Case Study
City Pantry
Platform Logic & Visual System Redesign
Executive Summary
Transforming complex corporate catering workflows into a cohesive visual design system and scalable marketplace UI.
City Pantry (later acquired by Just Eat for £16M+ in 2019) is a workplace food technology platform connecting corporate clients with independent boutique vendors across London. Brought in during their critical second phase of product expansion, I led the platform architecture and UI system redesign. To support high-velocity B2B transactions, I replaced fragmented order flows with an enterprise-grade visual design system, an intuitive monthly meal-planning engine, and detailed technical specifications to accelerate cross-functional engineering delivery.
Impact at a Glance
Architected core product UI workflows during Phase 2, scaling to acquisition by Just Eat in 2019.
Delivered complete marketplace flow architecture, visual UI systems, and developer specs on a tight deadline.
Authored detailed functional specification blueprints to eliminate edge-case friction during backend integration.
Client Feedback
We needed a project completed quickly and to a high standard and Sky delivered. She asked all the right questions, has a fantastic understanding of the process and produced very high quality designs.
The Challenge
Architecting clarity across multi-vendor logistics
Corporate buyers routinely wasted hours managing multi-vendor lunches, cross-referencing complex dietary constraints (allergen flags, vegan, gluten-free), and securing executive budget approvals across disjointed tools.
“How do you transform intricate enterprise ordering logic and multi-vendor constraints into a frictionless marketplace UI and scalable design system?”
Design System & Vendor Discovery UX
Designed an extensible component system and visual calendar framework that simplified multi-meal vendor discovery:
- Smart Discovery & Recommendation Rules: Formulated intent-based filtering algorithms (team size, budget caps, meal types) to reduce search friction.
- Visual Meal Calendar System: Designed a 12-meal scheduling framework giving corporate buyers clear visual oversight of upcoming vendor deliveries.
- Stakeholder Approval Artifacts: Created automated PDF/CSV export UI components that enabled buyers to secure internal budget alignment instantly.
Order Customisation Engine & Flow Logic
Architected the core customisation logic to handle multi-layered B2B constraints without cluttering the UI interface:
- Dietary Engine & Dynamic Pricing: Architected modular UI patterns for dietary breakdowns, allergen tags, and real-time total adjustments.
- Enterprise Account Management: Designed scannable order history dashboards, centralising invoice management, PDF exports, and vendor communication.
- Closed-Loop Feedback Mechanics: Mapped lifecycle rating flows that fed directly back into account dashboards to drive re-order retention.
Technical Specifications & Cross-Functional Alignment
Facilitated stakeholder workshops and authored a comprehensive specifications blueprint to bridge the gap between design and engineering:
- UI Edge-Case Architecture: Mapped detailed interaction logic for package modifications, loading states, and calculation validation within active checkout sessions.
- Design System Handoff: Delivered exhaustive UI state specifications that drastically reduced engineering back-and-forth and accelerated deployment velocity.
Strategic Takeaways
Key learnings from the build
Modular Design Systems Scale Fast
Establishing clear visual UI patterns early turned a complex enterprise tool into an engaging, consumer-grade experience.
Dietary Logic as a Primary UX Engine
Elevating dietary filters from secondary notes to core data inputs built foundational trust for corporate buyers.
Engineering Alignment Accelerates Velocity
Detailed functional blueprints and state documentation eliminated technical ambiguity for product teams.
Tools & Software
What powered the build
UX Strategy & Architecture
Production & Documentation