AI Platform Connecting Blue-Collar Talent & Opportunity
Oct 2024 – Mar 2025
BluFutur – Designing a Platform to Empower the Blue-Collar Workforce
BluFutur is an AI-powered platform built to connect blue-collar workers with job opportunities, skill-building resources, and networking features. It also empowers companies to find, hire, and manage talent more efficiently.
As the lead designer, my goal was to craft a platform that simplifies these core interactions job discovery, hiring, skill development, and networking — through a thoughtful, scalable, and inclusive design system.
Industry
SaaS
JobTech
Services
UX/UI design
Timeline
6 months
Project Goal
Simplify job discovery and applications
Support upskilling through easy-to-use learning modules
Enable companies to post, filter, and manage talent
Foster networking among workers and recruiters
Create a visual system that’s scalable, inclusive, and accessible
The Challenge
Millions of blue-collar workers face challenges navigating digital platforms due to:
Complex user interfaces
Limited tech literacy
Lack of personalized, skill-focused pathways
Disconnected systems for jobs, learning, and networking
BluFutur wanted to become a one-stop platform that bridges these gaps using AI, clean UX, and human-centered design.
AI-driven job matching and candidate filtering
Share Knowledge, Train Talent, and Grow Your Business
Curated Trade-Specific Events
Competitor analysis - feature comparison
Leveraged AI to accelerate competitive research and uncover market insights faster.
Features
Blufutur
SEEK
INDEED AU
WORKFORCE AUSTRALIA
HIPAGES
AI based job search
Smart recommendation based on skills, goals
Basic keyword search
Role-based filters only
Government-directed matching
Service-based matching only
Upskilling/Learning Modules
Built-in guided learning paths with certification
Not available
Not available
Limited govt. training links
Not available
Dashboard for job seeker & Employer
Separate flows, dashboard & journeys
Recruiter-focused, basic job seeker view
Recruiter & candidate login
Job seeker only
Tradesperson & homeowner only
In-app networking/community
Peer connection & recruiter messaging
Not available
Not Available
Not available
Limited to job reviews
🧠 Key Takeaways:
SEEK dominates Australia but serves white-collar workers. blue-collar trades are an afterthought in their UX and feature set.
No existing platform combines job discovery, upskilling, and community - for Australian trade workers in one place. BluFutur fills that gap entirely.
License and certification verification is absent across all competitors - a critical trust gap in a market where trade qualifications are legally regulated.
Mobile UX across all Australian competitors assumes digital literacy - BluFutur is the only platform designed for users who may be navigating a job platform for the first time.
Information Architecture
BluFutur had two completely different users. Blue collar workers navigating digital job search for the first time, and HR teams managing hiring at scale sharing one platform. Every module decision came down to a single question: does this belong to the worker, the employer, or both? The IA had to separate their journeys completely while keeping the underlying system unified.
Wireframes
We created mid-fidelity wireframes in Figma to define the platform’s structure, navigation, content areas, and user flows. This helped uncover early issues in the job discovery experience, reducing rework and aligning design, product, and business teams.
UI tone
Instead of leaning into a rigid, corporate feel, we designed with clarity, warmth, and trust at the core. The interface is clean and focused, with bold yet approachable typography guiding users without overwhelming them
Soft blue tones reflect reliability and calm, while subtle transitions and rounded components make the experience feel friendly and unintimidating. The visual language — paired with real-world imagery and plain-spoken copy — feels honest and human. It's built for workers and companies navigating real opportunities, not just tech-savvy users in polished offices.
Dark Blue
HEX:
#00010D
RGB:
RGB (0, 1, 13)
HSB:
HSB (235, 100, 5)
Blue
HEX:
#0844FF
RGB:
RGB (8, 68, 255)
HSB:
HSB (225, 97, 100)
Orange
HEX:
#E17517
RGB:
RGB (225, 117, 23)
HSB:
HSB (28, 90, 88)
Primary Colors
I developed a soft, neutral color palette with highlights of blue to convey trust, action, and growth — essential for users who might be engaging with a digital job platform for the first time.
Typeface
Inter
Inter is a sans serif font family designed by Rasmus Andersson, focused on high readability for digital interfaces and screens. Inter features a tall height and clean geometric forms. It is a multi-weight family with both Roman and Italic styles.
Aa
Inter
Regular
Aa
Inter
Medium
Aa
Inter
Medium (All Caps)
Colors
Blue
#0858F5
The reason behind select the Blue color as a primary color is people attribute emotions like loyalty, authority, security to color blue. As a result it is popular among institutions like Chase, Citibank etc.
Orange
#E17517
Color is to highlight and compliment the primary color or colors. You can have multiple number of colors but limiting the color pallet helps you with recognition and consistency.
Company can view all the applied candidates and all their details. They can schedule an interview. Interviewer can add notes and also add the details of how the candidate has answers the questions that they asked to review later.
Feed section helps the user to go through the post that other users have posted. They can interact with the post such as giving a like or report if something is inappropriate. The mobile version also has the light and dark version so the user can choose based on their preference.
Events module helps the user to go through the events happening around them and helps to connect with like minded people and grow their knowledge.
Roofing Specialist
Organization Name
•
Posted 1d ago
•
124 Applicants
Featured
Website
Profile
All Jobs
Quick Apply
Fair Match
50%
50%
Experience Level
50%
Skills
50%
Industry Experience
Carpenter
Organization Name
•
Posted 1d ago
•
124 Applicants
Featured
Website
Profile
All Jobs
Quick Apply
Fair Match
50%
50%
Experience Level
50%
Skills
50%
Industry Experience
Carpenter
Organization Name
•
Posted 1d ago
•
124 Applicants
Featured
Website
Profile
All Jobs
Quick Apply
Fair Match
50%
50%
Experience Level
50%
Skills
50%
Industry Experience
Users can find the jobs based on their profile and Fair Match helps them identify, which job is more suitable based on their profile.
What did I learn from this project?
Designing for blue-collar workers taught me that simplicity isn't about removing features — it's about removing friction. Every extra tap, every text-heavy label, every unnecessary step is a potential exit point for someone who isn't yet comfortable with digital tools. The real design challenge wasn't the UI. It was earning trust through clarity.
Building a two-sided platform solo also forced me to constantly context-switch between two completely different mental models. That tension made me a sharper systems thinker — because every decision I made for one side had consequences for the other.
LET'S Connect!
Together, we can create an awesome experience 🙌
