Founded and launched Candella, a mobile-first platform connecting users with local sustainable businesses. Delivered MVP across iOS, Android and Web using no-code tools, securing 30+ partnerships and validating demand for a sustainable shopping assistant.
Sustainable living is often made to feel complicated, confusing, or out of reach. When in reality, some of the most sustainable choices come from doing less, buying less and thinking differently. People want to shop more consciously but don't know where to start. Candella bridges that gap, surfacing ethical businesses via a geolocation-based mobile app and helping users make better choices, one small step at a time.
Born from a personal journey towards better habits and inspired by brands like Who Gives a Crap, Candella became a way to make sustainability simple and joyful, not overwhelming.
The climate crisis often feels overwhelming, a tangle of systemic issues far beyond individual control. Like many others, I was frustrated by the constant bad news, the slow pace of government action and the feeling that living sustainably was only accessible to the privileged.
I wanted to find better ways to shop, but I didn’t know where to start. I realised there was a gap: everyday people wanted to make better choices, but the path forward was hidden behind complexity, greenwashing and inertia.
The idea for Candella was born from a simple insight: when I first moved to Melbourne, I discovered that shopping at local markets like Gleadell Street wasn’t just better for the planet, it was cheaper, more joyful and radically less wasteful. Why wasn't this experience easier for more people to access?
Candella set out to bridge that gap, connecting users with truly sustainable businesses without the guilt, overwhelm or endless browser searches. I envisioned a mobile-first platform that would empower people to form better habits, discover brands making real change and feel part of something bigger.
I started with quick market research, surveying behaviours and needs across the conscious consumer space. From there, I developed a lean product strategy focused on building momentum as quickly as possible.
I created the Candella brand identity, mission and tone of voice, aligning everything around accessibility, optimism and authenticity.
As the sole product designer and builder, I led the UX and UI design of the first Candella platform. To expedite time to market, I built the MVP using Adalo, a no-code tool that allowed me to launch simultaneously across iOS, Android and Web with geolocation capabilities.
While I initially dreamed of a more sophisticated app, I made a conscious product decision: proof of concept and real-world user feedback were more important than perfect features.
Candella’s first release prioritised a geolocation-first experience, allowing users to find sustainable businesses near them with ease. Category filters were a known compromise, the UX was imperfect, but the goal was clear: validate demand, build community and iterate based on user behaviour and feedback, not assumptions.
As we grew, I brought in a co-founder with complementary skills in business development and sustainability verification. We merged his business into Candella, strengthening our credibility and operational capacity. I also recruited social media interns and partners to build grassroots awareness, aiming for our first milestones: 2,000 followers and 1,000 downloads.
Real product trade-offs were made consciously and strategically: prioritising distribution and education over initial technical perfection, while planning for a future rebuild informed by user insights.
Building Candella taught me the art of launching lean without compromising heart. It reminded me that successful product work isn't about building every feature upfront, it's about starting conversations, validating real needs and empowering users to join a bigger movement.
It also reinforced the power of collaboration: bringing on partners who believed in the mission allowed us to grow faster and think bigger.
And finally, Candella taught me patience, balancing a full-time job, building in winter evenings and understanding that real impact, like good habits, is something you build one small, consistent step at a time.
