asking clients to first elaborate on their projects to freelancers and discuss them more thoroughly.
Implementing either the Time-Based or Project-Based method, including the use of Down Payment if it is Project-Based.
Setting payment deadlines.
Compiling work reports in accordance with the agreed-upon terms.

Distill Content

We want to create a Company Profile Website first as our primary gateway for clients and freelancers to understand who we are, what we do, and how we work. The first step is to create content and filter it into content pieces that we believe are suitable for display on the website.

I have created a Site Map that will provide an overview of how the website will look. The initial Site Map will be reviewed by the CEO, Project Manager, and Research Team to ensure that the Site Map aligns with the company’s business goals and user goals. Some important aspects here are how the company’s Vision & Mission can be well-received and easily understood by visitors (potential users and clients). The list of pages I have designed includes: Homepage, Our Talents, Why Us for Talent, Why Us for Clients, Blog, and About Us.

Mood Board & References

After the Site Map has been approved, I collected several design references from the internet, as well as some design references from competitor websites that offer similar services and products to Gikslab.

Wireframe & Mockup

I created Wireframes to visualize the visual layout of the website pages. I believe that Wireframes are crucial before entering the High-Fidelity Design phase because if there are layout changes, it won’t take too much time to adjust. At this stage, the wireframe designs can be shared with stakeholders to gather feedback.

After receiving feedback on the wireframes and obtaining approval, I proceeded to the mockup stage. It’s important for me to strengthen the Visual Brand Identity, establish the use of colors, and create styling for the website, including small elements like buttons, to ensure that the website aligns with the established Brand Guidelines.