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recykalSeller Marketplace · Android app
The outcome
Less calling. Less guessing. More selling.
Three releases later, the phone stopped ringing. Each number below comes from a system we could query: app analytics, ops call logs and payout records.
Calls to the supply team per order1.14.2 calls in phase 174% fewer callsOps call logs, tagged by reason
Delivery to final payment2 days30 to 45 days by phonePaid on a known dateFinance payout records
Sign up to verified seller15 min3 days in phase 1Live PAN, GSTIN and bankApp analytics, median
To list a truckload2m 40s9 min in phase 1Rate and payout up frontApp analytics, median
Where the time went when listing a truckloadMedian task time from app analytics
Phase 1Category and dropdownabout 9 min
Phase 3Photo, rate and payout2m 40s
Photo and rate, quantity, photos, review. No call needed.
01 · The old way
Selling one truck of scrap took days of phone calls.
Before the app, a seller's tools were a phone, WhatsApp, a paper weighment slip and a notebook. This is what a single sale looked like for Rajesh, who runs a plastic yard in Delhi.
Day 1 · 9 AMCalls traders for a rateFour or five calls. Every trader quotes a different number.
No reference price
Day 1 · 1 PMSends photos on WhatsAppBlurry pictures, then haggling over grade and moisture.
Grade disputes start here
Day 2Waits for a truckPickup is promised for the morning. It arrives after lunch, or the next day.
Labour sits idle
Day 3Weighs and hands over slipsPaper weighment slip and invoice go with the driver.
Proof gets lost
Day 3 to 45Chases the moneyPayments land in parts with no order reference. More calls.
Cash flow stuck
Every hop took a cutHow scrap moved before a marketplace
SellerYard ownerLowest price
Local traderCollects lotsTakes a cut
AggregatorBulks and gradesTakes a cut
RecyclerBuys in bulkInconsistent supply
The seller, who did the hardest work, saw the lowest price and the slowest money.
The seller's toolkit
Phone callsFor rates, pickup and payment status
WhatsApp photosTo show grade and quantity
Paper weighment slipThe only proof of weight
Notebook ledgerTo match payments to loads
Cheques and transfersArriving in parts, weeks later
02 · The need
Buyers wanted steady supply. Sellers wanted a fair, certain sale. Nobody connected them.
Recykal already worked with 500+ verified recyclers who needed predictable tonnes of clean material. The supply sat in thousands of small yards that only spoke on the phone.
Supply sideSellersRecyclers, aggregators, kabadiwalasRecykal SellerOne app for price, pickup, documents and payment
Demand sideBuyers500+ verified recycling plantsThe betIf a seller can see the price, book the truck and track the money on their phone, supply comes to the platform on its own.
03 · Discovery
We spent the first sprints at scrap yards, not in Figma.
Four inputs told us what to build first. Everything we heard went onto one wall.
Yard visitsWe watched loading, weighing and paperwork at plastic and metal yards around Delhi and Hyderabad.
Seller interviewsOwners, supervisors and accountants, in Hindi and English, at the yard and on the phone.
Ops call logsWe tagged calls to the supply team by reason. Rate, pickup time and payment status led.
Stakeholder workshopsSales, ops and finance mapped every manual step behind one order.
The affinity wallNotes paraphrased from yard visits and interviews
Price14I only sell when I know the rate.Every trader says a different number.Rates change daily, my notebook doesn’t.
Pickup11My labour waits half a day for the truck.Nobody tells me which truck is coming.I need the driver’s number.
Payment17When will the money come?I can’t tell which credit is for which load.Why was money held back?
Paperwork9Slips get lost with the driver.GST filing confuses my staff.Uploading certificates is a pain.
Team6My supervisor loads, my accountant files.We share one login.I don’t want staff changing bank details.
Five questions we committed to answer
HOW MIGHT WEshow a fair price before a seller commits a lot?
HOW MIGHT WEmake pickup something a yard can plan around?
HOW MIGHT WEturn paper proof into something nobody can lose?
HOW MIGHT WEmake every rupee traceable to a truckload?
HOW MIGHT WElet a whole team work from one account, safely?
Two people we designed for
04 · Approach
Ship the smallest useful app. Then let sellers tell us what's next.
We ran dual track agile: design and research worked one sprint ahead of engineering, in two week sprints, with a release at the end of every phase.
01Price firstA seller decides on the rate. Show it before asking for anything.
02Show the moneyEvery screen answers how much and when, down to the stage.
03Built for the yardBig targets, photos over words, and states for bad signal.
04Ship, then learnA lean first release, measured with real sellers before adding more.
How a sprint ranDesign one sprint ahead of build
Sprint 1Sprint 2Sprint 3Sprint 4Sprint 5Sprint 6Discovery and designYard visitsSign up and listingOrdersPaymentsTest with sellersPhase 2 discoveryBuild and releaseSetupBuild sign upBuild listingBuild ordersBuild paymentsPhase 1 release
Sprint planning with PMDesign critique twice a weekWeekly calls with 5 sellersFigma handoff with dev notesOps review before releaseRelease notes in Hindi and English
05 · Phased rollout
Three releases, each one earning the next.
Every phase had one job. We only moved on when sellers were using the last one without calling us.
06 · Iterations
Six screens, and how each one grew up.
Phase one shipped lean on purpose. Here is what sellers did with it, what it told us, and what we changed in the next release.
Iteration 01 · Listing
From a dropdown to a photo with a price.
What we sawWith categories and a dropdown, sellers picked the wrong grade and ops fixed listings by phone. With photos, picks got right, but sellers still asked what they would earn.
What we changedReal material photos with today’s buyer rate and the daily change, and more than one material per listing.
v1 · Phase 1Category, then dropdown
v2 · Sprint 8Photos, no price
v3 · Phase 2Photos, rate and change
Iteration 02 · Submit
Show the money before asking for commitment.
What we sawIn version one the price came after a buyer confirmed. Sellers stopped at submit and called their manager to ask.
What we changedThe review screen now leads with an estimated payout, then summarises materials, pickup and photos with one edit per block.
v1 · Phase 1Price shared later
v2 · Phase 2Payout before submit
Iteration 03 · Tracking
“To be assigned” became a truck you can call.
What we sawSupport calls spiked on pickup day with one question: where is the truck? Paper slips still went missing with drivers.
What we changedA live truck card with driver, vehicle, distance and arrival time, plus a document checklist that unlocks dispatch.
v1 · Phase 1Status text only
v2 · Phase 2Truck, ETA, documents
Iteration 04 · Payments
A list of credits became a story per truck.
What we sawSellers saw bank credits with UTR numbers but couldn’t match them to loads. Finance spent hours on reconciliation calls.
What we changedEvery order shows its three stages, 25%, 50% and 25%, with amounts and dates. GST and debit notes moved to their own tabs.
v1 · Phase 1Credits, no context
v2 · Phase 2Stages per order
Iteration 05 · Onboarding
Three days of manual checks became one sitting.
What we sawPhotos of PAN cards and cheques came in blurry. Verification took days and sellers went quiet before their first sale.
What we changedPAN, GSTIN and bank are verified live as you type. A checklist shows what is done and what is left, in any order.
v1 · Phase 1Upload and wait
v2 · Phase 2Live checks
v2 · Phase 2Checklist, any order
Iteration 06 · Home
A sell button grew into a business home.
What we sawRepeat sellers opened the app to check two things: what needs my action, and how is this month going. Version one answered neither.
What we changedToday’s rates first, then action needed with deadlines, a business summary and an orders pipeline. Shipped in phase three.
v1 · Phase 1Sell and orders
v3 · Phase 3Rates, actions, summary
07 · The solution
Five tabs. Everything a seller does in a week.
The information architecture follows the life of a truckload: sell it, track it, get paid, then look back at the business.
HomeWhat to do today
Today’s ratesAction neededBusiness summaryOrders and updates
SellList a truckload
Materials and ratesQuantity and estimatePickup and truckPhotos and review
OrdersFollow every truck
In process, active, completedTruck and driverDocument checklistDisputes
PaymentsKnow when money lands
Coming to youStages per orderGST and debit notesStatements
ProfileRun the account
Seller ratingTeam and rolesBusiness detailsPickup locations
08 · Home, up close
One screen. What to sell, what to do, what you earned.
Ordered by how often a seller needs it. The first thing you see is money you can make today.
1Sell your scrapToday’s best rates with real photos and one clear action: Create a listing.
2Action neededOnly what blocks a truck or a payment, each with its deadline.
3Your business summaryWhat you earned this month, split into received, coming and on hold.
★Your rating, up topGold, Silver or Platinum, right beside your business name. It decides buyer priority.
4Your orders and updatesPipeline counts at a glance, then the three updates that matter today.
5Help and supportHow selling works and a direct line to your manager.
09 · Key flows
The shipped app, flow by flow.
Every screen below is built from the same design system and ships with its empty, loading, error and offline states.
01
Verified in one sitting.
PAN, GSTIN, bank and agreement, checked live as you go.
1
PAN checked instantlyThe registered name comes back from the tax record.
2
GSTINs found for youEvery GSTIN on that PAN, ready to pick.
3
Bank verified with ₹1Account name matched before you move on.
4
A checklist, not a stepperDone and pending in one glance, any order.
02
List a truckload in under 3 minutes.
Real photos, today’s rates and the payout before you submit.
1
Pick by photo and rateBales look like bales. Rate change shown per kg.
2
Quantity with live estimateType kilos, see rupees as you type.
3
Photos that pass first timeThree tips that get listings verified faster.
4
Payout before you submitMaterials, pickup and estimate on one page.
03
Every truck, in plain sight.
From finding a buyer to delivery, one order card tells the story.
1
Orders by stageIn process, active and completed, with counts.
2
Truck, driver and ETACall the driver, see the distance.
3
Upload your wayCamera, gallery or PDF for every document.
4
Know when it leavesDispatch unlocks once all four documents are in.
04
Know when every rupee lands.
Three payment stages, GST and debit notes, each in its own place.
1
Coming to you, firstThe next credit and its date, before any history.
2
One order, three stages25% at PO, 50% at loading, 25% on delivery.
3
GST held? Here’s whyFile GSTR 1 and the amount is released.
4
Delivered and acceptedFinal stage and its date, no deductions hidden.
05
A business review in your pocket.
Earnings, material mix and payments for any period you choose.
1
Earned, against last monthOne comparison bar, four key numbers.
2
What sells bestMaterial mix by share of earnings.
3
Where the money isReceived, coming and deductions by reason.
4
Any periodMonth, quarter, financial year or custom dates.
06
Built for the whole yard, not one phone.
Ratings that explain themselves, roles for every person, updates that matter.
1
A rating you can improveFive scored factors and what to fix.
2
Roles for your teamOwner, operations and accounts see their own work.
3
Updates worth a buzzTruck nearby, slip needed, money credited.
4
Business details in one placeVerified documents, bank and agreement.
10 · Edge cases
Scrap yards have patchy signal. So every screen has a plan B.
Loading, empty, offline, error, no results and logged out are designed for every list and form. Phase three made them a release goal, not an afterthought.
11 · Design system
Built on the Recykal design system, tuned for a phone in the sun.
Same tokens as EPR Next, so the seller app and the recycler portal feel like one company. Brand blue is saved for the one action that matters on each screen.
TypefaceFigtree
AaDisplay 3030 / 38 · Bold
Heading 1818 / 26 · Bold
Body 1414 / 20 · Regular
Caption 1212 / 18 · Medium
Colour, used with intent
Brand 600Primary action
Gray 900Headings
Gray 600Body text
Success 600Paid, verified
Warning 500Due, rating
Error 600Blocked
Components
Create a listingUploadSee details
VerifiedDue todayTruck assignedDocs rejectedDraft4.8 Gold
Quantity
8,000kg
Estimate ₹2,56,000Quantity
400kg
Minimum 1,000 kg so a truck can pick it up
Payment stages₹4,20,000 of ₹5,60,000
PO confirmed 25%Loaded 50%Delivered 25%
4.5:1Text contrast, everywhere
3:1Borders and icons on controls
48 pxTouch targets for gloved hands
12 · Testing every phase
Three rounds, one per phase. Every finding changed a screen.
Phase 1Clickable wireframes
Can sellers list and track without help?Task scenariosThink aloud
Sellers listed a lot, scheduled a pickup and looked for a payment while saying what they were thinking.Phase 2High fidelity prototype
Do they trust what the app tells them?Task scenariosInterviews after each task
Same tasks on the new listing, tracking and payment screens, then a short interview on clarity and confidence.Phase 3Beta with live sellers
Does it fit how a yard actually runs?Field betaSatisfaction score
Owners and their staff used the beta for real sales. We watched usage and called sellers every week.13 · Impact
Sellers stopped calling to ask. They started selling more.
14 · Learnings
What I'm taking to the next product.
01
Ship lean, but measure on purpose.Phase one was small so we could hear sellers clearly. Every phase two feature traces back to a call we logged.
02
Money is the interface.Every screen got simpler once it answered how much and when.
03
Design for the yard, not the desk.Patchy signal, bright sun, busy hands. States and contrast matter.
04
Show the photo, not the label.Material photos did more for accuracy than any helper text.
What's next
Hindi and regional languagesMost sellers think in Hindi, Telugu or Tamil.
Offline draftsStart a listing at the yard, submit when signal returns.
Accessibility auditScreen reader pass and larger text settings.
Feedback in appRate each pickup so quality issues surface early.