React Native App Of The Week: Pared

Onboarding

The initial splash screen is pretty clean, however, the placement of the text and slider dots is a bit confusing and based on patterns in other apps, it feels like a bug. The current position of the dots is where users typically would expect to see an icon or illustration. If you were to add illustrations, the dots would move toward the bottom and the text could remain where it is. If no illustrations are available, push down the text and move it closer to the dots to create a visual relationship through proximity.

Sign Up

The sign up process is really smooth. Each step is split up into easily digestible chunks. The next button is pinned above the keyboard which makes it easy to jump to the next field. The phone verification code process is quick and the user is able to fill the code from their clipboard. The business name lookup feature is really useful. It makes it quick for users to find and add a business, as well ask helps in reducing junk data in the app database. The same goes for roles. By listing the roles based on a search, users can quickly select the right one for them, and the database stays cleaner than allowing anyone to add any role name they want.

Mandatory Data for App Use

The app appears to require work history to use it. There is no option to skip the work history portion of sign up. And closing out of the Add Experience view takes you back to the onboarding step progress. Consider adding the ability for users with no work history to be able to sign up and see the features of the app. You could then restrict the advanced features of the app, such as applying for a gig to users who have added work history. At the point of applying for a gig, prompt the user with no work history listed, to add it before proceeding.

Profile Photo Edge Case

The profile camera functionality works smoothly and the ability to crop the photo is nice. However there is an edge case where a user who has selected a photo from their camera roll changes their mind and wants to take a new photo with their camera. It seems there is no way to do that during sign up. There is also no way of removing any photos. After a photo is set, when a user taps on the thumbnail, give them the option to remove the photos, select new from library, or take a new photo.

Localized Content

The initial job search card is amazing. It is clear that location plays a key role in finding jobs, and this makes it easy for users to set their location. But this comes to the key problem of the app. Because the use of this app is highly localized, it relies on an abundance of job postings in every metro area. Where I'm located, there are over 2.5 million people within 50 miles, but there are no job postings within that range.

As the app and the business continue to grow this should become less of an issue. I do feel though, that there isn't a clear enough message around why there are no nearby jobs. A call-to-action to post a job or tell your employer about the app would make a "no results found" view into an opportunity, rather than a disappointment.

Feature Overload

The app has loads more features like applying for a job, posting a job, activity feeds, networks, messaging, groups, profile building. And to be honest, each of them works really smoothly. It's a really polished app. However, where I think this app struggles is the breadth of features. It's ultimately unclear what the purpose of the app is. You can meet peers or leaders, chat with groups, look for and apply for jobs, and even post jobs. The simplicity of locating and applying for a job in the app is astounding, but unfortunately it lives in the shadow of all of the other features. The app almost feels as though it could be split into:

1. an app for employers to post jobs and manage candidates,
2. an app to apply for jobs, and
3. a social network for those in the restaurant industry

Conclusion

There’s a lot more to this React Native application that we didn’t review today. If you are interested in learning more about how FullStack Labs can help you with your React Native app, or if you’re looking to hire React Native Developers, please let us know and we’d be happy to arrange a free consultation.