Raiz
ROLE
SCOPE
TOOLS
Claude, Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
My Approach
Trust has to be visible, not assumed
People in El Bierzo are skeptical of unknown online sellers. I designed every producer profile around real farm photos, exact location on map, transparent production methods, and verified badges. Trust isn't built by saying "local quality products", it's built by showing the farmer's face, his land, and his production methods before you buy anything.
Seasonal context at the right moment
Most people don't know when things are in season and rather than hiding unavailable products, I integrated seasonal context at decision moments: "Cherries available June–July. Sign up for a notification when harvest begins." This builds anticipation instead of frustration, and keeps users engaged year-round.
Two sides, two experiences
Consumers and farmers have different needs and technical comfort levels. Consumers expect discovery and fast checkout and traditional farmers need simplified order management. I designed two interfaces: one built around category-first navigation and one stripped down to what farmers actually need: orders, inventory, delivery.
Key Takeaways from Research
01
Philosophy before aesthetics
Early versions focused on tactical design choices without first establishing the concept. Once I defined Raíz's core philosophy (direct, honest, local) every visual decision became obvious.
02
Two-sided platforms fail when one side is ignored
Optimizing only for consumer convenience while adding complexity for producers breaks the whole system. Both experiences needed equal intention — different interfaces, same level of care.
03
Familiarity reduces friction more than novelty
Users explore more confidently when the pattern feels familiar. Category-first navigation, matching how people already shop for groceries reduced the learning curve.
Key Takeaways from Research
01
Trust requires evidence not persuasion
I initially thought building trust meant writing compelling copy about quality and local sourcing but I learned trust comes from verifiable evidence like people's face, farm location on map, reviews from neighbors.
02
Give context is also education
The design challenge wasn't creating educational content about when tomatoes grow, it was integrating seasonal awareness at decision moments, it teaches through context when it matters
03
Opposing needs require separate solutions
I assumed I'd need to compromise between consumer expectations (sleek, fast) and farmer capabilities (simple, minimal). But good dual-sided design creates distinct optimized experiences for each user type.
