The Systemization of Gift-Giving is a structured approach to selecting and giving gifts. It involves pre-defined categories, timelines, and methods for tracking recipients and their preferences, aiming to streamline the gift-giving process and ensure the recipient receives a thoughtful present
Role: UX Design
Year: 2024
Time Frame: Three Weeks
The Fun Stuff Below!
Story:
A friend of mine that works at a clothing store I frequently shop at, can procure the items I want for 50% off the original sale price, (sometimes more if he uses his employee discount). His ability to procure the items I want at a significantly lower price is a great help to someone like me who is working with a limited budget for clothing purchases.
What Is My Why?
To forge deeper connections and minimize waste, I'll focus on meaningful, personalized gifts that truly reflect the recipient's personal brand.
* Fun Fact: 53% of Americans surveyed admit to getting at least one unwanted gift over the holidays, totaling roughly 138 million American adults.
12% of these unwanted gifts ended up being unused and thrown away each year by the recipient.
A breakdown of where unwanted gifts end up.
Empathy
I understand my friend’s busy lifestyle, so I've created a solution that respects his time and enhances his leisure moments. By automating the gift-giving process, I've freed up valuable time for him to enjoy his passion.
James’ Interest
Define
Identify The Problems That Need To Be Solved Within The Project
What are some of the things that James enjoys?
How do we make the gift more personal to James and his brand?
How can I align my schedule with James' to ensure his gift is delivered safely and undamaged?
How can we incorporate sustainability/the act of re-purposing within the gift-giving process?
Note: There’s no such thing as a “problem”.
Just challenges we haven’t found solutions for just yet.
Ideate
Creative solutions to our problems
Listed all of the things James enjoys and confirmed them by conducting research via his Instagram posts
In this case it was cigarsPersonalized the cigars to James:
Link tropes from his artwork and match them with the cigar brand’s logosCoordinated my schedule with James’ schedule by asking him what his hours are in advance
Which I did under the guise of visiting him and the new café at his store to avoid suspicionGifted James cigars in a repurposed cigar box from a local cigar shop
Giving the cigar box a second life as it could be used as storage for his painting tools or for cigar storage
*Cigars that were gifted to my friend. Inspired by popular tropes in my friend’s work/personal brand are Brazil, pigs, the devil and mobsters.
*Popular tropes and reoccurring themes in my friend’s brand/art that I used as themes for the gift of cigars.
Prototype
Learning From “Failure”
*“Failure is as real as Halloween ghost.
There is no such thing as failure.
The only failure is not trying at all.”
- Virgil Abloh
Note: Being wrong about something is not a death sentence of a project. Through our mistakes, we can gain valuable insight into what we can improve upon next time.
Being Wrong = An Opportunity to Learn and Grow
Where I Went Wrong…
My failure to consider friend’s meeting schedule nearly derailed the timely gift delivery
How I Rectified The Situation…
I entrusted my gift to store security, who passed the gift off to a member of the store staff named Holly. I later texted my friend to confirm that he received his gift, (which he said he did).
*Gift arrived safely in James possession
Test
Taking A Step Back To Move Forward
Reflective analysis of both successes and missteps fosters a positive mindset, transforming setbacks into opportunities for growth.
Reflections/Insight
Coordinate with the recipient regarding the best days for gift delivery
Remember to keep them in the dark to not ruin the element of surprise
Create a price list for future cost savings
To quickly evaluate gift wrapping services and vendor prices for the best valueKeep a running inventory gift-wrapping supplies to avoid duplicate purchases in a spreadsheet
This avoids unnecessary financial waste and duplicate purchases for future gift-giving
What I Learned
My friend was a fan of cigars like the AJ Fernandez Dias De Gloria Brazil (Robusto)
He dislikes harsh cigars like the El Diablo Del Desierto (Aged 4+ Years)
Cost Associated To Project
Cost Breakdown Of Clothing
Purchase After Discount
In total, I spent $319.05
VERSUS
Spending $700 without my friend’s discount for the items I wanted.
In total I saved $380.95
Total Project Cost Breakdown
4 cigars: $50.95
Cigar box: Free
Paper Source Gift Wrapping Service,
Twine and Stuffing: $38
Total: $58.95
In closing…
From novice gift-giver to cigar connoisseur, this journey, though imperfect, deepened my understanding of James's preferences, leading to the discovery of his new favorite cigar, the AJ Fernandez Dias De Gloria Brazil, and setting the stage for future flavorful gift giving experiences.
