Huna
A freelance marketplace where reputation is built in public.
Freelancers in the Arab world struggle to get seen and to get paid safely. Global platforms are transactional and take a cut.
Make reputation public with a social feed, and keep work and money in one place: bids, projects, inbox, wallet.
A web app and mobile app: feed with posts and polls, projects and bids, dashboard, wallet, inbox, search, freelancer/client switch.
- What we did
- UX research
- UX/UI design
- Web + mobile
- Sector
- Freelance marketplace + social network
- Market
- Jordan · MENA
The insight
Getting paid is the worry
Work is growing. Trust in payment is not.
- +142%MENA freelancer sign-ups, 2022 to 2023Outsized via HR Observer, Mar 2024
- 44.6%of Jordan’s platform workers earn JOD 100 or less a projectILO via Jordan Times (n=323)
- 0–15%Upwork’s fee on each freelancer contractUpwork help centre
Who it’s for
Both sides of the deal
Primary persona
Graduate freelancer
Talented, new, and invisible next to veterans.
Designer or writer · Amman · freelancing alongside other income
Wants to be judged on the work.
Synthesised from research, not a quote
Goals
- Win the first paying clients
- Build a public track record
- Get paid on time, without heavy fees
Frustrations
- Invisible next to established profiles
- Late or missing payment
- Client talks scattered across apps
Behaviours
- Bids on many small projects
- Shares work on social media to be found
- Combines several income sources
What it means for the design
- A social feed for public reputation
- One dashboard for bids and projects
- A wallet with protected payouts
Job to be done
When I’m looking for (or offering) freelance work in the Arab world, I want to see proof of who’s good and be sure the money is safe, so I can work with strangers without risk.
SME client
Startup owner in the Gulf who needs vetted Arabic-speaking talent fast.
Search, profiles, project dashboard
Hybrid user
Freelances and hires; doesn’t want two identities.
Freelancer/client switch
Proto-personas · built from desk research, competitor review and the design file · assumptions to validate with client data
Customer journey
From first post to first payout
The graduate freelancer, finding work for the first time.
| Stage | 01Join | 02Get seen | 03Win work | 04Deliver | 05Get paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doing | Signs up after graduating | Posts work, follows clients | Bids on projects | Shares files and updates | Withdraws earnings |
| Touchpoints | Friends, social media | Profile, feed | Search, bids | Inbox, files | Wallet, bank |
| On their mind | How do I get a first client? | Will anyone see my work? | Which bids are still open? | Is the brief clear? | When do I get paid? |
| Feeling | |||||
| Pain points | No portfolio, no reviews | Invisible next to veterans | Bids lost in inboxes | Talks scattered across apps | Late pay, transfer fees |
| Opportunity → design | One profile for both roles | Feed with posts and polls | Dashboard of bids and projects | Inbox with files and voice notes | Wallet with cards and payouts |
Current-state journey · Proto-journey from desk research and the shipped design · to validate with client data
User flow
From post to payout
The freelancer’s loop, on one platform.
- 01Feed · post your work
- 02Search · find a project
- Bid accepted?No → keep bidding
- 03Inbox · brief and files
- 04Dashboard · track it
- 05Wallet · get paid
Feed
A job board that feels social
Posts, polls and project updates, so work is seen.
Feed · posts and polls · Feed, mobile
Work and money
Projects and pay in one view
Active projects, bids and balance, side by side.
Find and talk
From search to signed brief
Search people or projects. Brief them in the inbox.
Mobile
The whole job in a pocket
Dashboard, chat and feed, built for one hand.
Design decisions
Every choice has a reason
What we chose, and the evidence behind it.
- 01
A social feed
Upwork, Fiverr and Mostaql are transactional. Posts and polls build reputation in public, closer to LinkedIn.
Competitor review, Oct 2026
- 02
A wallet on day one
Low, unstable pay and scams are the documented problems for Jordan’s platform workers.
ILO “Platform work in Jordan”
- 03
One dashboard for bids
Freelancers juggle several bids. One status view replaces digging through messages.
Our reading
- 04
Freelancer/client switch
Many people do both. One identity carries reputation across both roles.
Our reading
