Case Study

Scouted

Algorithmic Marketplace & Double-Sided Enterprise UX

Role

Lead Product Architect & Design Director

Timeline & Location

April 2016 (5 Months)
New York, USA

Platforms & Engagement

Responsive Web Application (2nd Phase of Product Dev)

Services Delivered

Marketplace UX/UI Architecture, Concept Workshops, Wireframing & Prototyping, Brand Integration, Front-End Code Delivery

Executive Summary

Architecting a two-sided marketplace that unifies candidate storytelling with enterprise hiring algorithms.

Scouted is a New York EdTech recruiting platform connecting university graduates with top-tier companies based on career goals, core values, and qualitative traits. Founded by former Bridgewater Associates talent executives, Scouted engaged me as Lead Product Architect to overhaul their multi-dashboard SaaS ecosystem. I designed a two-sided marketplace architecture that replaced static resume screening with predictive talent analytics, standardized candidate video stories, and production-ready code. By bridging quantitative match algorithms with human talent insights, the platform achieved a 6x boost in hiring efficiency and an 80% job offer conversion rate.

Impact at a Glance

Efficiency
6x Hiring Efficiency

Streamlined candidate evaluation workflows reduced client review overhead sixfold.

Conversion
80% Job Offer Rate

Algorithmic matching combined with qualitative talent insights produced an exceptionally high offer conversion rate.

Reach
500+ Schools Onboarded

Direct access to university talent across hundreds of institutions nationwide.

Retention
95% Job Satisfaction

Precise alignment between soft skills, company culture, and role requirements supported long-term placement retention.

The Challenge

Beyond the PDF resume

Traditional entry-level hiring relies heavily on GPAs and static resumes, failing to capture candidate potential, interpersonal skills, and cultural fit. Employers struggled with high resume-screening overhead, while candidates lacked clarity on where they stood in the hiring funnel.

How do you architect a double-sided marketplace that balances automated algorithmic matching with human talent insights, while delivering dedicated workflows for both job seekers and enterprise recruiters?
Phase 01

Marketplace Architecture & Onboarding UX

I architected the end-to-end marketplace logic to seamlessly bridge candidate discovery with enterprise recruitment workflows:

  • Two-Sided Platform Strategy: Mapped the complete system architecture connecting job seekers, internal talent managers, and enterprise employers.
  • Candidate Story Onboarding: Structured a multi-step profile builder and virtual video submission workflow capturing qualitative traits without drop-off.
  • Culture Matching Engine: Designed a comparative trait matrix that replaced vague survey questions with structured data points to power algorithmic talent matching.
Phase 02

Dual Dashboard SaaS Architecture

I architected two distinct, highly specialised dashboard environments tailored to each user group's mental models:

  • Candidate Story & Synthesis View: Integrated video snippets, resume PDFs, and cultural preferences into a single scannable interface for recruiters.
  • Enterprise Pipeline Management: Designed an employer dashboard categorising talent by pipeline stage (Review, Keep Warm, Interview, Offer) with match percentages.
  • Real-Time Application Tracker: Built actionable candidate cards tracking active batches, match scores, and interview preparation resources.
Phase 03

Front-End Delivery & Developer Handoff

To accelerate product release and preserve design precision, I translated the marketplace interface into production-ready code templates:

  • Modular Web Components: Built clean, semantic HTML5 and CSS3 prototypes for all candidate and employer portal views.
  • Responsive Architecture: Ensured seamless performance across desktop, tablet, and mobile web browsers for video submissions on the go.
  • Engineering Enablement: Provided fully formatted code templates to the client's engineering team, accelerating backend integration by several months.

Strategic Takeaways

Key learnings from the build

01

Two-Sided Marketplace Logic

Dividing candidate and recruiter experiences into dedicated dashboards reduced cognitive friction and improved daily platform engagement.

02

Qualitative Data Visualisation

Integrating video interviews directly alongside algorithmic match scores enabled recruiters to evaluate soft skills instantly.

03

Lean Development Strategy

Conducting upfront concept workshops and HTML/CSS prototyping saved months of full-stack engineering overhead.

Capabilities & Tech Stack

What powered the build

UX Architecture & Strategy

Two-Sided Marketplace Logic Candidate Storytelling & Video UX Algorithmic Matching Dashboards Wireframing & User Journey Mapping Enterprise Employer Workflows

Brand & Visual Design

UI Design System Brand Identity Integration

Front-End & Execution

HTML5 & CSS3 Responsive Web Design Interactive Code Prototypes
© 2026 Sky Rivers Design · Privacy Policy Creative Direction · Product Architecture · Retention Strategy