Turning Raw Data into Market Intelligence.
A Netherlands-based global sustainability initiative held the world's most valuable dataset on smallholder farming. We performed a UX/UI overhaul to transform their static "Data Repository" into a dynamic "Decision Engine."
The "Academic" Trap
The client is a global heavy-hitter in sustainable trade, managing multi-million dollar coalitions to improve smallholder farming value chains across Africa and Asia.
Over the years, they had aggregated a massive, proprietary dataset on Service Delivery Models (SDMs)—analyzing the financial viability of farms.
The Friction: They had built a digital platform to share this data, but it suffered from the "Academic Trap." It was dense, hard to navigate, and designed for researchers, not decision-makers. Banks, agribusinesses, and investors—the people who actually needed this data to fund farmers—couldn't extract quick insights. The platform was effectively a "Digital Library" where good data went to sleep.
Speaking "Code" and "Soil"
The client didn't need a generic design agency; they needed a partner who understood the difference between a "User" and a "Smallholder Farmer."
The intersection of our expertise:
Domain: Our extensive work in African agriculture and rural development.
Tech: Our capability in modern SaaS product development.
Because we understood the context of the data (the reality of the field), we could design a UI that respected the complexity without overwhelming the user.
From "Non-Profit" to "Product Mindset"
We initiated a comprehensive UI/UX Audit of their existing portal.
The "Go-To-Human" Discovery: The platform was being treated as a "Grant Deliverable"—something to prove impact to donors. We shifted the lens. We asked: "What if this was a commercial SaaS product?"
We helped the organization see that their data wasn't just "Charity transparency"; it was High-Value Market Intelligence. Commercial banks and investors would pay attention (and potentially pay money) if the data could prove the ROI of investing in smallholder crops.
The Intelligence Hub
We delivered a complete Product Redesign Blueprint that prioritized "Time-to-Insight."
1. The Navigation Overhaul We moved away from academic jargon. We restructured the information architecture so a user could filter by "Crop," "Country," or "Business Model" in three clicks or less.
2. Visualization vs. Tabulation We replaced static tables with interactive data visualizations. Users could now see the financial viability gaps in a supply chain rather than reading about them.
3. The Revenue Roadmap We advised on a "Freemium" architecture—keeping the high-level impact data open (for the mission) while ring-fencing deep-dive analytics for potential future monetization (for sustainability).
A Tool for Investment, Not Just Research.
The audit and redesign prepared the platform for its next phase of global scale.
User Experience
Frictionless Journey Reduced the "Time-to-Insight" for financial analysts looking to assess farm viability.
Strategy
Commercial Readiness Transitioned the platform architecture to support future B2B revenue streams, reducing donor dependence.
Asset
Professional Grade Elevated the visual identity from "NGO Project" to "Fintech-Grade Data Platform."
