Case Study: Internshala

Illustration Credits : Storyset (https://storyset.com/)

Internshala is an internship and online training platform, based in Gurgaon, India. Founded by an IIT Madras alumnus, in 2011, the platform helps students find internships with organizations in India.

Project Overview ✏️

Role: UX Designer

Timeline: 1-week sprint

Tools: Pen + paper, Survey Sparrow, Figma

Goal: Apply the design thinking process to solve the existing problems of Internshala mobile application.

Why this case study ❓

The answer to this specific question I penned down to take my readers through the complete journey. Well, they say that even failures are equally vital to the process of learning and growing. So, here is my story as to why this case study is specific… Lol, I am seriously no employee of Internshala and no-no, I am neither a campus ambassador. Actually, I wanted to apply for the Intern role at Internshala and then my excitement took a toll on it when I by mistake applied for the Junior UX Designer role instead of an intern.

I got the assignment, well the Internshala Team wanted to see how I integrate the map view within the Internshala app. Me being a novice and exuberant child send over the work without checking for all the use cases that I could within that time frame. The result? Yaa by now you must already know that I wasn’t selected and then I thought why not rectify my mistakes? work on it again with complete research. This time I tried to leave no stone unturned.

Introduction (let’s start afresh)

Hey there ✋, I know what you are thinking where is the problem statement? Well, I had some understanding of the probable problems surrounding the Internshala app but I wanted to test my assumptions and see if the problems really do exist. Therefore, I went on to collect data and interviews so that I can list out major issues faced by the users and then develop a solution.

Target audience: 👬

From school and college enthusiasts who want to expand their knowledge and skillset with internships to freshers in the industry who need experience before applying to their dream jobs from the required set. These people usually look for an internship on Internshala once a month and when they are actively seeking, they spend a couple of hours on the Internet besides the Internshala app to find suitable positions.

Empathizing: 😦

So before jumping into any other thing, I decided to gain a fair amount of knowledge of people and their grievances when it comes to Internshala and applying to Internships in general. For this, I read Quora posts, went through different Internship posting sites, read reviews on various forums and went through feedback posted on the Play store.

Took screenshots of the feedback posted on the Play store to gain valuable insights. Ps: I used stickers to make my activity fun in Figjam ;)

The Problems 😞

1. The users complain about the authenticity of the recruiting companies. Since many employers ghost the candidates, lack professional behaviour and do not reply or turn against Internshala policies of asking for money in advance or denying paying stipends after the serving period, candidates feel cheated and therefore the image of Internshala is turned down.

2. Also, the grievances were to sort the applications from not selected, expired, hired and in touch. The users were frustrated when they were getting confused while searching among the applied applications and would often look through, all again and again which takes a lot of their time and effort.

Right now, Internshala has all kinds of applications under one category and segregation is much needed.

3. The filters need to be revised as the users want to look for nearby internships or per location on maps. The stipend is a big motivation for the applicants and an easy-to-use filter for it would be a great help.

4. One of the heuristic metrics is error prevention. The user feels that they are unable to edit their applications after submitting, some users clicked on the submit button by mistake with errors in their application which cannot be corrected afterwards. Neither can users withdraw their applications if they want which is a part of another heuristic standard — User control and freedom.

Validating the problems through a Survey (data collected) 📝

Both qualitative and quantitative methods form the structure of basic research work. I focus on problem-solving but I never undermine the value of kickass UI along with a killer UX. So, understanding how the users perceive the platform was quite important. Survey Sparrow is a great tool and I used it to articulate one neat online survey. I wish I could have collected data from a larger sample size but the time bounds were there and I could only get a few, like around 30–50 which is small, yes but indeed helpful.

Well, as they say, flex the work. JK… These results of the survey were a valuable asset while understanding the current user needs

One-on-one interviews to gain better insights ☎️

So, I conducted chats and calls with my peers to understand the problems they face while looking for an internship and if they have used Internshala for the same. Since I am working on this case study while in a college, all my friends fall in the bracket of the targeted audience.

(It did turn out to be an insightful session indeed and I got to know what they even feel and think when they look for an internship)

I got answers in paragraphs but I will break those down for quick reading.

As I understand, applying for an internship is a vital part of the whole process, I wanted to know how users feel about the same on Internshala…

Users said :

1. It takes a lot of time to skim through the company details on various other sites to be sure since relevant information is not given before applying on Internshala. Some basic info is there but the information that builds for the credibility of the company I want to apply in is missing.

2. Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes are normal. Sometimes, I do mess it and then there is no going back while we are filling out an application form.

3. The unnecessary long description needs to be written again and again while filling out the application.

4. Cannot edit or withdraw the application once submitted

Ps. The whole interview process was based on the open-ended questions module and think-aloud protocol.

Frustrations with the application if any? …

Users said :

1. Some recruiters don’t respond after collecting the test assignment.

2. No credible internships, I think filters can be better, and also a map feature maybe coz cities are big. And add some reviews like work culture by others so that companies can’t lie.

3. No track of overall saved, rejected internships etc.

4. The filter option- you have to sort again and again. (Quick fact here: I checked the app and Internshala has a default filter of preferred choice based on the selection you made during onboarding, but again filters can be improved upon)

5. Not as such with the application, it would be more on the side of time taken by the employers.

6. We have to fill in the same details often (I checked this statement too and Internshala has a feature where if you are filling application they give you a choice to copy and edit answers used in the last application)

Do you have any suggestions on how the experience of a user can be improved😀…

Users said :

1. Placement of job listings can be improved. Better recommendations.

2. Maybe prioritizing the end user’s needs first rather than the company’s (I believe that each stakeholder’s needs are to address whether it is a company looking for a suitable intern while managing all of the data and the candidates who are looking for the internship- they form the primary users)

3. Eliminating fraud companies and building the trust of the candidates (Internshala tries their best in this department and even block the companies if reported by the candidates)

4. Don’t show me the internships or jobs directly, add a proper home screen with more sections to navigate (This needs to be tested because some say that they don’t want to waste their time and their primary need is to see possible opportunities and that contradiction needs to be addressed)

Ps: Upon asking users: They really feel that a dashboard and a home to suggest and recommend internships based on their preference would be awesome and make their task quite easy.

5. The platform can specifically list the internships which doesn’t require much experience and give exposure to beginners.

6. Reviews about the firm can be helpful.

7. Can have testimonials of previous interns to make it more credible

Competitor’s study 💻

I myself prefer LinkedIn over Internshala and look for company overviews and reviews on Glassdoor. For testing my assumptions, I talked to my friends and I understood majority still use Internshala but they prefer a few features on LinkedIn and Glassdoor.

LinkedIn for instance has an easy search bar to look for desired internships or job postings, there is the name of the job poster which makes it look reliable. Using LinkedIn and Glassdoor users can see the size of the company, its year of establishment, location which proves its authenticity. Also, you can see similar jobs posted by the same company which people find useful. LinkedIn allows creating alerts for similar internships which comes in handy. Glassdoor provides reviews posted by the employee about the company, their working environment and salary peeks, which again helps the candidate in making a decision while applying.

Talking about other platforms such as InterestShip, Oyster and Let’s Interns, are the top competitor of Internshala when it comes to an internship-specific platform.

There, there…Not everything is negative when it comes to Internshala. According to users, Internshala's way of segregating and displaying information about a particular internship is more organized, you can see the last day of application, location, number of applicants, duration, stipend and working hours in a quick overview and the elaborated details are provided in bullets for easy reading. Internshala has framed some safety tips for the candidates and blocks the company if a complaint is lodged.

Something new is added to the application, and now it has a rating system for the candidates. It means if a candidate shows unprofessional behaviours or the company is dissatisfied with the performance can rate it on Internshala and that would decrease the rate. I wasn’t able to find any such rate system for the employer/company though.

Insights:

1. App navigation is not intuitive

2. Too much time input by candidates if searching for an internship

3. Overall lacked order and categorization

4. Building the trust of the candidates and eliminating the uncertainty factor is crucial

Storyboarding ⭐️

I’ve summed up the problems that different users face while looking for an internship. This was done after going through all the surveys and interview insights collected while researching. (ps. Don’t mind that rough doodles and writing, please!)

Students wanting to explore specific location internships

Access information at one place when visiting the app

Uncertainty and frustration of being ghosted. I guess if notifications are pushed like a reply to your candidate or such then employees might inform them and keep them updated.

Credibility and assurance that a candidate needs before applying to a company

Sorting out applications since rn the users see one single category of all sorts of application status

Easy to use filters

Error prevention? User control and freedom?

There could be more user stories and scenarios, but I had to manage time as per the 1-week sprint challenge. ⏰

Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could search, sort and apply filters quickly to internships and be able to read the company’s reviews before applying, make changes to applications after submission or withdraw them?…

That’s what I set out to achieve! ✌️

Feature-set to the rescue 🙌

1. Map view along with the list view

2. Improved navigation

3. Capability to edit the distance value in filters to get more search results

4. Home page with the dashboard

5. Company’s reviews and overview for building trust of candidates

6. Categories such as all, in-touch, expired and rejected to sort out applications and track status accordingly

7. Notification to candidate after he has completed his internship to write an interview for points that can be redeemed while applying to early bird internship fairs. Recruiters will get text message as notifications to reply to candidates and keep them updated, rate them, etc. since the app is just for candidates who want to apply. (Ps: if you are a recruiter then you have to use their web version for selecting candidates)

8. Filters- Stipend bar, sort by relevance, highest pay, distance and newest, experience level

9. Button to edit application within 10 minutes of applying and option to withdraw application

10. Application suggested answers to help new candidates apply easily

Iteration- Sketch/Wireframes, & Prototypes 💼

After collecting all the necessary information, I was able to iterate low-fidelity wireframes to begin the evaluation process of assessing whether I had not only helped users achieve their goals but also created an enjoyable experience for them. I started the design process off with pen and paper sketches which allowed me to iterate through many design options quickly. I then presented these ideas to my peers for A/B Testing with a think-aloud protocol to test what option will be better and scaled its effectiveness.

Heads up!!! Internshala app is currently just for android users, they have a responsive website for apple users but then when I am solving the problem then why not target this issue? So, I worked on the IOS app. Tryna is smart here, right… 😉 Yeah why not? It is like killing two birds with one stone.

Lol! Let’s get back to the business now…

Evaluative Research (“making the thing right”) ✔️

Due to the time crunch and covid pandemic situation, I tried to make use of the best resources available and test it with my cousins and friends nearby whom I can monitor and discuss easily.

Let’s take it forward screen by a screen :

The map/list view

There will be two cases while searching for an internship:

  • Suppose two companies X & Y share the same location, and both offer UX internships but due to the order of feed because of popularity or such, say X is quite below in the list than Y. X, in this case, might be missed by a candidate wanting to work at that particular location. Here, the map will be useful since it will all internships if a user is looking at one particular place.

  • Users can manipulate distance to increase search results to find internships easily. This will be a filter option and will only be active when users use the near me option.

High fidelity ones

Since this was the challenge question, I devoted a lot of time coming up with the best possible solution :)

Home with dashboard

Which one is better? as answered by the user : The user felt that the second option was clear in terms of dashboard and was addressing them more personally

Application submitted

Many users stated the need for the edit and withdraw application feature and according to heuristic metrics of error prevention and user control & freedom, I felt that working on this screen was much needed.

Which one is better? as answered by the user : In option 2, the user is confused that whether he needs to use the close x or bottom navigation to go back to his search and the uncertainty is there in the mind that the clicking on bottom navigation might remove all the filters used currently.

Option 1 on the other hand is intuitive, the user knows that on clicking on the back, he will get back to search results without removing his current applied filters. This makes all the flows clear.

Sorted Applications

The non-segregated list of applications wastes users’ time as they have to go through a chunk of applications to find the one they are looking for. According to my solution, having categories such as — all, hired, in-touch, not selected, and expired will result in time efficiency.

Internship Details

This screen comes up after the user taps on an internship in list or map view. I totally love how glassdoor and LinkedIn provide an overview of the company to help the candidates skim through the basic details. I have researched on how to integrate those feature in the internshala app and used both of the above mentioned platforms for inspiration.

Rating and Reviews

On clicking upon the read reviews on the last screen, this R&R screen is seen by the user. The main motive is to build an environment of trust by presenting users with the basic details and ratings as submitted by the last interns.

The bonus point here will be that if an intern submits a review at the end of the internship then they get extra points. My plan is that the users can redeem those points at times of early bird internship openings and fairs as organized by Internshala. The motivation factor according to psychology will be quite helpful to get this feature on the run and successful.

Notification screens

Yay, bonus screens here. So the other pain point of the user was that they are often ghosted by the recruiters. If we see, there are two cases:

  • One is that the recruiter forgets to reply to certain messages in the inbox and closes the application after hiring. Add on can be to provide feedback if they wish to certain candidates as to why they are not selected after a few rounds so that they get a chance to improve upon themselves.

  • Yes people like me can be lazy and often feel that replying to everyone is a task that makes them sleepy. Just guessing! Well bugging them a few times is important as the candidates definitely feel unattended. Those who are in the recruiter's Dm are the ones that have been messaged first by the employee themselves. This might sound like a bad idea to some but all is done to clear the air of ambiguity.

The other notification screen is for the candidate. This is an app notification to remind them to leave a review about their last internship mentioning their experience with the company.

Stipend and Distance Filter

I only focused on these specific filters because they are the new concept I am trying to introduce.

Stipend Range

Internshala does have the stipend filter but it is a drop-down for a specific range only. My question was if Internshala has internship listings that go beyond 20k up to 30k too then how do users sort those internships, since they don’t fall under the drop-down filter they do get missed out.

This new suggested filter gives users the freedom to choose their range and makes sorting easy.

Distance

This filter is only active when the user has chosen the near me option in map view. If the user manually adds the address then this filter will get deactivated. The sole reason was that the user might add a city name say Bangalore, now how can the system show 2 km radius internships?

Well here is an edge case, what if the user types- XYZ colony, Bangalore? What now? it will show all internships nearby that location but the distance filter if activated would have resulted in a better listing. Here is the confusion as to how the distance filters should be activated while searching for a specific location and deactivated when looking within a city.

Other Edge Case 🔪

There is an option to edit the location and near-me location in map view. Similarly, this feature should in the list view too. I have to further test this idea and if needed then come up with a solution but because of the time crunch, the solutions I have for this problem don’t seem to fit well.

Ideas for the future 😍

1. There must be a screening process for employers during registration. Maybe compulsory to submit a few documents to prove the authenticity of the location, company registration ID and PAN, adhaar number of the recruiter for verification, etc.

2. Currently the app is only available to candidates and the company can log in only through the web. In general, there should be an alternate login/sign-up for recruiters/companies in the app. That app must have a dashboard and tools for analyzing, and maintaining records of applications received and candidates selected and a button, maybe that automatically informs other non-selected candidates when they hire a candidate. This might solve one of the problems earlier stated when candidates feel they are ghosted or not informed about their status.

3. An app notification/reminder to the company to reply to a candidate’s message and to mark the candidate as selected and rejected and if possible, give feedback.

4. Maybe I am too inspired by Tinder’s idea. They have used the ultimate tool of user satisfaction by giving users the power to choose which makes them feel like the king. The same module if used in job/internship hunting platforms will make them go gaga as they would feel more confident than sad over rejection. They would feel like they are in charge of the game. Plus, the thumb effect of swiping left and right is loved by all.

What was my mind frame while designing the solutions? 💭

I wanted to design content that is useful and fulfilling a need with an app that is usable and inclusive in nature. It is important to me that what I am suggesting should have the property of being accessible and easily navigable. Though the most important aspect of the complete platform I have designed is to reflect credibility to build the trust of users so they believe in what we offer them.

Final note | Key Learnings 🔖

Understanding the design thinking process as cyclical helped a lot because I could go back to previous stages without feeling like I was “falling behind” in the process. For instance, I could design sketches, test out the lo-fi prototype, and go back to the research stage to collect more qualitative data on my target audience which ultimately helped enrich the overall experience for myself and the user. I could understand the importance of usability testing better.

UX Design is indeed like science. It takes a designer to analyze the problem, run through the assumptions and validate the hypothesis! 🔍

That’s all folks! Thanks for scrolling this much and bearing with me :)

© Vibhuti Gupta | 2021

Posted on Feb 2, 2023

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