Helping refugees integrate
Designing a mobile tool for jobseekers in need
2016
THE INITIAL BRIEFING
Improve the way newcomers integrate & give them a better chance to find a job.
As public employment service VDAB tries to make the road to new jobs easier every day. Faced with a sudden urgency to help thousands of refugees find a new future in our country, we were asked to design new tools to help. Thanks to our iterative process and close connection with the end-user we were able to invent, prototype and build a first version of the app in 3 months.
Defining the experience
Starting from user research we captured the core elements a better integration of newcomers required. These learnings were translated into a concept for a mobile tool and defined into detail with our UX systems approach.
Testing it in detail
A clickable prototype was developed. At different steps in the project we tested our work with end-users. This resulted in new insights, which were translated into improvements and refinement of the initial ideas.
Turning it into a reality
Thanks to our UX system approach we were able to communicatie clearly with our technical partners from the start. Working from one location as one team was crucial to us to swiftly respond to new input and turn technical challenges into opportunities for innovation.
The end result
Through the project we learned that work is much more than just finding a job. Having a network and being in control of your primary needs in life is essential to be able to enter the job market. In the tool we focussed on making connections with others and getting help in an easy and quick way. We ‘re very proud to see the succes we hoped for confirmed in first tests running in Antwerp & East Flanders.
