Delivered a high-fidelity prototype of the product vision that helped secure internal investment from Cargill’s Digital Business Studio.
Client
Cargill /Google
Year
2022
Reskued is a food waste management platform helping food distributors identify inventory at risk of becoming waste and connect it with local buyers before it expires. Developed by Cargill in partnership with Google, the platform leverages AI and predictive analytics to surface near-expiration products and offer them at a discount to non-profits and businesses in the community. By creating a marketplace for surplus inventory, Reskued helps reduce food waste, support local food security, and improve warehouse efficiency
The Challenge
Imagine pallets of food nearing expiration in warehouses across the U.S., destined for landfills, while local businesses and non-profits need affordable options.
How can we leverage technology to bridge the gap?
Business Context
Before Reskued, food distributors struggled with:
No streamlined way to identify and manage near-expiration inventory.
Large volumes of food going to waste daily due to inaccurate forecasting and limited redistribution options.
Lack of tools to connect surplus inventory with local buyers or food banks efficiently.
When I joined the project, the goal was to bring this concept to life and secure funding from Cargill’s Digital Business Studio. Through early design work and prototypes, we were able to pitch the idea and secure initial investment to begin building the product.
The UX/UI Challenge
Designing a vision: Create a clear product vision and interactive prototype that could secure stakeholder buy-in and funding.
Dual-platform design: Build intuitive workflows for both warehouse teams and local buyers, streamlining the identification and purchase of surplus inventory.
From concept to MVP: Evolve early prototypes into functional designs for a warehouse app and mobile marketplace, aligning with a growing product team and external developers.
My Role
Lead UX/UI Designer • Web Designer
2022-2023
Research and Discovery
I joined the project during its early concept phase, collaborating with Cargill and Google teams to define user needs and product requirements. Drawing from prior research visits to distributor warehouses, we focused on identifying key pain points in managing near-expiration inventory. Early design work centered on mapping user flows, aligning business needs with technical feasibility, and creating an interactive prototype to secure initial funding. This foundation guided product strategy and shaped the design of both the warehouse app and buyer marketplace.
Key Solutions
Prototype to Secure Funding
I created the first interactive prototype to communicate the product vision and support funding efforts. This prototype helped secure investment from Cargill's Digital Business Studio and laid the foundation for product development.
Following the funding round, I translated the concept into scalable UI designs for both platforms and collaborated with Google and the development team. I led the design for the MVP, aligning business goals with technical feasibility.
Dual Platform Design (MVP)
I designed the MVP versions of two connected applications to serve both sides of the marketplace — food distributors and local buyers. Each platform was tailored to their specific workflows, ensuring a seamless experience from warehouse to community.
Warehouse Tablet App: Enabled distributors to identify near-expiration inventory, manage listings efficiently, and track items surfaced to the marketplace in real time.
Buyer Mobile App: Allowed local businesses and non-profits to discover, purchase, or claim discounted surplus inventory based on location and availability.
Warehouse Tablet App
Buyer Mobile App
Custom Illustrations
II created custom illustrations to represent product categories, since real photography wasn’t allowed in the MVP. These visuals made the interface clearer and more engaging for both distributors and buyers.
Website Design and Brand Alignment
I designed and iterated the Reskued website, evolving it through multiple iterations to reflect the developing brand and product story. These designs served as key marketing assets during the initial phase of the project, showcasing the concept to potential stakeholders and partners.
First Version
Evolution
Results and Impact
Key Learnings
Cohesive UX across audiences: Creating experiences for two distinct user groups taught me to balance different needs while maintaining a cohesive product.
Design should serve both users and business: Early focused prototypes helped stakeholders see the vision and believe in it enough to fund it.
Good design must be flexible and adapt with the team: From shifting development partners to a growing brand, the designs had to flex, scale, and stay clear, even when everything else changed.
Cross-functional collaboration is key: Working with Google team, Cargill team, and developers showed me how design can bridge technical capabilities with business goals.