• PRODUCT DESIGNER

CONTACT

DAVID TRAN

• PRODUCT DESIGNER

WORK

ABOUT

CONTACT

COVERLETTERNOW • CLN BUILDER BASED FLOW • SHIPPED 2023

Creating a cover letter builder
with adaptive AI-Content.

Creating a cover letter builder with adaptive AI-Content.

OVERVIEW

Discovering the existing state of cover
letters used by job seekers.

Discovering the existing state of cover letters used by job seekers.

Led UX efforts to identify improvement opportunities. Analyzed how job seekers use
cover letters and our baseline builder to create them.

ROLE

UX Designer +
Research

ROLE
UX Designer +Research

TIMELINE
Jan - Mar 2023

TEAM
1 PM, 2 Engineers, 1 UX Writer, 1 UX Design + Research

TIMELINE

Jan - Mar 2023

TEAM

1 PM
2 Engineers
1 UX Writer
1 UX Design +
Research

SKILLS

Product Design
Product Strategy
User Research
Prototyping

IMPACT

26%

Engagement Lift

42%

User Retention

49%

Revenue Increase

CHALLENGE

BASELINE

There was no clear direction on how to improve the cover letter builder.

No prior user research had been done on the builder. Our hypothesis states job seekers still need cover letters when applying to jobs. We aimed to test baseline usability and gather user opinions on current cover letters. Understanding the value of cover letters was key to planning improvements for the builder.

BASELINE

It was intended to be simple, which was to create cover letters through a onboarding questionnaire.

RESEARCH

Fresh insight from the user interviews transforms project direction.

The baseline usability study involved 6 moderated and 10 unmoderated users. Users liked the builder and letters but felt they lacked personality. They wanted more control over appearance and tone. A key surprise was users found a hidden feature to change sections and tone, which we hadn’t realized was so valuable. I strongly advocated expanding the project from simple optimization to a full UX redesign to highlight this feature and engage users earlier.

SOLUTION

Develop an easy cover letter builder that personalized user’s unique style and tone.

We revamped the builder to get users involved earlier in creating their cover letters and guide them throughout the process with curated adapted AI content. We found a strong link between onboarding engagement and how much value users placed on their cover letters.

To test the new flow, we recruited 6 moderated and 10 unmoderated users. The feedback was much more positive compared to the baseline. Based on this, we added the most popular features to the new builder.

TEMPLATE PAGE
Previously concealed feature, users start their journey by selecting a design that appeals to them.

PREVIEW
Previously only seen on the finalize page. Now, has been added to all pages to display user's progress.

SECTION BY SECTION
Interstitial breaks have been introduced to guide users through the sections of a cover letter into the Opener, Body, Gap, and Closure.

ADAPTIVE CONTENT
Users can adjust the tone of their letters by selecting from various options tailored to the jobs users are applying to.

RESULTS

The new flow significantly outperformed the baseline and increase revenue by 49%.

Our research revealed a need to expand the project scope. Integrating emerging AI technology into the builder was a natural fit. I currently hold two pending AI patents from this work. Future updates will be adding more AI features that will help users craft cover more unique letters. This redesign lifted engagement by 26%, user retention by 42% and boosted revenue by 49%, driving an estimated $1.2M in business growth.

26%

Engagement Lift

42%

User Retention

49%

Revenue Increase