LibDib is a startup that is turning the alcoholic beverage distribution industry upside down. LibDib aims to give the power back to smaller producers and the establishments that support them. LibDib came to ZURB looking for a partner to design the user facing portions of their web application, an interface that needed to be clear and simple yet powerful enough to manage the complexities of the industry.
After talking with members of LibDib’s team and clients, we were able to narrow down their target audience into two clear groups, Producers and Accounts. Producers are the wineries, distilleries and breweries that make the alcohol, while Accounts are the restaurants and bars that order and stock it. The application had to be flexible enough to satisfy the very different needs of these two groups in a way that still felt unified, consistent and intuitive.
Producers face a number of challenges that LibDib helps them overcome, with the foremost being their inability to access distribution in the first place. Traditional wine distributors have to deal with inconsistent state laws and shrinking business accounts, causing them to favor wine from larger and more established wineries. Ultimately, small Producers are interested in growing profit margins and building self sustaining business. It’s also critical for them to build relationships directly with Accounts, and not always work through a middleman.
Accounts have a confident pulse on their business and customer needs, and need to be nimble to adjust to new trends. After interviewing several Accounts, we were able to surface this Design Insight:
