Hop to it.
An AI-powered platform connecting homeowners with skilled tradespeople, removing intermediaries to promote fairness and trust
My Contributions
& Responsibilities
My role bridged research, strategy, and interface design, ensuring Joey addressed real user needs while remaining intuitive and trustworthy.
Conducted market and competitor research- Led UX research & design for homeowners
- Contributed to legality and liability research to ensure viability
- Designed verification, profile, and job-creation flows
- Developed our blog website in Next.js
I worked closely with developers to translate complex systems into clear, human-centred experiences.
Context & Problem Space
Identifying systemic barriers that disproportionately affect underrepresented individuals.
Early research identified three recurring issues in the skilled trades industry that most existing platforms attempt to improve through traditional workplace conditions.
“If the workplace is the issue, then why not get rid of the workplace.”
This idea became the foundation of Joey.
If you have hired a trades person, did they provide any documentation, warranty, or guarantees?
30 responses
Research & Discovery
Analyzing the landscape to find a trust-first marketplace opportunity.
Market Research
I analyzed existing task marketplaces and contractor platforms. Common shortcomings included:
- Tradespeople treated as interchangeable labor
- Weak credential verification
- Poor pricing transparency
- Limited user protections
A profile-driven, trust-first marketplace that empowers workers rather than commoditizing them.
User Research
Want legitimacy, autonomy, and fair compensation.
Want clarity, safety, and confidence before hiring.
Trust must be established before the first conversation.
UX Strategy & Principles
Defined principles that guided all major design decisions.
Trust before transaction
Reduce cognitive load with AI
Transparency over persuasion
Users over platforms
Key UX Flows
Detailed look into the design areas I led.
Tradesperson Verification
& Profile Creation
Designed a verification flow where AI extracts keywords from uploaded documents and generates a structured, credible profile.
- Reduces friction for qualified workers
- Makes experience legible to homeowners
- Builds early trust without manual gatekeeping
AI-Assisted Job Creation
(Homeowner)
Co-created the design of an AI-assisted flow where users upload images and describe issues in plain language to receive a clear, trade-ready description.
Better job clarity, fewer misunderstandings, and more confident hiring decisions.
Transparency Through
Escrow & Confirmation
Escrow was identified as an requirement in order to ensure trust. The interface emphasizes that funds are held safely and only released after mutual confirmation.
Collaboration &
Cross-Functional Work
I collaborated closely with our developers, and AI team to ensure design decisions were technically feasible and clearly communicated. I often acted as the bridge between system complexity and user understanding.
Outcomes & Learnings
Key takeaways from the project.
Trust can be improved with UX
AI works best when it removes user effort
Structural problems require structural design solutions
A trust-centered UX differentiating Joey from competitors
AI features that feel assistive rather than overwhelming
Clear positioning around fairness and transparency
Potential Next Steps
- Expanded verification standards
- Reputation and review systems
- Enhanced dispute resolution UX
- Scaling geographic matching