Adapting the youth profiling app for mobile devices and modifying existing interface
The World Bank
The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries. They provide a wide array of financial products and technical assistance to help countries share and apply innovative knowledge.
About the project
Young Profiling Tool is a solution comprising a set of assessments that aim to measure skills that are not strongly correlated with education but correlate with the labor market requirements. Outcomes from the assessments should support disadvantaged South African youth in the labor market insertion. Our client wanted to adapt the already developed solution to be accessible via mobile phones. They would then reach out to selected survey respondents, for example, unemployed African youth. They also needed to introduce improvements in several testing methodologies based on initial pilot findings.
Out tasks
Improving web-only alpha version to Progressive Web App
Creating the app that is accessible offline after initial sign-up and applicable both on desktops and mobile devices.
Modifying the existing youth accessible interface
Adjusting the interface to a less complex testing system and devising an easy to navigate dashboard for presenting understandable outcomes.
Designing data collection dashboard for administrators
Letting users download the data of their skill assessment outcomes which would be collected and securely stored as anonymized.
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Challenges
1. Making the product accessible to a wider range of people
The initial product was available only on desktops and in online mode. This posed a problem to users in particular regions where Internet connection or desktops are not always available, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Considering those factors, we decided to invest in the product’s greater accessibility.
2. Simplifying and adjusting testing interfaces
The pilot findings have shown that users often failed at understanding the exercises. Therefore we decided to adjust interfaces to be more user-friendly and to simplify the testing methodologies which were too complex and sometimes incomplete thus giving unclear outcomes.
Solutions
1. Designing desktop and mobile version of the application
This task was the core of the whole enterprise. Thanks to adapting the application to be accessible via mobile phones, we widened the circle of potential users. It stems from the fact that it is mobile phones rather than desktops that are the most popular devices among the disadvantaged youth. Moreover, implementing a PWA was far cheaper and faster than building native apps.
2. Making the application work offline
Having in mind that we aim at increasing the accessibility of the innovation, we added a service worker allowing the app to work in offline mode. Even in the office there’s sometimes a lack of Internet connection, yup? Besides, we built in automatic synchronization in the case of the youth’s mobile being online and the app is running.
3. Adding new questionnaires & summary interface
At Neoteric, we believe in the power of simplicity. That is why we did our best to make the app complete and simple by adding questionnaires in the form of tasks and pictures. And, the rumour has it that nothing is better than good feedback. Therefore, apart from changes mentioned above, the app is provided with dashboards presenting the outcome of the assessments as well as additional materials according to one’s preferences. The data is collected and stored anonymously in a secure database.
Project Results
Delivery of a tool that already supports the youth in finding a job
As Neoteric, we are really excited that we could contribute to an enterprise that belongs to one of those little steps which turn the world into a better place. The app is already running, and is gaining users among the South African youth.
Adaptation of pre-existing alpha version for mobile devices
Our client received the improved tool, which is fully applicable both for desktops and mobile devices in the online and offline modes. Thanks to this solution, The Youth Profiling Tool can reach out to a wider group of disadvantaged youth and support them in the labor market insertion.
Designing interface based on acceptability criteria
Our team managed to meet our client’s needs by devising new forms of interfaces used both for testing and presenting the outcomes.
