Omkar Talwalkar

WEVE.

Bridging the GIG Economy gap by integrating AI solutions

This year I focused on understanding the GIG economy and identifying a gap where I saw potential for AI integrated solutions and worked on it with a group of 2

My Role

Service Designer

Date

7 Jan 2025

Timeline

1.5 Months

Problems

Freelancers make up 36% of the U.S. workforce but face instability, delayed payments, and short-term gigs. At the same time, 40% of businesses struggle to find trusted, well-matched talent.

Solution

WEVE, a secure, trust-first freelance platform that connects businesses and freelancers through smart matching, transparent collaboration, and guaranteed payments turning gig work into lasting partnerships.

Project Context

Weve was conceptualized as a solution to bridge the growing disconnect between freelancers and hiring entities in the gig economy. With increasing project-based work and the rise of remote collaboration, we identified a need for a secure, trust-based platform that fosters long-term relationships, provides career guidance, and ensures payment transparency for freelancers while simplifying hiring and onboarding for service seekers. This project draws inspiration from 'Managing the Design Process : Concept Development' by the author 'Terry Lee Stone' when the book said :

The book highlights that a successful product and seamless experience are achieved when both parties collaborate effectively and build a strong working relationship

"Clients also often fail to figure out who is a good fit temperamentally for their organization. It's hard to know which designer will do the best job."

The book highlights that a successful product and seamless experience are achieved when both parties collaborate effectively and build a strong working relationship

01 Emotions

Helpful / Valued / Connected

02 Benefits

Engaged / Supporting / Contributing

03 Features

Interactive / Rewarding / Sustainable

04 Sensory Cues

Clean / Celebrates / Updates

We conducted STEPIC, SWOT, and Porter’s Five Forces analyses to identify industry shifts, economic forces, political influences, and technology trends. This helped us understand how other platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Twine, LinkedIn and Behance position themselves and where Weve could find its niche. Our research revealed a strong opportunity in fostering genuine connections and continuous career development, rather than just transactional gigs.

Desk Research & Market Landscape

*STEPIC Analysis (Social, Technological, Economic, Political, International, and Cultural) is a strategic framework used to evaluate external factors influencing an industry. By applying this approach, we identified key trends, risks, and opportunities shaping the freelance economy.”

Our STEPIC analysis revealed a growing need for secure, tech-enabled, and reputation-driven platforms to support the evolving freelance economy.

Social & cultural

Freelancing is no longer a stop-gap it’s a career. However, challenges like credibility, trust, and financial insecurity call for support systems that empower freelancers beyond just job listings.

Technological

With 75% of freelancers depending on digital tools, there’s clear demand for AI-enabled discovery, escrow services, and skill validation systems to streamline interactions.

Economic & International

The gig economy is booming globally but fragmented by payment delays, currency issues, and legal loopholes showing a gap for globally compliant, seamless solutions.

Political

The landscape is shifting with updated laws redefining freelance work. Platforms must adapt to ensure ethical classification, transparency, and legal security.

These insights became the foundation for designing a service ecosystem that not only connects freelancers with work but builds trust, reputation, and financial stability across borders.

Our STEPIC analysis revealed a growing need for secure, tech-enabled, and reputation-driven platforms to support the evolving freelance economy.

Social & cultural

Freelancing is no longer a stop-gap it’s a career. However, challenges like credibility, trust, and financial insecurity call for support systems that empower freelancers beyond just job listings.

Technological

With 75% of freelancers depending on digital tools, there’s clear demand for AI-enabled discovery, escrow services, and skill validation systems to streamline interactions.

Economic & International

The gig economy is booming globally but fragmented by payment delays, currency issues, and legal loopholes showing a gap for globally compliant, seamless solutions.

Political

The landscape is shifting with updated laws redefining freelance work. Platforms must adapt to ensure ethical classification, transparency, and legal security.

These insights became the foundation for designing a service ecosystem that not only connects freelancers with work but builds trust, reputation, and financial stability across borders.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis helped us evaluate where current freelance platforms excel, where they fall short, and what emerging trends or challenges could impact our solution. The insights from this analysis directly informed our design direction and value proposition.

To better understand the positioning of existing platforms, we mapped key players in the gig economy based on two crucial parameters: trust and platform intelligence. Trust refers to how credible and community-backed a platform is (e.g., Behance, Glassdoor), while platform intelligence represents the level of tech-enabled features like matching algorithms, automation, and personalization (e.g., Twine, Upwork). This visual helped us identify the whitespace for a platform that balances intelligent matchmaking with high trust and transparency, guiding our design strategy moving forward.

2x2 for a competitive landscape

Platform Intelligence

Trust

Platform Intelligence

Trust

Strength

Opportunity

Weakness

Threat

AI-powered platforms simplify gig work by automating hiring and intelligently matching businesses with the right talent—streamlining processes and boosting efficiency.

With rising demand for project-based and remote work, there’s a growing need for platforms that can seamlessly connect skilled professionals with businesses undergoing digital transformation.

Attracting and onboarding freelancers in a saturated market requires standout UX, strong incentives, and features that build trust and long-term engagement.

A crowded competitive landscape and evolving labor laws pose ongoing risks, requiring agility in compliance and clear differentiation from established platforms.

2 x 2 Map

SWOT Analysis

Strength

AI-powered platforms simplify gig work by automating hiring and intelligently matching businesses with the right talent—streamlining processes and boosting efficiency.

With rising demand for project-based and remote work, there’s a growing need for platforms that can seamlessly connect skilled professionals with businesses undergoing digital transformation.

Opportunity

Threat

Weakness

2x2 for a competitive landscape

Platform Intelligence

Trust

Surveys & Interviews

We launched a survey that collected over 110 responses and conducted 12 in-depth interviews with freelancers and hiring professionals. Through our Survey we found out Personal networks remain the dominant and most trusted source for freelancers, outweighing reliance on online platforms.

To better understand the nuances of freelance engagement, we conducted primary interviews with both freelancers and clients. The following quotes capture raw, unfiltered insights into their motivations, frustrations, trust factors, and day-to-day challenges—shedding light on the emotional and practical realities shaping today’s gig economy.

The findings emphasized the lack of a reliable review system, inconsistent payment timelines, difficulty in matching the right skill to the right project, and absence of structured career support. These insights shaped our problem framing and design direction.

Synthesis & Personas

We developed detailed archetypes representing the freelancer and hiring force. These archetypes helped us align on goals, frustrations, needs, and behaviors for both sides of the marketplace. This became our guiding light for feature prioritization.

Through our empathy map we found out, the freelancers value flexibility, autonomy, and the ability to work from anywhere often relying on personal networks to find work. However, they face uncertainties around income stability, delayed payments, and trust in client relationships. These insights reveal a clear need for a more structured freelance ecosystem one that secures payments, fosters trust, and enhances professional credibility.

They seek income stability, credibility, and ease in managing work. While they value flexibility, they face challenges in job matching and client transparency highlighting a need for trust-driven, efficient platforms.

User Group : Freelance Force

The Archetypes

Our research surfaced three key archetypes within the freelance ecosystem. The Aspiring Entrepreneur uses gig work as a stepping stone to build their personal brand and eventually transition into full-time business ownership. The Specialist brings deep expertise in a niche field, striving for mastery and high-quality output while seeking clients who recognize their value. Meanwhile, The Hustler embodies adaptability and resilience, juggling multiple gigs to maximize income, but often grappling with instability and burnout. Together, these archetypes highlight the diverse motivations, goals, and challenges freelancers face in today’s evolving gig economy.

Employers value flexibility, efficiency, and the ability to hire on a per-project basis often relying on referrals and past experiences to make hiring decisions. However, they face challenges verifying freelancer expertise and ensuring reliability, leading to hesitation and trust gaps. These insights reveal a growing need for hiring solutions that offer transparency, validate skills, and support seamless, credible collaboration.

Hiring forces prioritize efficiency, fair contracts, and budget control but struggle with time-consuming processes and skill mismatches. These insights call for a platform that streamlines hiring while ensuring transparency and fit.

User Group : Freelance Force

User Group : Hiring Force

The Archetypes

The Hiring Force comprises three key archetypes. The Budget-Conscious Startup seeks cost-effective talent without compromising quality, often struggling to balance budget constraints with high expectations. The Service Seeker values speed, quality, and consistency, aiming to build long-term partnerships with dependable freelancers but faces difficulty in vetting talent. Meanwhile, the Interim Talent Seeker uses freelancers to bridge short-term gaps while navigating the uncertainty of integrating them into long-term workforce strategies. Together, these personas highlight the evolving demands of modern hiring and the need for efficient, trustworthy freelance solutions.

Using tools like ZAG’s 17-Step Framework, Blue Ocean Strategy, Value Proposition Canvas, and Business Model Canvas, we built a strong foundation for Weve’s brand, its user promise, and long-term viability. We refined our brand story, identified differentiators, and designed offerings around verified trust, streamlined onboarding, and career progression support.

Strategy Development

This Business Model Canvas outlines WEVE’s core structure capturing how we deliver value to freelancers and recruiters through AI-driven matching, secure payments, and community-first engagement. It maps our strategic ecosystem from key partners to revenue streams, defining how we operate, grow, and sustain impact in the gig economy.

Weve's Business Model Canvas

Our Value Pillars

Our core pillars are Equipped, Connected, and Engaged ensure freelancers have the tools, trust, and community they need to thrive. Together, they create a holistic ecosystem that supports career growth, secure work, and lasting industry impact.

Our Value Propositions

This Value Proposition Canvas maps user Jobs, Pains, and Gains to our core offerings, ensuring WEVE addresses real needs with purposeful solutions. It showcases how our features from secure payments to AI support—create meaningful impact across the freelancer ecosystem.

Our Value Proposition Statement

This value proposition outlines how WEVE bridges the gap between freelancers and employers by enabling smarter, trust-based hiring. Unlike traditional platforms, it fosters long-term connections through integrated tools and personal networks.

Ideation & Prioritization

We facilitated multiple brainstorming sessions and used effort-impact matrices to prioritize ideas. After several rounds of internal critiques, we narrowed our focus to four core experiences:

AI-powered smart briefs
Freelancer career dashboard
Escrow-based payment assurance
A credibility-based event ecosystem

These ideas were tested through sketches and early mockups.

Prototypes

These early prototypes visualize key features of WEVE, project showcases with behind-the-scenes insights, milestone-based payment tracking, and personalized freelancer dashboards. They reflect our goal to create a transparent, growth-driven ecosystem for freelancers and hiring clients alike.

Usability Testing & Feedback

We conducted 12 user tests with a mix of freelancers and recruiters using methods like think-aloud testing and 'buy-a-feature' prioritization. We received constructive feedback that led to changes in the payment release system, visual hierarchy, and mentorship add-ons. This iterative feedback loop helped us de-risk assumptions and optimize usability before finalizing our concepts.

Establishing Usability Testing Scope & Focus Areas

We prioritized usability testing around platform features, brand name, and willingness to pay guided by their business, user, and risk impact. This helped us validate core offerings like escrow services, networking tools, and pricing strategy with target users.

Testing Platform Features

Usability testing showed strong alignment between our features and user needs, validating our platform’s relevance and value. Positive feedback from both freelancers and clients suggests strong market demand and willingness to pay for premium offerings.

Our first round of usability testing helped validate the relevance and appeal of our platform through realistic user scenarios. Participants appreciated structured onboarding, project transparency, and career-building features, while offering insightful suggestions for profile enhancement, timeline clarity, and better communication tools—shaping the next phase of platform refinement.

Ideation & Prioritization

Testing platform features helped us prioritize features by mapping them based on user impact and implementation feasibility.

High-priority needs like a clear payment system, portfolio dashboards, and defined team roles emerged as MVP must-haves, while features like gamification and AI-driven recommendations were identified as long-term enhancements.

Testing Willingness to Pay

In our second round of usability testing, we explored users’ willingness to pay for premium features by simulating budget allocation with “Gig-Money.” Freelancers prioritized career growth and visibility, while clients valued hiring efficiency and project management support. These insights validated the revenue potential of features like advanced matching, exclusive access, and IP protection, helping us align our monetization strategy with user-perceived value.

This test validated the relevance of our premium features by revealing where users would invest. Freelancers prioritized skill-building and visibility, while clients focused on efficiency and project management. The strong demand for affordability and streamlined workflows reinforces that our core drivers align with user needs and offer clear direction for refining our monetization strategy.

Final Concept & Outcome

Weve evolved into a full-stack service ecosystem supporting verified freelance engagements. The platform promotes career growth, simplifies onboarding, and builds trust between parties. By combining AI-assisted briefs, clear payment flows, and social recognition, Weve offers a human-centered marketplace that goes beyond one-time gigs. Our final prototype was shared through a pitch presentation and simulated walkthrough.

Omkar

Talwalkar.

Omkar

Talwalkar.

Omkar

Talwalkar.

Service & User Experience Designer

omkarux7@gmail.com

(912) 441-4629

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Designed on figma hosted on framer

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