Making the Gig Economy Work for Workers: An Exploration of Freelancing Platforms

Freelancing platforms, such as Upwork and Fiverr, have enabled virtual spaces for freelancers to advertise, deliver, and charge for their services worldwide with reduced uncertainty. However, freelancing platforms, like other types of gig work, present challenges for workers such as opaque regulations, ranking systems, and power imbalances that can negatively impact workers' experiences. While research in the gig economy has gained more attention recently, most studies have looked at mainstream platforms, such as Uber, leaving other types of gig work underexplored. Therefore, my PhD will use qualitative and co-design methods to expand the understanding of freelancing platforms' issues and provide design recommendations for improving freelancers' working experiences.