Turning a Clunky Platform Into a Scalable Marketplace
The Challenge
WastePlace is a B2B2C marketplace connecting haulers with businesses and residents for waste and junk services. When I joined as VP of Product Design, the platform suffered from unclear workflows, high checkout drop-off, and friction on both sides of the marketplace. The product needed a top-to-bottom redesign that improved usability, scaled with the business, and proved ROI quickly.
How I Tackled It
As a player/coach design leader, I oversaw the full redesign effort while staying hands-on with critical flows. I worked closely with leadership and engineering to reimagine quoting, checkout, and hauler onboarding. My focus was balancing speed of delivery with strong design fundamentals, building a system that could scale with the marketplace as demand grew.
From Sketch to Prototype
Utilizing the Lean Startup Methodology, we ran design workshops with internal teams, prototyped revised booking and quote flows, and tested with both haulers and customers to identify friction points. Quick prototypes helped us validate pricing displays, service area clarity, and communication touchpoints before shipping. This kept the team aligned and gave engineering confidence in what to build.
The Impact
Improved the quote-to-checkout flow, leading to a 35% increase in listing rates
Reduced booking cancellations through clearer service areas and upfront pricing
Built a scalable design system that enabled faster iteration and consistent UI across the platform
Strengthened customer trust with post-booking communication features like driver ETA and photo proof of service
Why It Matters
WastePlace proved how design can directly drive marketplace growth and revenue. By reducing friction in core workflows, we not only improved the customer experience but also unlocked supply-side efficiency. The redesign became a foundation for scaling the business and creating long-term value.
