PROJECT
Sharely is a startup driven by a huge ambition: to change the consumption habits of Swiss citizens.
OVERVIEW
“Own less, do more” is the claim that sums up our vision: why own and waste when you can be part of a circular community where objects are exchanged?
When I started working with Sharely, we were ambitious and had a clear vision, but we also faced many obstacles.
Beyond the economic situation, we had to understand every single aspect of the business. Usage data was missing, there was no product study, user feedback was absent, and we lacked a strong and recognizable brand image
CHALLENGES AND GOALS
Our goal was to understand the environment and user needs, fully grasp the products offered, investigate market demands, and modernize the platform to provide the requested features.
We quickly launched an MVP to gather data and develop a roadmap. Simultaneously, we initiated various user testing activities, including surveys and interviews with users familiar with the old version of Sharely.
After completing the initial phase, our objective was to develop a platform—similar to an e-commerce model—that facilitated item rentals. We aimed to meet stakeholder deadlines and achieve growth over time to attract potential investors.
THE DESIGN
By integrating analytics results from Hotjar, Metabase, and Google Analytics with other types of tests such as interviews, mapping, and user journey analysis, we began redesigning the existing parts of the platform and adding new functionalities.
The design encourages users not only to search for items using common e-commerce best practices but also to upload what they own. Features like an automatic price calculator show how the price is built. This approach helps Sharely create circularity and offer an ever-expanding choice of items.
The platform, designed for both desktop and mobile, is tailored to different user types, offering specific functionalities depending on whether the user is a private individual or a store.
A centralized dashboard allows all operational aspects to be managed in one place, providing not only transaction control but also messaging and review services, similar to a social media approach.
A significant part of the work focused on the item offerings. Using research tools like card sorting, we investigated which objects users associated with specific categories and what they were looking for.
THE TAKEAWAY
This project is particularly important to me because I’ve been involved since the very beginning.
Like every startup, we’ve experienced both incredible highs and challenging lows, but I’ve learned from every single experience.
- We’ve gone through three rounds of investment, increasing not only our funds but also the perceived value of the company.
- We’ve revitalized a struggling brand, growing the community from a few thousand members to tens of thousands of users.
- We’ve established partnerships with major Swiss companies such as DiePost, Migros, and Interdiscount
- By streamlining the user journey and adding new functionalities centered around user needs, we’ve significantly increased transactions on the website by 100% in 2022.
- We’ve also quintupled the number of items uploaded to our site, offering much more choice for every need.
