The SquadGurus Global Network has the marketplace for cloud & software development outsourcing.
Boston, United States
2021
IT Marketplace
Design Lead
Background
In July 2021, SquadGurus an emerging Boston based company set out to build a global marketplace for cloud and software development outsourcing. The goal: empower clients and service providers to collaborate more efficiently and transparently through a centralized workforce management platform. As the lead UX designer, I was tasked with bringing this vision to life researching, designing, testing, and delivering a scalable solution that supported the core user journeys for Admins, Clients, and Service Providers.
Problem
Inefficient communication and lack of collaboration tools were hampering SquadGurus' ability to streamline project execution. Key stakeholders Admins, Clients, and Service Providers lacked a unified platform to manage projects, share proposals, and oversee workflows. This led to missed opportunities, delays, and operational friction.
Process
Competitive Analysis: We reviewed platforms such as GoCatalant, Freelancer, and Zoho Recruit. While these tools supported opportunity creation and proposal submission, none offered private or exclusive opportunities a unique selling point for SquadGurus.
User Interviews: We conducted interviews with users from all three roles to understand their workflows and frustrations.
Business Understanding: Worked closely with stakeholders to map out operational needs, system behaviors, and key success metrics.
Client Feedback: Throughout the process, we involved the client team in frequent design reviews to ensure alignment and gather continuous feedback.
Persona
Research Findings
Client:
Quick Evaluation: Add proposal comparison tools to help clients decide faster.
Controlled Access: Enable Public, Private, and Exclusive opportunity invites.
Fast Posting: Use templates and smart suggestions to reduce posting time.
Service Provider:
Relevant Matches: Add filters and smart matching to surface suitable projects.
Proposal Tracking: Show status updates like "Viewed" or "Shortlisted."
Client Insights: Display client priorities to help tailor proposals.
Admin:
Override Control: Allow admins to act on behalf of users with logs.
Process Automation: Automate onboarding, approvals, and notifications.
Clear Permissions: Use tooltips and labels to clarify admin actions.
Final Product
Role based dashboards
Tailored interfaces for Clients, Service Providers, and Admins each with customized tools, views, and actions relevant to their roles.
Styleguide
"1BillionTech brought the right mix of technical expertise and UX insight to our platform. Their team helped streamline complex workflows into intuitive user journeys. We’re seeing real impact in both usability and performance."
John
SquadGurus
35%
Faster proposal
22%
Provider engagement
4.3*
User satisfaction
Outcome
We were on tight deadline but we successfully launched the MVP in December 2021, just three months after starting the project. We celebrated the launch over a team call, with over 300 clients and service providers already listed. The system improved user workflows, introduced private opportunity options, and empowered admins with better management tools.
Learning
Throughout the project, I learned the importance of validating assumptions through regular user feedback. Testing revealed gaps between what we thought users needed and their actual behaviors. Clear role-based flows significantly improved usability, and users responded well to the platform’s minimal, focused design. If given more time, I would have expanded user testing especially for international onboarding to refine the experience further.