Fortefor Platform:
UX Research and Design for Freelance Collaboration
Overview
As part of my graduation project, I collaborated with the Amsterdam-based agency Ngrane to design the UX foundation for Fortefor, a platform that connects clients with agile microteams composed of senior and junior freelance creatives.
My role
I focused on researching the real-world pain points, needs, and expectations of three key user groups: clients, senior professionals, and junior professionals.
Through in-depth interviews, thematic analysis, and synthesis across roles, I identified opportunities to streamline project onboarding, improve trust and communication, and support clear role definitions.
Key focus areas
Onboarding and profile creation flows tailored to three user groups
Brief creation and applicant selection experience
Dashboard design for active projects and team collaboration
Visual consistency across the MVP using a modular UI system
Tools and methods used
Figma, Miro, Semi-structured interviews, Persona creation, Journey mapping, UI component design
Before/after
Before, the onboarding process for both clients and freelancers relies entirely on manual discovery calls, which creates friction and leads to user drop-off. This project focused on designing a self-service platform experience that enables users to sign up, define their project needs, and be matched with suitable talent, without needing to speak to anyone first.
Impact
The final designs are being implemented by the development team in sprints. I regularly collaborated with developers to ensure design handoff was smooth and feasible. Early feedback has been positive: users found the flows more intuitive and felt “more confident about where to start”.
