Turning Life into Opportunity
Product design
Overview
In collaboration with Adecco, I developed the Life Experience feature for SkillLab to help individuals without formal education or traditional work experience recognize their valuable life-acquired skills. As part of the Youth@Risk initiative, this project supports people at risk of exclusion from the labor market, including young mothers and informal workers.
Challenge
Many people in caregiving roles, informal jobs, or with limited education struggle to see the value of their experiences. Whether managing a household, working informally, or volunteering, they often overlook transferable skills. My challenge was to create an intuitive feature that empowered users to articulate and validate these skills, boosting their confidence and opening up new opportunities.
Outcome
Through research, interviews, and workshops in Mexico City, my team developed a feature that documented and translated life skills into a comprehensive skill-based profile, and empowered users to explore pathways in employment and education, recognizing their true potential and value.
Company
SkillLab
Client
Adecco • Youth@Risk
Year
2023-2024
Field
UX research • Product design
Role
Lead Product Designer
Identify the requirements
To design the Life Experience feature, we began with in-depth on-site research, connecting with people with limited formal education and work experience. The goal was to determine how SkillLab could recognize and showcase their life-acquired skills, while also boosting their self-confidence. Research revealed their primary skill sources, like caregiving or household management, were underrepresented in the platform’s skill categorization.
Design the solution
I explored three design concepts focused on improving the recognition and flow of life experiences within the app. Using low-fidelity prototypes, I tested these ideas directly with users, which clarified what they valued most.
After refining the design, we collaborated with our Data Science team to create a robust skill recommendation engine that translated user input into actionable skills. The final solution was further tested with diverse user groups to ensure broad utility.
Identify the requirements
To design the Life Experience feature, we began with in-depth on-site research, connecting with people with limited formal education and work experience. The goal was to determine how SkillLab could recognize and showcase their life-acquired skills, while also boosting their self-confidence. Research revealed their primary skill sources, like caregiving or household management, were underrepresented in the platform’s skill categorization.
Design the solution
I explored three design concepts focused on improving the recognition and flow of life experiences within the app. Using low-fidelity prototypes, I tested these ideas directly with users, which clarified what they valued most.
After refining the design, we collaborated with our Data Science team to create a robust skill recommendation engine that translated user input into actionable skills. The final solution was further tested with diverse user groups to ensure broad utility.
Impact
The Life Experience feature has made a significant impact across various underserved groups. It enabled users to recognize their potential by documenting skills gained from everyday life. These skill-based profiles serve as both formal CVs and personal reminders of their abilities.
By helping users articulate life-acquired skills, the tool builds confidence, opening pathways to education and employment. Even when immediate work isn't available, it shifts their perspective, empowering them to see new opportunities and to recognize their potential beyond traditional roles.