Designing a trusted marketplace for connecting families with caregivers

Overview

Pikabu is a marketplace platform that connects parents looking for childcare or elderly care with professional caregivers.

By digitizing the traditional agency model, the platform reduces costs for both sides while creating a more transparent and accessible experience.

The product operates on a hybrid model serving three different user groups: parents, caregivers, and agencies ("Ambassadors").

My Role

I worked as a UI/UX Designer, focusing on building a trust-driven experience for a highly sensitive use case: finding a caregiver.

My main goal was to design a clear and efficient system that allows three different user types (parents, caregivers, and agencies) to interact seamlessly without complexity.

The Problem: High Costs, Low Transparency, and Fragmented Processes

In the traditional system:

• Parents had to pay high commissions just to meet a caregiver
• Caregivers had to give up a portion of their income to find jobs
• Agencies lacked digital tools to manage their portfolios and track operations
• There was no transparent system to follow applications, placements, and payments

These issues created friction, inefficiency, and a lack of trust across all user groups.

The Solution: A Multi-Sided, Trust-Focused Experience

I designed a structured marketplace experience tailored to three user types: parents, caregivers, and agencies.

• Parents can easily post jobs, filter candidates, and manage applications
• Caregivers can showcase their profiles and apply with minimal friction
• Agencies can manage caregivers, track placements, and monitor earnings

The platform also introduces transparent payment and commission flows, building trust across the entire ecosystem.

The Outcome

Pikabu transformed the traditional caregiver hiring model into a digital, accessible platform.

Thanks to the multi-panel system:

• Parents gained access to more affordable and transparent services
• Caregivers unlocked more job opportunities
• Agencies moved their operations into a scalable digital system

The platform successfully translated a complex matching system into a simple and approachable user experience.