The Growth team at Contra was tasked with doubling client activation rate and implementing a new revenue stream product to bolster ARR.
The main challenge identified by Contra's freelancer community was the scarcity and quality of opportunities available relative to competitive platforms — feedback supported by our data: despite a significant number of potential clients, the activation rate in this segment was under 10%. When prompted, clients cited a confusing and decentralized hiring process as one of the main reasons for not returning to the platform. This reality presented a distinct opportunity to tackle both user and business needs through a multi-pronged product solution.
The Goals
1st Goal
Increase available opportunities (job postings) on platform.
Hypothesis
Discover is the most trafficked page on the platform, and every inquiry sent is an intent to hire and represents a potential job posting.
Proposal
Capture hiring intent when an inquiry is sent and formalize it into a job posting that other freelancers can apply to.
Target persona
Matt runs a small agency with his partner and often needs to subcontract work in order to meet deadlines. However, he wears a lot of hats and doesn't have much time to spare for hiring, so he sticks to sending quick inquiries over posting a job.
Increase available opportunities (job postings) on platform.
Hypothesis
Discover is the most trafficked page on the platform, and every inquiry sent is an intent to hire and represents a potential job posting.
Proposal
Capture hiring intent when an inquiry is sent and formalize it into a job posting that other freelancers can apply to.
Target persona
Matt runs a small agency with his partner and often needs to subcontract work in order to meet deadlines. However, he wears a lot of hats and doesn't have much time to spare for hiring, so he sticks to sending quick inquiries over posting a job.
2nd Goal
Increase client activation rate (ex. posting a job, hiring a freelancer)
Problem
The hiring process is decentralized and each step of the workflow is disjointed, leaving clients confused and frustrated.
Proposal
Redesign opportunities to centralize all relevant views, communication, and actions in a single page.
Target persona
Amy works at a venture capital firm and used Contra to source talent for a portfolio company. The project was very successful and Amy is willing to hire on Contra again, but needs a more streamlined and collaborative workspace in order to fully commit.
Increase client activation rate (ex. posting a job, hiring a freelancer)
Problem
The hiring process is decentralized and each step of the workflow is disjointed, leaving clients confused and frustrated.
Proposal
Redesign opportunities to centralize all relevant views, communication, and actions in a single page.
Target persona
Amy works at a venture capital firm and used Contra to source talent for a portfolio company. The project was very successful and Amy is willing to hire on Contra again, but needs a more streamlined and collaborative workspace in order to fully commit.
The Process
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- Audit existing user journeys
- Low-fi wireframes for alignment
- Competitive research
- Early user testing to validate assumptions
- Daily progress updates
- Weekly stakeholder critiques
- Iterations and refinements
- User interviews with hi-fi prototypes
- Internal dogfooding
- Final design handoff to engineering team
- UAT + follow-up optimizations
- Low-fi wireframes for alignment
- Competitive research
- Early user testing to validate assumptions
- Daily progress updates
- Weekly stakeholder critiques
- Iterations and refinements
- User interviews with hi-fi prototypes
- Internal dogfooding
- Final design handoff to engineering team
- UAT + follow-up optimizations
Creating a seamless experience
The Results
3x increase
total opportunities on platform
2x increase
client activation rate
Product Definition
Product Design
Responsive Web Design
User Research
Design Systems
Product Design
Responsive Web Design
User Research
Design Systems