Case Study: GiftAPlace – Digital Gifting Platform

Project Background

GiftAPlace is an online gifting platform for the US market where users can “gift” a place — like a city, state, or landmark — to their loved ones along with a personalized message and a digital certificate.

The goal was to create a unique, emotional, and modern gifting experience different from flowers, cards, or vouchers.

Why This Project?

In the US, online gifting is a huge market, but most options are repetitive and feel transactional. The founders wanted to stand out by connecting memories with meaningful places.

For me, the challenge was exciting because it meant:

• Designing for a Western audience with high expectations for e-commerce usability
• Making the experience fun, emotional, and trustworthy
• Balancing playfulness with smooth checkout flows

Research & Insights

• Looked at popular US gifting sites (like 1-800-Flowers, Hallmark, Etsy, Under Lucky Stars)
• Spoke to potential users (18–35 years old) who regularly buy gifts online
• Key takeaways:
  • Gifting should feel personal and quick
  • Checkout should be frictionless (PayPal, card, mobile-first)
  • A visual preview of the gift adds excitement before buying

My Role

• Led end-to-end design of the product
• Built a responsive frontend using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Bootstrap
• Designed wireframes, UI screens, and Figma prototypes
• Worked closely with backend developers to integrate payment and certificate generation
• Conducted usability testing and iterated designs

Process

1. Wireframes – sketched the full user flow (search → personalize → preview → checkout)
2. UI Design – created modern, emotional UI screens in Figma
3. Frontend Development – implemented responsive web design
4. Testing – ran usability tests and optimized checkout flow

Key Features Designed

1. Location Search & Selection – Users can search US/global locations to “gift”
2. Personalized Certificates – Recipient’s name + personal note + location badge
3. User Dashboard – Track, download, and share gifted places
4. Seamless Checkout – Optimized for the US market (cards + PayPal)

Highlights & Wins

• Shifted from a manual process to a fully automated gifting platform
• Personalized certificates created an emotional impact
• Checkout flow optimized for US users → higher conversions
• Brand identity established as modern, fun, and trustworthy

Impact

• Successful launch in the US market
• Early users appreciated the unique gifting idea and ease of use
• Positive customer feedback: “It felt personal, not just another gift card.”

Key Learnings

• Designing for the US audience meant putting extra focus on trust, simplicity, and mobile-first design
• Emotional design (certificate preview, personal notes) increases user delight
• Shorter checkout flows = higher conversion rates