HSCODEs.IO
Harnessing the power of AI to simplify shipping.
In 2021, the US and EU became the first nations to require tariff codes on all international packages, with more countries expected to follow. Hunting for the right code in an antiquated, complex system is difficult in the best of times. Our client’s solution: an AI-powered app that helps business owners ship with confidence.
CHALLENGE
The Harmonized System of tariff codes was created for a different world. For over three decades, new industries and products have added to the complexity of this outdated system. It’s a frustrating, time-wasting learning curve for anyone who ships products.
INSIGHTS
Searching for the right code can feel like hopelessly hunting for a needle in a haystack, and then how do you even know it’s the right needle? Most business owners don’t need to fully understand the system. They need an effortless search tool and accurate results.
OUTCOME
HSCodes.io is like bringing a metal detector to the haystack. With its intuitive interface, customers search their product description, and AI serves up the code they need. This takes the guesswork out of tariff codes so anyone can ship with confidence.
“Working with Giant Shoulders feels like working with a team of fellow co-founders. They are just as dedicated as you are. And they bring a variety of highly skilled experts that you would be hard pressed to hire anywhere else.”
Raj Bhandari, Senior Director of Partnerships at Hearst
01 / solving the business problem
Building an intuitive tool anyone can use
If you were sifting through thousands of tariff codes before shipping laptop computers to the EU, you probably wouldn’t think to look under “Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances.” And yet, this is where you find the tariff code category for laptops, because these products didn’t exist over thirty years ago.
Tools already exist to help business owners learn the system, but what if we removed the learning curve altogether? Our client developed an AI solution that analyzes a product description and searches through thousands of codes to find the right match. With the technology in place, they only needed a user-friendly interface to create a time-saving tool anyone can use.
02 / app design
Creating an effortless app with trustworthy results
Our goal was to design a tool that serves up “magic” in an app that’s immediately simple to understand and use. We started from a consumer tech mindset and imagined the whole process from a business owner’s perspective. We walked through the experience from start to finish, designed an intuitive interface, and optimized every step for a frictionless experience. Anyone can jump right in with a product description, and the AI behind HSCodes.io will serve up results they can trust.
“We had an opportunity and the specs from our clients and we needed a partner to handle all the building of the product. We hired Giant Shoulders because of their well-rounded team who can build a product with a great aesthetic. ”
Raj Bhandari, Senior Director of Partnerships at Hearst
SERVICES RENDERED
UI/UX Design
PROJECT TEAM
Tino Chow / Client Lead
Joshua Vizzacco / UX Lead
Jackie Xia / UI/UX Designer
Sarah Rabinovich-Pratt / Graphic Design
Jake Camara / Web Developer
Mike Valdes / Project Producer