The Simplest Way To Send Big Files Online
WeTransfer represents a perfect match between technology and creativity. Today it remains the easiest to use file transfer application beloved by millions of happy customers. Back in the late 00's I was lucky enough to be one of the founding designers working on the original product (which was built in Macromedia Flash!).
A Blast From The Past
While much of the original work has been lost to time what follows is a loving recreation of the user interface encompassing some of the more prominent flourishes from our early designs such as a fondness for exaggerated depth, rounded corners and strong gradients.
The goal was to share up to 1 GB with no more than an email address
WeTransfer has won several awards for its innovation over the years including a Webby and a D&AD Pencil. The brand managed to define itself as an internet success story during a period when European tech startups were still a novelty.
The humble beginnings of the product can be traced back to a design agency called Oy in The Netherlands and internet personality Nalden. The pair were trying to solve the problem of sharing large files between clients that didn't necessitate cumbersome account setups prevalent in products like You Send It and Dropbox. The goal was to figure out a way to share up to 1 GB of files with no more than an email address.
Enter Dolly Rogers
A play on the co-founders love for Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Dolly Rogers was a boutique design agency located in the same building as Oy. Dolly Rogers and Oy were working on several projects together so it was only natural that the pair should collaborate to bring WeTransfer to life.
Being a designer at the time for Dolly Roger's (and having worked on projects for Oy) I was lucky enough to join in with the principles of both agencies on the original designs for the core product offering.
The wheels were in motion and the path was clear, we went on to design a lightweight user interface that remained clutter free throughout the file sharing process. In fact the interface was so compact that it left us with a great deal of extra space. From there the idea to create a launch board for showcasing work was born, a combination of artistically driven advertising by larger companies and free exposure for up and coming creatives.
It’s been almost two decades since the original team were sat near the Prinsengracht Canal in Amsterdam discussing how to solve the creative industry’s file sharing woes. Fast forward to the present day and the company has expanded far beyond its humble roots with a suite of creative tools and a fantastic new team at the helm.
You can visit the live product today and start sending some large files or stick around and take a peek at some of my other work.