A lending app for a neighborhood tool library

The Toolshed Library lends more than 200 tools to its neighbors, from cordless drills to a very popular pasta maker. Loans were tracked in a shared spreadsheet and on a paper sign-out sheet, and nobody fully trusted either.

Volunteers spent their Saturday shifts chasing overdue items instead of helping people, and members had no way to see whether a tool was in before walking over.

I volunteered at the front desk for six Saturdays before designing anything. I talked to members at checkout, mapped the lending process on paper with the coordinators and sorted what I heard on a simple FigJam board.

With two volunteer developers and no budget, we chose a no-code app builder. That shaped the design: I worked within its components and spent my energy on the content, the structure and the reminders.

We tested a clickable prototype with members aged 19 to 78. The oldest testers shaped the final design the most: larger text, plain labels and no hidden gestures.

See what's in before you walk over

Every tool shows a clear status, available or due back on a given day, along with photos and a short how-to written by the volunteers.

Reserve, then pick up

Members reserve a tool for a pickup slot during opening hours, so volunteers can prepare loans in advance instead of searching the shelves.

Friendly reminders

Automatic reminders go out two days before and on the due date, written in the same warm tone the volunteers use at the desk.

Designing for a community taught me to treat constraints as a brief. No budget and a no-code tool forced us to keep everything simple, and simple was exactly what members needed.

It also reminded me why I do this work. Watching a 78-year-old member reserve a hedge trimmer on her own is still my favorite usability result.