Maddie Brown

Sheridan College, Canada 

Rooted is a fictional nonprofit organization that is completely volunteer-run and operated based in Hamilton Ontario. The main product that the garden sells is an organic produce bounty box, where all the proceeds go back into the garden and to community members in need. 

The purpose of this company is for people from the community to come together, help maintain the garden, and harvest the produce that will go into every bound box sold. Additionally, $5 from every box will go towards purchasing a bounty box for a low income family signed up with our service in the Hamilton area.

The most challenging part of this website was writing the copy. I had to firstly detail the product, while also highlighting the added benefit of every box going toward supporting good in the Hamilton community. People buy the product because they love fresh produce weekly and they give back to the community effortlessly. What was also difficult about this website was figuring out how to attract people who would benefit from receiving a free bounty box each week to sign up. 

The information about the free box membership had to be easy to access but also not the focal point of the website. I wanted it to be a charitable website without feeling like one. I chose to use bright water colours of fruits and vegetables to make the site feel organic and fun and at the time conveying a sense of community. I made purchasing a box into a very simple, 3 step process, using simple language to clearly guide and direct individuals through the site. 

The Rooted app tailors your volunteer opportunities to your interests by asking you to list your hobbies and then filtering your newsfeed to allow you to volunteer that align with your own interests. By building this feature into the app, it will build a stronger following and draw in a bigger clientele, creating a more inclusive and sustainable community. The Rooted app helps you share, schedule and track your volunteering. It’s also an easy way to view and sign up for the most recent Rooted events.