Local Harvest Digital Network
01 — Overview
Local Harvest is a cooperative of over 50 rural farmers in the UK who wanted to reach urban consumers directly, cutting out middlemen and increasing their margins while offering fresher produce at fair prices.
02 — The Challenge
Farmers had no digital presence and relied on traditional market stalls and word-of-mouth. Urban consumers increasingly wanted to buy local but had no convenient way to discover and purchase from rural producers. The existing supply chain involved multiple intermediaries, adding cost and reducing freshness.
03 — Research
I spent 3 weeks visiting farms and urban markets, interviewing 15 farmers and 20 consumers. I documented the complete journey from farm to table, identifying 7 friction points. User personas revealed two distinct needs: farmers needed simplicity, while consumers wanted variety and convenience.
04 — UX Process
I designed a dual-sided marketplace with separate flows for farmers (inventory management) and consumers (discovery and ordering). Wireframes went through 5 iterations, with the biggest insight being that farmers needed a one-tap listing process while consumers wanted visual browsing.
05 — UI Design
The design uses warm, earthy tones and photography-forward layouts to convey freshness and authenticity. The farmer dashboard is intentionally simple with large touch targets. Consumer-facing pages feature seasonal produce calendars and farm stories.
06 — Testing & Iteration
Prototype testing with 8 farmers and 12 consumers validated the dual-flow approach. Farmers could list products in under 30 seconds. Consumer checkout completion rate was 82% in testing, up from the 45% industry average.
07 — Final Solution
A mobile-first marketplace platform connecting farmers directly with consumers. Features include real-time inventory updates, subscription boxes, seasonal produce calendars, farmer profiles with story-driven content, and a streamlined checkout process.
08 — Outcome
340% growth in mobile orders within the first year. 50+ farmers onboarded with zero technical barriers. Average delivery time reduced from 3 days to same-day. Customer retention rate of 78% through subscription model. Farmer income increased by 45% on average.
09 — What I Learned
This project taught me that designing for two very different user groups requires radical simplification for the less technical user. The farmers didn't need a beautiful interface — they needed one that worked in 30 seconds with dirty hands on a phone screen.