DISCORD · PRODUCT DESIGN
WUMPUSBOX
Discord's 10MB limit frustrates power users who create the content that keeps servers alive. I designed a solution that solves their pain — without costing Discord a dollar in bandwidth.
01 — THE PROBLEM
USERS WANT INSTANT SHARING. THE 10MB LIMIT KILLS IT.
Power users — artists, gamers, creators — hit the file limit constantly. They resort to clunky workarounds like Google Drive links, which breaks the social flow and pulls them out of the app.
81%
of users use workarounds to bypass the limit
$0
required bandwidth cost for any solution
The constraint: raising the limit would explode bandwidth costs. Telegram offers 2GB, but Discord's volume makes that financially impossible.
02 — WHAT I TRIED FIRST
TWO PIVOTS TO THE RIGHT ANSWER
Wumpus Stomach
Gamified storage where Wumpus "eats" your files. Playful metaphor, right?
"It prompted feelings of guilt... I felt like I made a cute creature sick."
— User Testing
Toybox
Fixed the emotional problem. Users loved it — 100% positive sentiment.
100%
Positive sentiment
22%
Conversion rate
The insight: Both solutions required Discord to store files. That's the wrong model entirely.
03 — THE PIVOT
WHAT IF DISCORD STORED NOTHING?
Users already have cloud storage. Instead of Discord hosting files, integrate with their existing Google Drive or Dropbox. The file streams through Discord but lives on the user's cloud.
User's Cloud
Discord (stream)
Chat
Cost to Discord: $0
04 — THE SOLUTION
WUMPUSBOX: NATIVE CLOUD INTEGRATION
Turn the error into a choice
Instead of a dead-end error, users see two options: pay for Nitro or connect their cloud storage for free.
Familiar OAuth onboarding
Standard OAuth flow users already know. Connect Google Drive in 2 clicks.
Native picker (Jakob's Law)
Mirrors Discord's existing GIF/sticker picker. Zero learning curve.
The Result: Seamless Large File Sharing
Large files appear native in chat — users cant tell its streaming from their cloud.
05 — LEARNINGS
WHAT I TOOK AWAY
Validate technical constraints first
The realization that bandwidth cost was the true business killer — not just storage — was the most valuable lesson. It steered the design away from solutions that were technically impossible.
Use existing patterns
Adapting Discord's own picker UI meant users already knew how to use WumpusBox from day one.