mockThe QR code feature in the LinkedIn App is a gem, but nobody seems to know about it.

Ever struggled to quickly share LinkedIn profiles? The QR code feature in the LinkedIn App is a gem, but nobody seems to be able to find it 🕵️. Don’t believe me, try finding it!

Origin Stories

Last week, at the tail end of an in-person course, I faced a minor yet peculiar challenge. The task was simple: share my LinkedIn profile with others. Easy, right? Except, I decided to overcomplicate it 🥲

I remembered a colleague showing me his QR code before, a swift way to share profiles without the awkward dance of spelling out names or sharing personal contact details. But alas, when it was my turn, finding the QR code turned into an unexpected challenge!

After rounds of hide-and-seek with the app, I resorted to Google, and finally, I managed to locate the QR code! But should it be this hard? Hopefully not.

ɹɐq ɥɔɹɐǝs ǝɥʇ uı sı ʇI :ɹǝʍsu∀

Wait.. So is this just a “Me” Problem?

Curious, I roped in 5 friends for a little experiment. The mission was simple: find their very own profile’s QR code. Guess what? Just like me, they looked for their QR code under the profile section but came up empty-handed.

Here lies a chance to right a UX Missed Opportunity!

The QR code, a convenient feature for quick profile exchanges, remains unnoticed, largely due to its location. Thankfully there’s a straightforward fix for this that does not require much redesign of the current app.

How about we move the QR code button next to the profile picture? It might make profile sharing as easy as a tap!

This is as simple as it gets. This tiny shift could unveil the QR code function to many, making profile sharing a breeze!

Solution mock-up

Note: We shouldn’t remove the old button immediately as we need to slowly transition the existing users who had already learned to access the QR code in the past.

Looking Ahead: But why stop here?

During an event or course, the need to add a bunch of people on LinkedIn pops up quite often. What if LinkedIn allowed a group QR scan feature where one person scans every participant’s QR code in a group, and with a single tap, everyone receives each other’s invite? (Yeap! This should only trigger the invites, ultimately the user gets to choose if they want to add everyone or be exclusive and select only a few on the list.)

Okay, that’s all! Thank you for attending my TED talk

Hey hey, if you enjoyed and learned something new from this post, I’d appreciate a reaction or a comment on the original Linkedin post.

And if you’re feeling a tad more generous today, sharing my LinkedIn post would mean the world to me! By spreading the word, hopefully the LinkedIn’s design team would come across these suggestions organically🤞.