As a UI/UX designer, I’m always looking for ways to simplify and enhance everyday experiences. After hearing friends and family talk about the awkwardness of returning gifts or asking for specific ones during the holidays, I saw an opportunity to explore a better solution. This project, WishWell, is my first time leading the entire design process, from user research to prototyping and beyond. Once the design is finalized, I’ll be collaborating with my partner to bring it to life. This project is in progress and I will continue adding to it.
As a UI/UX designer, I’m always looking for ways to simplify and enhance everyday experiences. After hearing friends and family talk about the awkwardness of returning gifts or asking for specific ones during the holidays, I saw an opportunity to explore a better solution. This project, WishWell, is my first time leading the entire design process, from user research to prototyping and beyond. Once the design is finalized, I’ll be collaborating with my partner to bring it to life. This project is in progress and I will continue adding to it.
As a UI/UX designer, I strive to simplify and improve everyday experiences. Inspired by conversations about the challenges of gift-giving, I created WishWell to offer a better solution. This project involves leading the entire design process, from user research to prototyping, with plans to bring it to life alongside my partner. Currently in progress, it will continue evolving.
As a UI/UX designer, I strive to simplify and improve everyday experiences. Inspired by conversations about the challenges of gift-giving, I created WishWell to offer a better solution. This project involves leading the entire design process, from user research to prototyping, with plans to bring it to life alongside my partner. Currently in progress, it will continue evolving.
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Our mission is to create a universal, ad-free wishlist app that allows users to effortlessly compile, organize, and share wishlists across all stores. Designed for simplicity, our app enables people to curate wishlists for any occasion and share them with friends and family, free of limitations on store options. Whether it's for a birthday, holiday, or a special occasion, we aim to simplify the gift-giving process—making it easy for both wish list creators and gift buyers to find exactly what they need in one seamless, convenient experience.
Our goal is to create a universal, ad-free wishlist app that simplifies compiling, organizing, and sharing lists across any store. Designed for clarity and ease, the app lets users create occasion-specific lists and share them freely, without store restrictions. Whether for birthdays, holidays, or special events, it streamlines the gift-giving process, offering a seamless experience for both list creators and
gift buyers.
User-Centered Business Canvas
User-Centered Business Canvas
The user-centered business canvas for WishWell lays out a strategy to create a wishlist app that simplifies the process of giving and receiving gifts. The app addresses issues like limited wishlist options outside major retailers, gift-giving awkwardness, and user concerns about ease of use. WishWell’s target users are individuals seeking specific gifts and gift-givers aiming for a seamless, waste-free process. Allowing list managers to organize and share lists easily, while gift-givers can browse without creating an account.
To attract users, WishWell will rely on existing wishlist users and social media marketing, especially around holiday seasons. Revenue options include a small transaction fee for in-app purchases and an affiliate model for external retailer redirections. Success metrics will focus on user engagement, including signup counts, purchases, and return rates.
WishWell provides a solution to a common problem—helping users create and manage gift wishlists easily. The app addresses issues such as limited wishlist options from major retailers, gift-giving awkwardness, and user concerns over ease of use. The target audience includes individuals looking for specific gifts and gift-givers who want a seamless, waste-free experience. The app allows list managers to organize and share wishlists easily, while gift-givers can browse and purchase without needing to create an account.
We’ll attract users through social media and holiday-specific marketing campaigns. Revenue will be generated from in-app purchases and an affiliate model, with success metrics focusing on user engagement, sign-up rates, purchases, and return visits.
The WishWell business canvas focuses on creating a user-friendly wishlist app to simplify gift-giving. It tackles issues like limited options, awkward exchanges, and usability concerns, targeting users seeking specific gifts and seamless list sharing.
Growth will come from social media marketing and existing wishlist users, with revenue from in-app purchase fees and affiliate referrals. Success is measured by signups, purchases, and retention.
The user-centered business canvas for WishWell lays out a strategy to create a wishlist app that simplifies the process of giving and receiving gifts. The app addresses issues like limited wishlist options outside major retailers, gift-giving awkwardness, and user concerns about ease of use. WishWell’s target users are individuals seeking specific gifts and gift-givers aiming for a seamless, waste-free process. Allowing list managers to organize and share lists easily, while gift-givers can browse without creating an account.
To attract users, WishWell will rely on existing wishlist users and social media marketing, especially around holiday seasons. Revenue options include a small transaction fee for in-app purchases and an affiliate model for external retailer redirections. Success metrics will focus on user engagement, including signup counts, purchases, and return rates.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
I conducted an in-depth competitive analysis to identify gaps in existing platforms and highlight the areas where WishWell stands out. Key goals were enhancing usability, flexibility, and the overall gift-giving experience.
Key Differentiators:
Ease for Gifters: No sign-ups required, making it easy to view and share lists.
Ad-Free Experience: An uninterrupted user experience—no ads or sponsored gift ideas.
Cross-Store Compatibility: Users can add items from any store, not limited to major retailers.
Feature Prioritization: Users can prioritize items, addressing gaps in competitor offerings.
Mobile Accessibility & Family Features: A mobile-friendly design with group-friendly options for families and friends.
I focused on identifying where our product stands out and areas where competitors fall short. The main goals were to highlight seamless usability, flexibility across stores, and thoughtful features that enhance the gift-giving experience.
Ease for Gifters: Minimizing barriers for gift-givers was key. Not requiring sign-ups makes sharing and viewing wishlists effortless.
Ad-Free Experience: Distractions detract from user experience, so keeping the platform ad-free was a priority.
Cross-Store Compatibility: Supporting any store or link allows users complete flexibility—something competitors don’t all offer.
Feature Prioritization: Features like item prioritization ensure users can manage their lists effectively, addressing gaps seen elsewhere.
Mobile Accessibility & Family Features: Mobile-friendly design and group-friendly options are essential for a modern, collaborative wishlist tool.
I focused on identifying where our product stands out and areas where competitors fall short. The main goals were to highlight seamless usability, flexibility across stores, and thoughtful features that enhance the gift-giving experience.
Ease for Gifters: Minimizing barriers for gift-givers was key. Not requiring sign-ups makes sharing and viewing wishlists effortless.
Ad-Free Experience: Distractions detract from user experience, so keeping the platform ad-free was a priority.
Cross-Store Compatibility: Supporting any store or link allows users complete flexibility—something competitors don’t all offer.
Feature Prioritization: Features like item prioritization ensure users can manage their lists effectively, addressing gaps seen elsewhere.
Mobile Accessibility & Family Features: Mobile-friendly design and group-friendly options are essential for a modern, collaborative wishlist tool.
I focused on identifying where our product stands out and areas where competitors fall short. The main goals were to highlight seamless usability, flexibility across stores, and thoughtful features that enhance the gift-giving experience.
Ease for Gifters: Minimizing barriers for gift-givers was key. Not requiring sign-ups makes sharing and viewing wishlists effortless.
Ad-Free Experience: Distractions detract from user experience, so keeping the platform ad-free was a priority.
Cross-Store Compatibility: Supporting any store or link allows users complete flexibility—something competitors don’t all offer.
Feature Prioritization: Features like item prioritization ensure users can manage their lists effectively, addressing gaps seen elsewhere.
Mobile Accessibility & Family Features: Mobile-friendly design and group-friendly options are essential for a modern, collaborative wishlist tool.
Easy for Gifters: Gifters don’t need to sign up to see our lists, unlike Amazon. Giftful and Giftster also keep it simple, but we make it even easier.
Ad-Free: No ads here! Amazon and Giftful throw in ads or gift ideas from partners, but Giftster is also ad-free.
Cross-Store Compatibility: We support any store—add any link you want! Amazon’s stuck with Amazon-only, but Giftful and Giftster allow multiple stores.
Item Prioritization: You can mark high-priority items on our lists, which Amazon and Giftful don’t offer. Giftster does, though.
Mobile Friendly: All four (us included) have mobile-friendly designs.
Group/Family Features: We’ve got themed lists for families or groups. Giftful and Giftster do too, but Amazon’s lacking.
User Survey
User Survey
I conducted a survey with friends and family to understand common challenges in gift-giving. While Amazon’s Wishlist was widely used, many were open to alternatives. The survey revealed issues such as finding meaningful gifts, staying within budget, and ensuring gifts would be used. Respondents favored direct sharing methods like links or text over social media. Popular wishlist features included item prioritization, price tracking, and ease of adding items. The feedback confirmed the need for an intuitive, personalized gift-giving tool.
Feedback from friends and family revealed that while Amazon’s Wishlist is the default for many, there’s openness to alternative tools. The main challenges in gift-giving centered around finding meaningful, useful gifts while staying within budget and streamlining the process.
For sharing, direct methods like links or texts were preferred over social media. Desired features included item prioritization, price tracking, and seamless item addition. Overall, the insights showed a need for a tool that makes gift-giving simpler, more personal, and efficient.
User Personas
User Personas
Developing user personas was crucial to identifying specific needs and pain points. These personas represent the individuals who will benefit from WishWell—from giftees needing an organized way to prioritize their wishlist items to gift-givers searching for an efficient, hassle-free way to buy meaningful gifts.
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
For Giftees:
Users need a simple way to manage and prioritize items on their wishlists to ensure thoughtful and practical gifts without feeling uncomfortable asking for specific items.
For Gifters:
Gift-givers need an efficient method to track what has been purchased, avoid duplicates, and stay within budget while shopping for multiple people.
For Non-Logged-In Users:
Non-logged-in users need an easy, guest-friendly way to browse wishlists, see prices, and check availability without needing to create an account.
User Needs
User Needs
Need for Easy Wishlist Organization and Prioritization (Gift Receivers):
Giftees need an intuitive way to organize and prioritize items on their lists, ensuring they receive thoughtful and useful gifts without explicitly requesting specific items.
How We’ll Solve It:
We’ll provide an easy-to-use interface that allows users to organize wishlists by categories (e.g., tech, clothing, home goods) and prioritize items with a simple tagging system or “star” feature, making it clear to gifters which items are most desired.
Need for Simplified Gift Selection and Browsing (Gifters):
Gifters need an efficient way to browse wishlists, track what has been purchased, and avoid duplicates, all while staying within their budget.
How We’ll Solve It:
We’ll offer filters for price range, priority, and availability, along with an intuitive interface that allows gifters to view essential details like pricing, availability, and shipping options for each item.
Need for Simple, Guest-Friendly Experience (Non-Logged-In Gifters):
Non-logged-in users (e.g., extended family or friends) need a simple way to browse and purchase gifts from wishlists without creating an account.
How We’ll Solve It:
We’ll offer a guest-friendly experience where users can access wishlists via shareable links. They can browse the lists, view pricing and availability, and sort by priority or price, without needing to sign up.
Need for Easy Wishlist Organization and Prioritization (Gift Receivers)
User Need: Gift receivers (giftees) need a way to efficiently organize and prioritize items on their wishlists. They want to ensure that the gifts they receive are both thoughtful and useful, without the awkwardness of explicitly requesting specific items.
How We'll Solve It:
We will offer a user-friendly interface where gift receivers can organize their wishlists by categories (e.g., tech, clothing, home goods) and prioritize items with simple tags or a "star" system. This feature ensures that gift-givers can clearly see which items are most important to the receiver. The list will be easy to update, helping receivers manage their preferences and ensure they’re only suggesting items they truly want and need.
Need for Simplified Gift Selection
and Browsing (Gifters)
User Need: Gift-givers need a streamlined, efficient way to browse wishlists, keeping track of what has been purchased and staying within their budget. They want to avoid duplicate gifts and ensure they’re picking something useful.
How We'll Solve It:
We will provide gift-givers with the ability to view wishlists by filtering items by price range, priority, and availability. The platform will allow them to see which items have already been purchased, so they don’t buy duplicates. Additionally, gifters will have an intuitive interface that lets them easily view details such as pricing, availability, and shipping information for each item, all while staying within budget.
Need for Simple, Guest-Friendly Experience (Non-Logged-In Gifters)
User Need: Non-logged-in users (such as extended family or friends) need an easy way to browse wishlists without creating an account. They want to see the gift receiver’s preferences, price ranges, and available options with minimal hassle.
How We'll Solve It:
We will offer a guest-friendly version of the app where users can access a wishlist via a shareable link. Non-logged-in gifters will be able to browse the wish list without having to sign up or create an account. They will be able to view all necessary details, such as prices and availability, and sort the list by priority or price. The guest experience will allow for a quick and efficient shopping process while still offering all the critical information needed to make an informed purchase.
Need for Easy Wishlist Organization and Prioritization (Gift Receivers)
User Need: Gift receivers (giftees) need a way to efficiently organize and prioritize items on their wishlists. They want to ensure that the gifts they receive are both thoughtful and useful, without the awkwardness of explicitly requesting specific items.
How We'll Solve It:
We will offer a user-friendly interface where gift receivers can organize their wishlists by categories (e.g., tech, clothing, home goods) and prioritize items with simple tags or a "star" system. This feature ensures that gift-givers can clearly see which items are most important to the receiver. The list will be easy to update, helping receivers manage their preferences and ensure they’re only suggesting items they truly want and need.
Need for Simplified Gift Selection
and Browsing (Gifters)
User Need: Gift-givers need a streamlined, efficient way to browse wishlists, keeping track of what has been purchased and staying within their budget. They want to avoid duplicate gifts and ensure they’re picking something useful.
How We'll Solve It:
We will provide gift-givers with the ability to view wishlists by filtering items by price range, priority, and availability. The platform will allow them to see which items have already been purchased, so they don’t buy duplicates. Additionally, gifters will have an intuitive interface that lets them easily view details such as pricing, availability, and shipping information for each item, all while staying within budget.
Need for Simple, Guest-Friendly Experience (Non-Logged-In Gifters)
User Need: Non-logged-in users (such as extended family or friends) need an easy way to browse wishlists without creating an account. They want to see the gift receiver’s preferences, price ranges, and available options with minimal hassle.
How We'll Solve It:
We will offer a guest-friendly version of the app where users can access a wishlist via a shareable link. Non-logged-in gifters will be able to browse the wish list without having to sign up or create an account. They will be able to view all necessary details, such as prices and availability, and sort the list by priority or price. The guest experience will allow for a quick and efficient shopping process while still offering all the critical information needed to make an informed purchase.
Wireframing
Wireframing
Home: The homepage offers a clean overview of personal and shared wishlists, with easy navigation to manage and view lists, view the profile, or access the privacy policy.
My Lists: This section allows users to view, share, and create wishlists. It provides an easy way to manage ongoing lists and start curating new ones.
List Management: On each wishlist page, users can edit list names, add or remove items, and prioritize entries. They can also filter by price or priority and share the list with others.
Shared with Me: Users can browse wishlists shared by others without logging in, viewing key details like price and availability in a simple format.
My Wishes: A consolidated view of all wishes from various lists, allowing users to track wish details, including price, store, and priority.
My Profile: Users can update their personal information and preferences, including shipping details, while accessing privacy and data preferences.
What's Next
What's Next
As I move into the next phases of this project, including user testing and brand development, I'll be continuously updating this page with new content and insights. Stay tuned for further updates on how WishWell evolves, as well as more details about the user experience, features, and design refinements.
Feel free to check back soon to see the progress!