UX Research and Design for a
Freelance Collaboration Platform
Context
Fortefor is a freelance platform that connects creative professionals with clients through project-based microteams. It used to be a manual service handled by a single “design concierge” — phone calls and one-by-one freelancer matching. It worked for a handful of projects but wasn’t scalable in any way. It worked for a while, but couldn’t scale.
I had to turn that manual system into a scalable digital product without losing the human tone. I redesigned the core experience, so the platform could automate the operational load while still feeling trustworthy, and tailored to each project.
Company
Ngrane Agency
Role
Product Designer
March - July 2025
Duration
Team
8 people
Research
I interviewed clients, senior freelancers, and juniors to understand where their workflows were falling apart, because most problems came from mismatched expectations between them. The analysis pointed to four clear issues for the MVP: unclear briefing, no transparency in matching, no structure for junior mentorship, and collaboration spread across too many tools.
These findings shaped the redesign. After quick ideation sessions, a clear direction emerged: guided briefing, transparent matching, a defined senior–junior setup, and one central place for project work.
Design and iterations
Working with a senior UX designer, I designed the main flows and interfaces based on the issues we found in research. A structured brief builder helped clients express their requirements. Transparent matching showed why freelancers were recommended, fixing the “blind match” problem.
An integrated workspace replaced the many tools teams used before. I refined everything through prototyping and usability tests, updating the designs whenever users hit confusion or friction.
Results
Lowered client onboarding friction
Clients could clearly articulate project requirements
on their own, without relying on manual calls.
Improved talent matching clarity
Users understood why specific freelancers were paired,
increasing trust and reducing uncertainty during team formation.
Made the workflow predictable
Project status updated automatically, giving all roles
a shared understanding of progress and ownership.
Reduced coordination overhead
Communication, tasks, and files were consolidated into one place,
eliminating tool-switching and lost information.
Validated the solution through testing
Participants across all roles completed key tasks independently,
confirming that the MVP is intuitive and ready for development.
