Designing a trust-led Gig marketplace platform
Overview
As the sole product designer, I designed Gigtrybe’s end-to-end product experience across mobile, web, and admin; creating a unified system that enables verified freelancers to access global opportunities while helping clients hire, manage gigs, and payments seamlessly.
Categories
Multi-Sided Platforms
Marketplace & Platform Design
0→1
Team
1× Product Designer (Sole), 2× Founders, 1× Frontend Engineer, 1× Backend Engineer
Timeline
12 Weeks (Discovery → High-Fidelity)
Platform
Freelancer Mobile App (iOS & Android) · Client Web App · Admin Dashboard Web
My Role
UX, UI, Research, Product Strategy
$2M
Pre-seed funding raised (backed by Last Mile Money)
3
Platforms designed (mobile, web, admin)
50
User interviews informing core UX decision
3K
Users waitlisted ahead of launch
Background
Gigtrybe is a multi-sided platform designed to help verified freelancers access global job opportunities, while enabling clients and administrators to manage hiring, engagements, and payments seamlessly, starting from Africa.
Gigtrybe is a multi-sided platform designed to help verified freelancers access global job opportunities, while enabling clients and administrators to manage hiring, engagements, and payments seamlessly, starting from Africa.
Unlike traditional job boards, Gigtrybe focuses on identity, trust, and end-to-end gig management, not just listings.
Unlike traditional job boards, Gigtrybe focuses on identity, trust, and end-to-end gig management, not just listings.
Unlike traditional job boards, Gigtrybe focuses on identity, trust, and end-to-end gig management, not just listings.
I designed the entire product ecosystem:
I designed the entire product ecosystem:
I designed the entire product ecosystem:
Freelancer mobile app
Client web platform
Internal admin dashboard
The Major Gaps
From research and stakeholder sessions, we uncovered three major gaps in existing gig platforms:
From research and stakeholder sessions, we uncovered three major gaps in existing gig platforms:
1. Lack of trust
3. Poor visibility & control
2. Fragmented workflows
Research & discovery
We conducted 22 qualitative interviews with freelancers across different: age groups, professions, skill levels, backgrounds and regions
We conducted 22 qualitative interviews with freelancers across different: age groups, professions, skill levels, backgrounds and regions
We conducted 22 qualitative interviews with freelancers across different: age groups, professions, skill levels, backgrounds and regions
Key insights
Gig workers want visibility and fairness, not just listings
Gig workers want visibility and fairness, not just listings
Identity verification strongly increases trust
Identity verification strongly increases trust
Managing gigs, interviews, payments, and messages in one place is critical
Managing gigs, interviews, payments, and messages in one place is critical
Clients wants to be matched seamless to Gig workers that fits their project requirements
Clients wants to be matched seamless to Gig workers that fits their project requirements
Gigworkers juggle multiple tools to manage one Gig
Gigworkers juggle multiple tools to manage one Gig
So what's in view?
This isn’t a single-user product. Gigtrybe is set to serve three distinct user groups, each with different motivations and risks:
This isn’t a single-user product. Gigtrybe is set to serve three distinct user groups, each with different motivations and risks:
This isn’t a single-user product. Gigtrybe is set to serve three distinct user groups, each with different motivations and risks:
Gig workers
Admins (Gigtrybe team)
Clients (individuals & companies)
Designing the Gigtrybe Mobile App
Designing the Gigtrybe Mobile App
Onboarding & account setup
This was clear and well paced, guiding users from email signup through profile setup with visible progress and required verification, while explaining how verification helps users get better gigs and faster payments.
This was clear and well paced, guiding users from email signup through profile setup with visible progress and required verification, while explaining how verification helps users get better gigs and faster payments.
This was clear and well paced, guiding users from email signup through profile setup with visible progress and required verification, while explaining how verification helps users get better gigs and faster payments.
Identity verification
Verification was a core part of Gigtrybe’s trust model, designed with clear instructions, helpful visuals, progress feedback, and friendly messages to make identity checks feel secure, fair, and respectful.
Verification was a core part of Gigtrybe’s trust model, designed with clear instructions, helpful visuals, progress feedback, and friendly messages to make identity checks feel secure, fair, and respectful.
Verification was a core part of Gigtrybe’s trust model, designed with clear instructions, helpful visuals, progress feedback, and friendly messages to make identity checks feel secure, fair, and respectful.
Profile & portfolio creation
Profiles helped freelancers show credibility through simple setup, clear progress, and required skill checks to maintain trust and quality.
Profiles helped freelancers show credibility through simple setup, clear progress, and required skill checks to maintain trust and quality.
Profiles helped freelancers show credibility through simple setup, clear progress, and required skill checks to maintain trust and quality.
Home & Gigs discovery
The home experience was personalized with relevant gigs, interviews, and updates, using a clean and filterable feed that reduced decision fatigue and improved discovery.
The home experience was personalized with relevant gigs, interviews, and updates, using a clean and filterable feed that reduced decision fatigue and improved discovery.
The home experience was personalized with relevant gigs, interviews, and updates, using a clean and filterable feed that reduced decision fatigue and improved discovery.
Applying for Gigs
Applications were fast but intentional, using prefilled profile details so freelancers focused on pay and responses, giving clients clear proposals and improving hiring quality.
Applications were fast but intentional, using prefilled profile details so freelancers focused on pay and responses, giving clients clear proposals and improving hiring quality.
Applications were fast but intentional, using prefilled profile details so freelancers focused on pay and responses, giving clients clear proposals and improving hiring quality.
Managing Gigs & communication
Once hired, work moved into Active Gigs with all details, files, messages, and notifications in one place, while past gigs stayed visible but locked, helping freelancers manage multiple engagements without switching contet
Once hired, work moved into Active Gigs with all details, files, messages, and notifications in one place, while past gigs stayed visible but locked, helping freelancers manage multiple engagements without switching contet
Once hired, work moved into Active Gigs with all details, files, messages, and notifications in one place, while past gigs stayed visible but locked, helping freelancers manage multiple engagements without switching contet
Wallet & payments
The wallet was designed as a trust feature with visible balances, clear transactions, payout status, and real time alerts to reduce payment anxiety and improve retention.
The wallet was designed as a trust feature with visible balances, clear transactions, payout status, and real time alerts to reduce payment anxiety and improve retention.
The wallet was designed as a trust feature with visible balances, clear transactions, payout status, and real time alerts to reduce payment anxiety and improve retention.
Designing the Client Web App
Designing the Client Web App
Onboard and verify quickly
After completing the mobile experience, we designed the client web platform to mirror the same lifecycle logic. Clients can onboard and verify quickly.
After completing the mobile experience, we designed the client web platform to mirror the same lifecycle logic. Clients can onboard and verify quickly.
After completing the mobile experience, we designed the client web platform to mirror the same lifecycle logic. Clients can onboard and verify quickly.
Discover Talent
Browse and discover qualified talent. Narrowing down skilled freelancers that match needs.
Browse and discover qualified talent. Narrowing down skilled freelancers that match needs.
Browse and discover qualified talent. Narrowing down skilled freelancers that match needs.
Post gigs with structured requirements
Post gigs with clear requirements so freelancers understand exactly what you need.
Post gigs with clear requirements so freelancers understand exactly what you need.
Post gigs with clear requirements so freelancers understand exactly what you need.
Manage engagements
Track Gigs activity in real time, also invite matched freelancers directly.
Track Gigs activity in real time, also invite matched freelancers directly.
Track Gigs activity in real time, also invite matched freelancers directly.
Hiring Process
Schedule interviews, review candidates, and send offers easily.
Schedule interviews, review candidates, and send offers easily.
Schedule interviews, review candidates, and send offers easily.
Manage engagements
Clients can stay on top of ongoing work, communication, and payments in one clear place.
Clients can stay on top of ongoing work, communication, and payments in one clear place.
Clients can stay on top of ongoing work, communication, and payments in one clear place.
Designing the Internal Admin
Designing the Internal Admin
Admin dashboard
I designed the dashboard to give clear visibility into key metrics, compliance and verification, hiring funnels, payments and disputes, agent management, and plans and subscriptions.
I designed the dashboard to give clear visibility into key metrics, compliance and verification, hiring funnels, payments and disputes, agent management, and plans and subscriptions.
Takeaway
Designing multi-sided products requires unified thinking across mobile, web, and admin, with post-design validation to uncover usability gaps before launch.
Unified design across mobile, web, and admin; validated through post-design testing is critical for multi-sided products.
Resources that helped
Thinking in Systems
Articulating Design Decisions
Don't Make me Think
Kayode Adeyinka
Founder
“Working with Choice helped us turn an early concept into a clear and buildable product that is now pre seed funded and backed. She didn’t just design screens she asked the hard questions early especially around trust verification and how the platform needed to scale. A lot of the clarity we had going into funding conversations came from those early design decisions.”
Sam Moore
Senior Frontend
“Working with Choice made implementation much easier. The flows were clearly thought through from start to finish so there was very little ambiguity during build. What stood out most was how edge cases and real user behavior were already accounted for which saved us time and reduced rework.”
Viktoriya
Senior PM
“Choice was very strong at connecting user research to actual product decisions. It wasn’t just insights for the sake of it you could clearly see how research shaped onboarding verification and the core flows. She worked like a true product partner not just a designer.”
Kayode Adeyinka
Founder
“Working with Choice helped us turn an early concept into a clear and buildable product that is now pre seed funded and backed. She didn’t just design screens she asked the hard questions early especially around trust verification and how the platform needed to scale. A lot of the clarity we had going into funding conversations came from those early design decisions.”
Sam Moore
Senior Frontend
“Working with Choice made implementation much easier. The flows were clearly thought through from start to finish so there was very little ambiguity during build. What stood out most was how edge cases and real user behavior were already accounted for which saved us time and reduced rework.”
Viktoriya
Senior PM
“Choice was very strong at connecting user research to actual product decisions. It wasn’t just insights for the sake of it you could clearly see how research shaped onboarding verification and the core flows. She worked like a true product partner not just a designer.”
Kayode Adeyinka
Founder
“Working with Choice helped us turn an early concept into a clear and buildable product that is now pre seed funded and backed. She didn’t just design screens she asked the hard questions early especially around trust verification and how the platform needed to scale. A lot of the clarity we had going into funding conversations came from those early design decisions.”
Sam Moore
Senior Frontend
“Working with Choice made implementation much easier. The flows were clearly thought through from start to finish so there was very little ambiguity during build. What stood out most was how edge cases and real user behavior were already accounted for which saved us time and reduced rework.”
Viktoriya
Senior PM
“Choice was very strong at connecting user research to actual product decisions. It wasn’t just insights for the sake of it you could clearly see how research shaped onboarding verification and the core flows. She worked like a true product partner not just a designer.”
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