LiquiDonate
Challenge
Donation process was very manual, making it slow and hard to scale. Investors pushed for a more automated, scalable solution.
Impact
Automatically pair Shopify returns with nonprofits in need and facilitate donations instantly.
Solution
The MVP generated $0.5 million worth of items in donations, surpassing the previous year's revenue within 4 months.
The problem
After receiving numerous rejections from VCs about the scalability potential of our business, we realized we needed to make a change. Our current business model wasn't working, so we had to find a way to make it more scalable.
To tackle this challenge, the entire tech team (the CTO, two developers, and myself, the designer) worked together.
The solution
We needed to come up with a solution that could scale and address a significant user problem with massive potential. And we did. Returns! A $817 billion issue. Around 17% of sold items are returned in the US alone.
To achieve our goal, we had to not only come up with a solution but also validate it. We needed to automate the process as much as possible.
There were three key flows to automate:
How customers return items
How retailers process and handle returns
How nonprofits receive donations
The implementation
Part 1: Nonprofits
Since we already had donations coming through our platform, our first step was to reduce the time it took for an item to be donated. This meant making it as easy as possible for nonprofits to receive items.
Using the information they provided during the onboarding process, combined with an algorithm our developers created, we were able to instantly match and send new donations to nonprofits.
The implementation
Part 2: Retailers
On the retailer side, building something for e-commerce businesses was a no-brainer. Where could we easily find a large number of online shops? Shopify, of course!
We developed an app for Shopify stores that allowed retailers to not only manage returns but also set up automated workflows to determine what should happen with each return. This way, retailers could donate new returns instantly without any extra effort on their part.
The implementation
Part 3: Customers
Since we already had donations coming through our platform, our first step was to reduce the time it took for an item to be donated. This meant making it as easy as possible for nonprofits to receive items.
Using the information they provided during the onboarding process, combined with an algorithm our developers created, we were able to instantly match and send new donations to nonprofits.
The challenge
As the project progressed, I faced a major design challenge. Our product had three interconnected parts (Shopify admin dashboard, LiquiDonate dashboard, and our website). Keeping the functionality and design consistent across them proved difficult. Misalignments surfaced, causing a disjointed user experience.
To solve this, I created a detailed map of every connection between the platforms. This visual guide helped us identify and fix the gaps, ensuring a smooth and cohesive design across all parts.
The outcome
We onboarded two of our existing clients to test our MVP. After just four months, more than $0.5 million worth of items were donated, generating more revenue than the entire previous year.
My contribution and learnings
My contribution to the project included designing all three parts of the product, conducting research on competitors, and collaborating closely with the developers to ensure smooth implementation of the designs.
What I learned from this experience is that creating a large, complex product requires a deep understanding of all its parts, clear and detailed documentation, and constant communication with stakeholders. Staying aligned through regular updates is crucial to ensuring everything runs smoothly and meets the project’s goals.
Nicole Brose
Director of Marketing