Episode 2.1 “LinkedIn”, the good, the bad and the features to add

Welcome back to the show!

It has been a while, sorry for having a long break! A lot has changed since then in my personal life, I finished a course in a product management, took amazing freelance projects on and went through several amazing interviews. Oh and one more thing, the name of the show has changed to something much more catchier, and now it is called ProdActivity. The show from now on, as mentioned before, will be about products, product reviews and analysis and what activities can be done to make them better. Thus, the name #ProdActivity. So, in this trial episode we are analysing Linkedin, the tool that millions of people use daily. Warning, as it is the first analysis, the format may not be the best, but here we go. Without further ado, lets get started with Season 2, episode 1:

“Linkedin” — the good, the bad and the features to add!

What is LinkedIn first and foremost? LinkedIn is a social media network focused on professionals. The content is mainly about career building, entrepreneurship, networking and professional development. The platform was launched in 2003 and since then it has attracted more than 700 million users and was acquired by Microsoft.

So lets start with the things that LinkedIn is doing right:

• The core feature of building a network over the platform is done well. The search system has clever filters and helps the user to connect with the right people precisely. Meanwhile, the interactions of your network with their network is shown on your feed, so the opportunity to meet new, interesting and useful connections gets even better.
• The platform has two streams of earnings: the ads and premium subscriptions. The ads are shows in the form of banner ads, and are not intrusive or tiring at all.
• Navigation bar on the top is also well done, simple easy and to the point.
• Similar to navigation bar, the footer section is also done well, but instead of the bottom of the page it is on the side, allowing the easy reach whenever needed.
• The social media platforms need consistent engagement and longer time-spent by the users. For that reason, the smooth non-ending scroll makes the user stay and engage more.
• Talking about the posts, the ability to see “Recent” or the “Top” posts is also crucial for better daily user experience.
• Different types of posts on that page can be easily created by the user. This includes writing an article, sharing a document or writing a short post. Different reaction types, allows the user to express their engagement better with these posts.
• The notifications are easy and not loudly in your face, and each notification has a custom call to action button.
• Coming to the network page, it is super easy to find your existing connections, as well as to manage the incoming and the outgoing ones. If you are seeking a job or a contract #opentowork function also makes the connection or company search easier.
• For the users looking for jobs, there is a separate jobs page with different look and feel, that by itself is a different product. It has efficient design, easy navigation and makes sure the user is not confusing the purpose of this product. The InEasy one-click application brings massive value.
• Finally, looking at the profile page, it seems to be thought through as well. There is a short summary on top that makes job of the new connections easier. The profile is nicely separated into sections, the user can see the stats about the engagement on their posts and can download the profile as a PDF Resume with a single click.
• The app has similarly easy and familiar UX, keeping it consistent. The one good addition is the QR scanner for connection with people near you, lets say on a conference

Now, we said all the good, is there any bad? You bet there is:

• Although for used eye it is easy to navigate, for the first time user it can be a bit overwhelming and crowded.
• Recent redesign brought icons, that do no match the rest of the platform and does not look consistent, although they look good on the app.
• There is a limit to writing a post, but it is not mentioned, so the user can not plan the post beforehand. This is a similar case, when writing an article.
• Some parts have a bit confusing titles, such as “My Titles”.
• In Profile part there are also some parts to point out. The sections placement may need rearrangement and endorsements seem clustered and messy.
• The public view is an incredible function, but it has to have a place, that is easily identifiable.
• The app has downsides too. The stories like in Instagram does not match with the professional message and aim of the platform. Auto playing videos is not ideal if the user is not connected to Wi-Fi and using data. The top vs recent button on home page does not exist in the app. And finally, app does not allow you to draft an article.

With that being said, what are the features to add?

• First thing first, I would fix UX and UI design mistakes mentioned above.
• I would like to see the platform encouraging the companies to create more case studies and internship opportunities. A separate page or tool can help with that.
• A feature where user mentions a urgent for job or help with business, like an SOS button.
• Help even more with building a resume with automatic feedback tools.
• Let user easily be offline-online.
• Integrate Glassdoor (or build own) review system for companies, interviews and processes.
• Maybe: dashboard showing report of your network

So, this was trial of season 2, where we hoped to capture the analysis of #LinkedIn platform. Thanks a lot for reading and as always remember to check Anchor channel for audio version and check Teespring link in the description for apparel by GetGuided. Thanks for listening, stay safe, talk to you later.