Let’s Connect the World’s Professionals
Why the LinkedIn app needs to think about their users.
As an individual actively seeking a job, I have been attending many networking events and have been spending many accumulated hours on LinkedIn.
At these networking events, it has become tradition, for lack of a better word, to conclude each conversation with the line “Would you mind if we connected on LinkedIn?”
As expected the answer would always be “yes” and we would each turn to open our phones to LinkedIn. A hack I quickly picked up on was LinkedIn’s secret QR code to connect with a new individual. However, don’t get too excited since it’s not always a hack in reality, and let me explain why.
For those of you unaware of this exciting innovation, I am talking about the three squares and an x in the right-hand corner of the search bar on the app homescreen. (or the area circled in red on the image to the left) When you click on that icon, you get to the LinkedIn Code screen where you can either scan or show your code. So far LinkedIn you have been ingenious. However, I am sad to say the brilliant idea slowly begins to become a point of frustration for the user as the process continues, rather than a way to save time and effort.
I say this for two reasons:
- More often than not I find this next step becomes a dance between the two individuals involved.
- There are unnecessary steps that are required to complete the connection (I can promise you not many people realize this)
Let’s break the first reason down. The dance. From my experience, whenever another individual and myself go to connect through these steps, we both end up on the same screen, either the scan or the code screen. And before we realize it, we both have changed again, creating this dance. I find this has to do with the tab feature in which the scan and my code pages are displayed. (take a look at the image on the left)
Therefore, I believe from a user standpoint this so-called dance as I have coined it, could be eliminated or at least sped up if the tabs were switchable through a double-tap. Rather than by having to click on the word at the top of the tab, as it works now.
The second reason, the hidden unnecessary step. Having now observed many others try and connect with each other through this process I have realized that the way in which the product works and the way the user reacts is different. As a UX Designer, I know this is a big red flag.
Let me walk you through the complete process so you can see what I am talking about. Now that you have found someone you want to connect with, one of you will scan the other’s QR code. Great, that was easy! But wait… you are not actually connected yet. This is the kicker that most people do not realize as they expect you to be automatically connected.
But in reality, you have missed a step. Once the QR code has been scanned, the user who scanned the code then has to still click the button titled “connect.” I know… as a user that was not expected. I only know this from learning the hard way and losing contact with someone I thought I had connected with.
Therefore, I am proposing this simple and quick redesign that will allow the user to go through what has been made as a two-step process into a one-step one. Once User A has scanned User B’s QR code, a pop-up should appear, allowing the user to know the scan worked. This way the user could be kept in the loop and not left questioning if the process took place, while also allowing the user to be less hands-on. With this quick tweak, fewer connections could be left unmade and user’s confusion could be decreased.
As is the case with all my other reviews, I write these as a form of practicing my UX and UI skills and as a means to show users how important the design of products truly is.
