Southeast Asia, which includes 14 countries and a population of 675 million people, has seen one of the world's fastest-growing markets in recent years. Nevertheless, one of the most critical problems they are facing is Skill Mismatching. This problem is accounted as the major cause of the high unemployment rate and negative impacts on the economy. Although some schools in Southeast Asia offer career navigation events as part of their educational system, this traditional approach is inefficient and severely limited. As a consequence, many students have misconceptions about careers and prefer to apply for courses thatwill lead to high-paying jobs in the future, such as engineering, law, and medicine, rather than pursuing their dreams.
To solve this problem, I came up with PUCO, a Hybrid Career Exploration & Counselling platform that is built based on research of Market and Culture, a deep understanding of users, and scientific methodologies such as MBTI, HOLLAND Test and skills and career test from UK Government tool.
The vision of PUCO is to help students understand their inner greatness and toward relevant careers in the future.An Appropriate Job, A Bright Future!
PUCO’s theory is based on psychological methodologies and scientific facts i.e., Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) methodology, The Holland Codes, or the Holland Occupational Themes (RIASEC) methodology, and National Careers Service Skills assessment and Job Profiles.
The PUCO design philosophy is based on user-centred design (UCD). UCD is an iterative design process in which designers focus on users and their needs throughout the design process. To develop an understanding of user needs, designers use a combination of investigative methods and tools (e.g.,surveys and interviews) and generative ones (e.g., brainstorming).Based on this design philosophy, I devised a five-stage design process: define, research, ideate, prototype, and evaluate. My design process is founded on my creative practice and the project's context. Fundamentally, my design process is influenced by Simon's seven-step design thinking cycle from 1972and The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design's Design Thinking.
Key features of PUCO
PUCO aims to provide students with the three primary features listed below.
• Self-exploration - Throughout mini-games and quizzes to help students learn more about their inner greatness such as their personalities, abilities, and communication preferences. This stage's idea is mostly based on scientific and psychological approaches like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI),HOLLAND, and the UK Government National Careers Service (National Careers Service 2022). At the end of the test, Students will receive thorough information about their careers and skills, as well as a mascot that represents them and a radar chart that shows their skills.
• Career Recommendation - Using the test results as a guide, the system will analyse and recommend careers for students. Students can view the matching rate (%) for each recommended career, which is determined by algorithms based on the career attributes, criteria, and the user's empathy. Furthermore,by clicking on any specific career, they can view comprehensive career information, including job descriptions, salary ranges, working hours, and particularly career paths.
• Mentor Matching - Experienced mentor is always an indispensable part of PUCO, a bridge between students and mentors in the areas of interest. In essence, each mentor adheres to a specific career path. Mentors not only provide students with a big picture of a specific career, but also guidance on how to13 effectively pursue their goals. The PUCO platform allows mentors and students to communicate whenever a student establishes a connection with one. It is especially important to communicate with mentors to obtain a thorough understanding of a career, market demand, and requirements.
The platform not only helps in communicating, but also opens up new ways for mentors to assist students in growing professionally. The development journey is one of the unique features. The foundation of the Development Journey is the practical experience of mentors and, in particular, the skills of students. Basically, the journey is not only a compass to achieve a job but also the tool for both mentor and students to keep track of their long-term goals.
The future of PUCO
At the end of the day, my design process's final goal is to create a solution that is desirable, feasible, and viable. This means that my product should meet a user's needs, be feasible to implement, and have a financial model. Therefore, Feasibility, viability, and desirability are the three most important criteria that I have always considered while developing the PUCO project. I strongly believe that balancing three criteria is the key to PUCO's future success.
Starting with desirability, the majority of PUCO features are created using data from user research, which is obtained by using scientific research approaches like context research, user interviews, use journey maps, and UX storyboards. Additionally, performing user research provides me with practical ideas for defining and improving the product, identifying the user pain points and usability issues. These enable me to effectively justify and improve the product plans. Moreover, the theory foundation of PUCO is psychological and scientific methodologies such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) methodology, The Holland Codes or Holland Occupational Themes (RIASEC) methodology, and National Careers Service Skills assessment and Job Profiles. They not only provide an important foundation for design strategy, but also assist me in creating the best product for users.
Regarding feasibility, this is always considered an indispensable part of PUCO. A proper development plan not only allows us to convert the idea into a real product, but it also allows us to efficiently persuade investors. PUCO will stick with the MVP (minimal viable product) version in the early stages of development. An MVP enables me to test market demand for the product, determining whether potential users require and will use it without having to invest a lot of money. Based on these findings, I can either rework the solution their product offers to allow for more market differentiation or develop an entirely new concept.
“Big things have small beginnings!”. Although PUCO has only been created over a short period, there is no doubt about the potential future of this project. After the MA Design course, I will look for rooms to convert this idea into a real product and connect with people who are truly interested in this project, for further and sustainable development in the future.
Finally, I strongly believe that PUCO can catalyse positive changes for people, society, and nature!
