Early Phase Charity App Discovery

Challenge

Design a platform for two distinct audiences, donors with surplus goods and recipients in need, while avoiding pitfalls like inactive users and “time‑wasters.” No product or user base existed; without solving this, retention would fail to justify a full build.

Approach

Ran segmented focus groups with donors (~5) and recipients (~5) to uncover needs, blockers, and trust barriers

• Built a vertical slice prototype to test core flows: browse → match → donation → incentives

• Introduced incentive loops: nominal recipient fee donated to local causes, optional donor match, prize‑draw tickets via local partners

• Created brand identity and audience‑specific messaging

• Designed hyper‑local go‑to‑market strategy leveraging towns, businesses, and community networks

Impact

🔍 Validated demand: Both audiences engaged with refined concept
🧭 Clarity: Feature set and value loop refined from testing
🎯 Launch readiness: Local‑first rollout plan primed for pilot
💡 Collateral: Investor‑ready mockups + brand kit

Context + Challenge

• Double‑sided marketplace from scratch, no existing supply or demand

• Similar apps often fail due to inactive listings, lack of trust, poor UX

• Objective: build a trustworthy, rewarding flow that keeps both sides active, which is critical for adoption and LTV

My Role

• Partner + lead on product strategy, UX/UI, branding, and research

• Aided in a discovery‑first approach to minimise wasted dev effort

• Set success criteria: desirability, usability, viability signals pre‑build

Process at-a-glance

Research + Insights → Actions

• Donors: Wanted transparency of impact → added donation tracking + optional match feature

• Recipients: Needed reliability + dignity → added nominal fee donated to vetted local causes

• Both: Motivated by community → added prize‑draw tickets for actions, prizes from local business sponsors

Solution Highlights

Prototyping + Iteration

• Built slice covering:

  • Browsing + discovery

  • Match/request flow

  • Payment/donation

  • Ticket‑earning

• Testing revealed confusion around prize‑draw entry → simplified copy + UI → 80% of testers said flow felt “clear and easy”

Branding + Comms

• Friendly, trustworthy visual identity

• Separate onboarding journeys + messaging for donors vs recipients

Route‑to‑Market

• Hyper‑local town‑by‑town rollout

• Partnered with businesses/charities for credibility + promotion

• Iterative scale model to adapt messaging + UX from live feedback

Impact/Outcomes

🔍 Validated demand: Both sides expressed strong intent to use post‑refinement
🧭 Strategic clarity: Tested, documented local‑first playbook
💡 Investor‑ready: Mockup + brand kit for pitches
📊 Risk reduction: Removed friction points pre‑build; >80% tester clarity score on refined flows

Reflection

This project reinforced that early, segment‑specific research is the fastest, lowest‑cost way to surface adoption risks before build. By designing a value loop that rewarded and connected both sides of the marketplace, we created the conditions for sustained engagement, an approach I now apply to any multi‑audience product to drive retention and long‑term viability.