Shoogies NYC

Creating delicious homemade organic baby food delivered to your doorstep.

My Role: Co-Founder, Creative Director, Visual Designer & Front-end Developer

The Team: Me, Co-Founder & Developers

The challenge: To launch an online store for our homemade organic baby food delivery business while both maintaining full-time jobs. The project had a six-month timeline.

My role & approach: The business idea emerged after my girlfriend, following her MBA, began creating healthy baby food recipes for her niece. We decided to bootstrap a startup to give parents a healthier option. We split tasks based on our strengths; she managed the business operations while I led design and development. We both conducted market research and spoke directly to parents to understand their needs. Noting that competitor websites felt old and bland, I focused on creating a fun and playful brand identity. This involved sketching concepts, gathering feedback, and ultimately developing the Shoogies NYC brand. I also took on the role of art director and food stylist for our product photo shoot, a entirely new skillset for me. After researching platforms, I selected Expression Engine for its flexibility and e-commerce plugin, despite having no prior experience with it. I partnered with a development company to build the online store. To guide them, I created wireframes and low-fidelity designs for rapid feedback loops. Once the direction was confirmed, I produced detailed documentation and high-fidelity designs to illustrate the user experience and interactions. We held regular reviews to ensure everything was feasible within our timeline and budget.

The impact: This project taught me the Pomodoro Technique for working with extreme efficiency, a skill that improved my ability to calculate and complete tasks effectively. I gained comprehensive about launching a food company, including food preparation, storage, NYC regulations, and delivery logistics. After launch, we received positive feedback from the New York mommy community and were featured in publications like TimeOut, Observer and RedTri. This success proved that even in a crowded market, there is always room to innovate and provide better options for consumers.