Tallo 2.0.
Redefining Education and Career Pathways
Empowering students, educators, and employers through a seamless, user-centered platform.
OVERVIEW
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
CONTEXT
Full platform redesign of Tallo for Stride, Inc.
TOOLS
Figma
Miro
Notion
Jira
TEAM
4 Designers
2 UX researchers
3 Product Owners
1 Project Manager
Off-site dev team
TIMELINE
6 Months
Introduction
Tallo 2.0 is a platform designed to bridge the gap between students and talent seekers, providing tools to help students showcase their individuality and talent seekers connect with diverse candidates.
My work on this project focused on redesigning critical features such as the Talent/Student Profile, Resume Builder, and Dashboard, as well as recruiter-focused features like Opportunities, Talent Search, and Analytics.
The Problem
Despite Tallo’s vision to connect students with opportunities and recruiters with early talent, the platform struggled to deliver value for either group.
Students found the navigation cumbersome, profile setup overwhelming, and the platform’s purpose unclear.
Previous Talent Profile UI
For recruiters, inefficient tools, limited filtering options, and a lack of insights into hiring campaigns hindered the recruitment process.
Previous Recruiter Talent Search UI
Core Challenges
1
Simplify profile creation and onboarding for students.
2
Equip recruiters with powerful analytics and DEI-supportive tools.
3
Ensure the platform is accessible, intuitive, and optimized for responsive web design.
Audiences
We identified two primary user groups with distinct needs:
STUDENTS (TALENT):
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Ages 13+, seeking scholarships, internships, and career opportunities.
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Want a platform that showcases their individuality beyond traditional metrics like GPA.
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Prefer engaging and visually appealing experiences.
RECRUITERS (TALENT SEEKERS):
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Employers, universities, and organizations seeking early talent.
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Require tools for filtering candidates, posting opportunities, and tracking ROI.
Goals
The redesign focused on achieving the following objectives:
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Improve Student Engagement:
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Simplify profile creation and onboarding processes.
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Design engaging features such as profile personalization and progress tracking.
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Enhance Recruitment Features:
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Deliver intuitive tools for creating job postings, managing campaigns, and tracking analytics.
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Support diversity and inclusion efforts through advanced filtering options.
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Streamline Navigation:
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Provide a clear, mobile-first interface for seamless user journeys.
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Reduce clicks to key actions, like finding opportunities or managing profiles.
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Success Metrics
Increased profile completion rates, higher participation in job postings, and improved recruiter satisfaction scores.
The Solution
To address these challenges, I worked on designing intuitive, feature-rich solutions that improved usability, engagement, and recruiter success.
RESEARCH APPROACH
Discovery
To ensure our redesign addressed real user needs, we conducted qualitative and quantitative research:
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Conducted user interviews and surveys with students, families, and recruiters to identify pain points and goals.
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Analyzed usability gaps in the original MVP, focusing on profile completion rates, navigation issues, and recruiter workflows.
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Benchmarked against competitors like LinkedIn and Handshake to identify best practices.
Tallo User During Usability Test
ABOUT THE PROFILE
STUDENT
“When I don't complete the whole thing it says that it's 80% complete and that kind of does bother me…”
ALL OF TALLO
STUDENT
“The same thing as the last time I came in. There's nothing new”
Insights & Findings
STUDENTS:
Overwhelmed by profile setup, particularly badging and progress tracking.
Requested clearer guidance and engaging features like personalization options
RECRUITERS:
Needed advanced analytics and filters for targeting diverse talent pools
Desired tools to track and communicate DEI efforts effectively
Student Users
DESIGN QUESTION
How Might We?
How might we redesign Tallo to be an intuitive, engaging platform that aligns with user needs, fosters meaningful connections, and empowers students and talent seekers to achieve their goals?
DESIGN PROCESS
Ideation
Our team mapped out key user journeys, identifying friction points and opportunities for streamlining the experience.
We iterated through sketches and wireframes to define the best layout and flow.
Recruiter (Talent Seeker) Talent Search Flow
New Student Profile Completion Flow
Prototyping & Testing
We moved on and built high-fidelity prototypes in Figma for critical features:
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Talent/Student Profile:
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Redesigned the badging system and progress indicators for a smoother user experience.
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Resume Builder:
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Created guided templates and for various use cases (e.g., college applications or job-seeking).
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Introduced inline helper tooltips as value props for content.
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Recruiter & Student Badges:
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Designed enhanced, digital badging feature for both student and recruiter workflows.
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Badging opportunity options streamlined.
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Student Profile & Badging Prototypes
Resume Builder Prototype
Implementing Designs
Delivered annotated designs to developers, ensuring seamless handoff and alignment with project goals.
Handoff Files in Figma
RESULTS
The Solution
The redesigned Tallo 2.0 addressed critical challenges through a thoughtful and user-driven approach:
STUDENTS
Revamped Profile
Simplified layout with progress tracking, clearer onboarding, and profile customization options.
STUDENTS
Resume Builder
Provided guided templates, tooltip integration, and inline editing functionality.
RECRUITERS
Enhanced Talent Search
Enhanced search with robust filters (location, DEI, skill-based badges), and saved search functionality.
RECRUITERS
Streamlined Opportunities Hub
Easier job postings with structured templates and better categorization.
Light and Dark Modes
Impact
Although specific metrics are unavailable, the redesign delivered measurable improvements:
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Increased engagement with student profiles, jobs, and scholarship opportunities.
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Enhanced recruiter satisfaction with intuitive analytics tools and targeted diversity features.
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Positioned Tallo 2.0 as a leading platform for connecting students with opportunities and recruiters with early talent.
Recruiter Search for Talent
Lessons Learned
1
Prioritize Validation:
Early and frequent usability testing is crucial for aligning design decisions with user needs.
2
Balancing Complexity:
Engaging Gen Z requires balancing robust features with simplicity.
3
Collaborative Design:
Close collaboration with researchers and developers streamlined the design process
Responsive Student Profile Design
Final Reflections
The Tallo 2.0 redesign was a transformative experience, highlighting the power of human-centered design in bridging education and career pathways. By focusing on user needs, we delivered a platform that fosters connections, promotes equity, and empowers the next generation.