Hustle Platform

Helping Freelancers land gigs and get paid without the chaos

Hustle Platform — three phone mockups showing gig listings, payment confirmation and job alerts

Overview

Role- Collaboration

UI/UX Designer, UX Researcher

Timeline

July-Aug, 2025

Status

In Development

Deliverables

User flow, Wireframes, Ux Research, High Fidelity Prototypes, Visual Design

Summary

The economy is giving everyone a hard time. In Nigeria, where I'm from there are many hard-working people (especially students and low-income workers), who can't find a steady or flexible work. Despite having valuable skills, people are finding it difficult to connect with those in need of their services. This gap inspired me to come up "Hustle" which is also influenced by the hustling culture of Nigerians.

Hustle is made to cater to the particular requirements of people who want flexible work schedules. It would actively bridge the gap between Hustlers and Clients. Hustle is designed specifically for the Nigerian market, understanding local needs, payment preferences, and culture.

Highlights

Hustle app highlights — key screens and mockup Hustle app highlights — additional key screens

Challenges

Problem Framing

A stressed Nigerian worker holding his head at a desk

Many people need different ways to earn some extra income without losing their main jobs. At the same time, people often struggle to find reliable help for quick tasks.

The question I kept asking myself was: "How can I help Young adults in Nigeria earn some money and Low income earners get extra income without affecting their regular jobs?"

Spotlighting Issues

  1. 1

    Inaccessibility to local freelancing platforms

  2. 2

    Lack of trust in foreign freelancing platforms

  3. 3

    People struggle to find reliable help for short term tasks

Solutions

A man and woman high-fiving each other in an office

Hustle was created as a flexible side gig platform designed for the Nigerian audience that are looking to earn extra income through artisan work, short term jobs and weekend opportunities.

The platform creates an easy and reliable way for people to monetize their free time and also creates more jobs for people in the country.

  1. 1

    Create a reliable platform for flexible side gigs and artisan jobs

  2. 2

    Make earning extra income more accessible for low-income earners and young adults

  3. 3

    Simplify the process of finding trusted local help

  4. 4

    Connect people with a simpler and more relatable alternative to foreign freelancing platforms

Research Summary

We interviewed Nigerian freelancers and low-income earners to understand their struggles with finding flexible, trustworthy work. Their feedback revealed deep concerns around scams, upfront fees, and a lack of platforms built with the local context in mind. These insights guided us in shaping Hustle's features, from in-app messaging to transparent payments and identity verification.

Key insights: 88% lack awareness of local freelancing platforms, 84% do not use freelance platforms not designed for Nigerians, 84% prefer in-app messaging, 78% want a transparent payment method, 72% want a flexible platform, 50% think verification is important Key Insights — research statistics from user interviews Wireframing — lo-fi fidelity screens for onboarding, gig browsing, location, sign up and job details

User Personas

Meet

Fifehan Chukwuma

22yrs • 300 level college student

Allowance 20,000 naira bi-weekly

Fifehan Chukwuma, a 22 year old college student

Summary

Fifehan is a driven university student struggling to make ends meet with irregular financial support from her parents. She's eager to find flexible work opportunities that won't interfere with her studies while building relevant experience for her future career. Despite her vocational skills, she's been burned by fraudulent job posts online and is now extremely cautious about online opportunities.

Frustrations

  • Scam Anxiety: She has been a victim of a scam online where she provided services for a client and did not get paid.
  • Limited Capital: She cannot afford to pay the upfront fees that many platforms demand.
  • Lack of verification: She can't distinguish legitimate opportunities from fraudulent ones

Needs

  • Trust Indicators: Clear verification systems, user reviews, and platform credibility.
  • Low Barrier to Entry: Opportunities that don't require upfront payments or extensive experience.
  • Flexible Scheduling: Work opportunities that can accommodate her academic calendar.

Summary

Josiah's salary barely covers his family's growing expenses, especially with inflation and his child's education costs. He's looking for legitimate side hustles he can do during the weekends to supplement his income. His previous experiences with untrustworthy job platforms have made him skeptical, but financial pressure keeps pushing him to search for additional income sources.

Frustrations

  • Financial Pressure: Rising living costs and family responsibilities create urgent need for extra income
  • Skill Underutilization: Can't find platforms that properly value his accounting and analytical skills
  • Lack of Transparency: Unclear job descriptions and hidden terms that change after starting work

Needs

  • Income Reliability: Consistent opportunities that provide predictable supplementary income
  • Time Efficiency: High-value tasks that maximize earning potential within his limited available hours
  • Transparent Operations: Clear communication about job requirements, timelines, and payment terms

Meet

Josiah Badru

31yrs • Mid-level Accountant

Earns 80,000 naira p/m

Josiah Badru, a 31 year old mid-level accountant

Key Features

Hustle app key features — hustler screen mockups
Hustle app home screen showing personalised greeting, weekly earnings card, gig category pills and a list of nearby job listings
Personalized greetings
Categorization of Gigs
Well structured Gig Details
Hustle app home screen web mockup
  1. Home Screen

I designed a simple Home screen for users to have easy access to without feeling overwhelmed by the interface. I took into consideration that many skilled workers like traders, electricians, hairstylists etc. who may not be tech savvy are new to a platform like this.

To ensure they have a great first time experience using the app, I decided to use a clear navigation bar, transparent earnings, Gig categorization and clear booking information making the interface simple and accessible to everyone. The “For you” tab also suggests jobs based on the skills of users.

Hustle app Job Details page — Client Details showing client profile, star ratings, review excerpts and identity verification badges
Hustle app Job Details page — Job Summary showing the gig description, requirements and safety tips
  1. Job Details of Unbooked Gigs

To build trust, I ensured that Hustlers are well aware of the Client’s identity when they are about to apply for Gigs. They are well informed of the Safety tips to take before and during the process of the job.

There is 100% transparency about the job & client:

  • Verified clients means they are real clients who are posting real gigs on the platform.
  • Verified payment method means they have made payments for the Gig and just need a suitable person that can deliver.
  • Reviews and Ratings help Hustlers to make a decision whether to work for the clients or not.
  • Job Activity shows the number of applicants and if someone has been hired for it.
Hustle app client home screen showing a profile completion prompt, Quick Tasks shortcuts and a list of Top Hustlers nearby with their skills and distance
New Offers for Hustlers
Top Hustlers near you
Hustle app Applications screen showing the New Offers tab with active gig opportunities, offer counts and applicant message previews
  1. Applying for Gigs

The application flow is designed to be fast and transparent. Hustlers can see how many people have applied and read offer messages, while Clients can browse all applicants and select the best fit for their gig — keeping the process fair and visible for everyone involved.

A construction worker in a hard hat holding a phone running the Hustle app while browsing available gig listings
Hustle app client screen
Hustle app client home screen
Hustle app application offer screen
Hustle app applications completed offers screen
Hustle app My Payments screen showing wallet balance and transaction history
Hustle home screen showing personalised greeting, earnings card and gig listings with annotation callouts 1. Home Screen — design description
Job Summary tab showing gig description, requirements and safety tips with annotation callouts Client Details tab showing client profile, star ratings and identity verification badges 2. Job Details of Unbooked Gigs — design description
Booked job details with disabled Release button during the 48 hour protection window 3. Job Details of Booked Gigs — design description Release gig confirmation modal where the client approves or declines the Hustler's request
A construction worker in a hard hat holding a phone running the Hustle app
Hustle client onboarding — three screens showing task location, description entry and review before posting
Client home screen showing Top Hustlers and Quick Tasks shortcuts, with design description
Applications New Offers tab showing gig listings with applicant counts, with design description
Applications Completed tab showing past bookings with Book Again CTAs, with design description
Payments screen showing wallet balance, payment method and full transaction history, with design description

Visual Designs

Hustle app — grid of sixteen high-fidelity screens covering onboarding, identity verification, gig browsing, payments, applications and messaging

Style Guide

Hustle style guide — color palette: #1E40AF blue, #334155 slate, #262626 charcoal, #FF0808 red, #ED9C08 amber, #334155 green Hustle style guide — Manrope typeface in Regular, Medium and Semi Bold weights Hustle style guide — iconography set used across the app

Impact

After testing the prototype with few of my networks. I gained valuable insights into how the app affects user behavior and the significant impact it could have in the market.

Impact: 90% of users agree the payment details are clear and most of the information on the app is clear to everybody. Business impact: high conversion rates Business impact: immediate adoption rate. 89% of users agree the app is very easy to use and accessible to everyone willing to take on a second job Impact: 77% of users trust the app with their safety when applying to jobs and engaging with clients. Business impact: user adoption and retention
Impact: 90% of users agree the payment details are clear and most of the information on the app is clear to everybody. Business impact: high conversion rates Business impact: immediate adoption rate. 89% of users agree the app is very easy to use and accessible to everyone willing to take on a second job Impact: 77% of users trust the app with their safety when applying to jobs and engaging with clients. Business impact: user adoption and retention

Reflections

Reflections — Toyo sitting on rocks by the sea, looking out at the water. I learnt a lot within the span of 7 weeks. Challenges were faced while gathering research from skilled workers who are not savvy with technology, so I had to do some of the surveys in person. I was also faced with creative block for a short period which I later overcame after reading design books like Practical UI and Refactoring UI, and scrolling through Pinterest. This project has taught me how to prioritize solutions first before beautiful interface, and I was able to express myself vicariously through my designs.
Reflections — Toyo sitting on rocks by the sea. I learnt a lot within the span of 7 weeks. Challenges were faced while gathering research from skilled workers who are not savvy with technology, so I had to do some of the surveys in person. I was also faced with creative block for a short period which I later overcame after reading design books like Practical UI and Refactoring UI, and scrolling through Pinterest. This project has taught me how to prioritize solutions first before beautiful interface, and I was able to express myself vicariously through my designs.

I learnt a lot within the span of 7 weeks. Challenges were faced while I was gathering research from skilled workers who are not savvy with technology, so I had to do some of the surveys in person.

I was also faced with creative block for a short period which I later overcame after reading some Design Books like “Practical UI”, “Refactoring UI”, Scrolling through Pinterest. I was able to find my creative spark again.

This Project has taught me how to prioritize solutions first before beautiful interface and I was able to express myself vicariously through my Designs and I am happy to be able to share that part of myself with everyone 💙

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