Wootly is a new UK-focused freelance marketplace built by Pingd Ltd.
The platform connects businesses with verified freelance talent across design, technology, marketing, development and specialist services. The goal was to create a marketplace that felt less like a traditional freelance platform and more like a modern, trusted place to find and work with talented people using AI.
Pingd was responsible for the creative direction, branding, UX/UI design and digital product design, working alongside the development team to bring the platform to life.
Before Pingd built anything, we started with research.
We spoke to thousands of people across the UK to understand the real frustrations freelancers and businesses face when using existing freelance marketplaces. We also met freelancers at in-person events, giving us the opportunity to hear first-hand where current platforms were falling short and, more importantly, what people actually wanted from a better alternative.
That research became the foundation for Wootly. We used what we learned to define what the platform needed to stand for in an increasingly crowded market, shaping everything from the brand and user experience to the features, trust systems and overall product.
Trust became the central idea. Through content and online engagement, we built a waiting list of over 1000 users before the MVP was even built.
The team went away and started to build the brand identity through to the interface, we wanted every part of Wootly to communicate clarity, confidence, connection and simplicity. The experience needed to work for two very different audiences: businesses looking for talent and freelancers looking for their next opportunity.
We developed the brand and digital experience together rather than treating them as separate projects. This allowed the visual identity, typography, interface components, messaging and user journeys to feel like one connected product.
Building Trust From Scratch
As a new marketplace, Wootly needed to establish credibility without having the reputation or history of an established platform. Trust had to be communicated through the brand and embedded throughout the product experience.
Designing for Two Audiences
The platform needed to work equally well for clients looking for freelancers and freelancers looking for opportunities, with completely different needs, journeys and motivations.
Making Complex Technology Feel Simple
Features such as SmartMatch, identity verification, payments and marketplace workflows involve significant technical complexity. The challenge was turning that complexity into an interface that feels straightforward to the user.
Standing Out in a Crowded Market
Freelance platforms are an established category, so Wootly needed a visual identity and product experience that felt distinctive rather than looking like another generic marketplace.
Creating a Scalable Design System
The platform needed to support multiple categories, user types, services, projects and future features without requiring the entire interface to be redesigned as Wootly grows.
The identity needed to feel modern and digital without becoming another generic technology brand.
We created the visual language, typography, colour system, graphic assets and supporting brand elements that would form the foundation of the platform.
The brand was then carried consistently throughout the product, marketing materials and wider Wootly ecosystem.
The Wootly interface was designed around simplicity.
Users need to be able to quickly understand:
We designed the experience across the key marketplace journeys, including freelancer discovery, service listings, profiles, project opportunities, messaging and the wider user dashboard.
A key part of the product is Tyto SmartMatch, Wootly's AI-powered matching system.
Rather than simply presenting users with a directory of freelancers, SmartMatch is designed to understand what a client actually needs and help connect them with relevant talent.
The challenge was making sophisticated technology feel simple.
The user doesn't need to understand how the matching system works. They simply need to describe what they need and receive relevant recommendations.
Trust is built into the product rather than added as an afterthought.
Wootly incorporates identity verification, payment verification, transparent pricing and platform protections throughout the user journey.
The design needed to make these features visible without making the experience feel complicated or intimidating. Verification indicators, profile information and marketplace safeguards were therefore designed as natural parts of the interface.
We developed Wootly’s complete brand identity and strategy, covering positioning, creative direction, visual identity, typography, colour system and brand guidelines, before translating the brand into a complete UX/UI system across user journeys, marketplace UX, freelancer profiles, service listings, client journeys, messaging, dashboards and mobile experiences.
We also designed the wider digital product, including the marketplace interface, SmartMatch, verification, project workflows, purchasing, payments, account areas and admin systems, alongside the launch creative, social assets, campaign concepts, website content and marketing graphics needed to take Wootly to market.
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Our in-house team handles everything from digital assets to 3D visuals.
