Case Study
ShipIt is an app that aims to crowdsource international shipping. Shipping overseas is often prohibitively expensive, even for very small objects (such as documents and small electronics). ShipIt connects people who want to ship things internationally with every day travelers who want to make a little extra money carrying other people's goods on their trip.
Challenges
There were a plethora of design and business challenges due to the international nature of the product as well as the inclusion of 3rd party users outside of the app. Localization, shipping risk, international customs and fees, and coordinating between users both in and out of the app were all problems that we had to address. But, probaby our biggest challenge was building trust in the platform and among users. How can we ask someone to give a valuable item to a complete stranger and have faith that the flyer will actually deliver the item? How does the flyer know that the item that's been given to them is safe to carry?
Sign Up
To help build trust, we asked users to upload a profile photo, as well as verify their mobile number. This also helps users know who they're meeting ahead of time.
Creating a Listing
When creating a listing, a user must add a photo of the unboxed item, additional details (size, weight, etc), and a monetary value for the item. They also include how much they're willing to pay someone to carry the item.
Tracking Your Shipment
Both the shipper and flyer can monitor the progress of the transaction and flight status through the app. Once the flyer lands, they will need to contact the recipient to deliver the item. Once the flyer enters the confirmation code, the shipment is considered completed.
Browsing Flights
Flyers can manually browse posted shipments and offer to carry an item.