LinkedIn User Interface Optimization with Design Thinking Methods: Improve user experience and engagement

Abstract

LinkedIn is one of the world's biggest social networking platforms, used to build connections, exploring career opportunities, and sharing professional insights. Users are increasingly prioritizing simple, effective, and user-friendly design, so improving LinkedIn's user interface is exceptionally imperative. LinkedIn is often perceived as confusing by its users, with many stating that features within the application are difficult to find and navigation is inefficient. This problem can hinder LinkedIn's effectiveness in meeting the professional needs of its users. This research aims to optimize the LinkedIn interface using a design thinking approach. The method involves five stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Design thinking prioritizes user needs, wants, and challenges. The advantage of the design thinking approach is that it becomes a solution, so what is produced is more relevant and effective in solving the real problems of the users. Data was collected through questionnaires to identify the key issues with navigation and ease of use of features on LinkedIn. The results show that the design thinking approach allows the creation of a simpler user interface with more effective navigation and features that are easy to find. The conclusion of this research is that the design thinking method is able to solve interface design problems in the LinkedIn application.