FreeCycle — A local sharing platform empowering communities through sustainable exchanges.

Lead Product Designer (Branding, UX Research, UI Design, Prototyping)

Scope: Full-cycle product design (branding + UX research + UX/UI design + prototyping)

UX Strategy

Branding & Visual Identity

User-Centered Design

Accessibility-first Design

Mobile UI/UX (Figma)

Usability Testing & Iteration

Visual identity

User research findings

High-fidelity mobile prototypes

Usability testing insights

Many communities lack accessible, simple tools to share unused goods and support local initiatives. FreeCycle was designed to bridge this gap — connecting neighbors, reducing waste, and strengthening local resilience through a user-friendly mobile platform.

Design an easy-to-use app for sharing goods, services, and fostering community interactions

Prioritize accessibility and inclusion from the first click

Strengthen local connections through eco-conscious features that encourage sustainable living

Design an intuitive app for diverse age groups and tech abilities

Build trust through clear branding and consistent UX

Promote local engagement around sustainability

Conducted user interviews and surveys to understand community needs and barriers to sharing.

Built personas and empathy maps to guide design decisions.

Analyzed similar platforms and extracted best practices for local engagement and accessibility.

Developed a friendly, community-driven visual identity focused on trust and approachability.

Defined a soft, accessible color palette and clean typography to support diverse user groups.

Created a consistent design system to ensure coherence across screens.

Designed user flows and wireframes for core actions: browsing, posting, communicating.

Focused on clear navigation, minimal cognitive load, and mobile-first interaction design.

Integrated accessibility principles from the start (color contrast, tap targets, text clarity).

Built a high-fidelity interactive prototype in Figma.

Conducted usability testing sessions with representative users.

Iterated the design based on feedback: simplified navigation, improved onboarding flow, enhanced community features.

After the first round of usability testing, I gathered key insights from users and stakeholders and implemented four targeted improvements:

Localization feature: enabling users to view nearby listings

Public chat function: supporting open community discussions

Enhanced search filters: helping users quickly find relevant items

Review system: allowing users to share feedback and build trust within the community

These focused updates resulted in a more intuitive, inclusive, and trust-driven platform. The iterative approach helped align the app with real user needs and strengthened its community impact.

By refining FreeCycle App through real user feedback and thoughtful design iterations, I helped build an app that empowers people to share more, waste less, and create stronger, greener communities.