VidGift
A First of Its Kind Gifting App With Personalized Video Greetings
Enabling users to capture life’s special moments with customized, cinematic video messages which are then delivered with gifts purchased on the app.
User Experience / Interface Design / Mobile app Development / CMS Implementation
User Experience
Interface Design
Mobile app Development
CMS Implementation
Overview
- VidGift is a Retail Gifting app that allows users to send flowers and gifts to their loved ones with the addition of creating video messages.
- After the VidGift founder & creator approached us to help bring his vision to life, together, we collaborated on ways to develop his idea beyond a concept into reality. The goal was to develop a first-of-its-kind app that completely reimagined the art of gifting by combining personalized video message cards with the delivery of specially curated gifts.
- The APP replaces old-fashioned paper messages and greeting cards with user-created, cinematic video cards which are then delivered to the recipient with every gift purchased from the app. Upon gift delivery, each video card is saved to the user’s and recipient’s app gallery to be viewed and shared anytime with family, friends, and social media for years to come.
Project idea
- The client’s idea was to create an app that allows their users to buy gifts by firstly recording a short video and by inserting a few images you would like to share with your loved ones.
- Technologies:
- Backend – Laravel PHP
- The database architecture and application setup hosted on AWS
- Web development: Nuxt.js
- Mobile app: React Native
Project Breakdown
- We broke the app up into the following set of features:
- General Features:
- Login/Register
- Admin dashboard
- Video and order notifications
- Occasion vs. Budget filter options
- Edit video and image
- Review video option
- Delivery options
- Product selection
- Theme selection
- Video preview
- Thank you option by recording a video message
- Payment / Order
- Gallery view
- Client app user:
- Send and view a video
- Select a video theme
- Record a video message
- Upload up to 3 photos
- Choose flowers and accessories to include as a gift
- Choose a recipient address
- Choose the day of delivery
- Share a video
Project Development
- The functionality of the backend was developed with the Laravel PHP framework through which we have defined users and features creation, roles, and notification handling. The database management system was built using MySQL. We’ve used the latest technology in mobile development – React Native framework, which allowed us to build the app natively for both Android and iOS.
Challenges
- The greatest challenge was to meet the client’s vision and expectations for the project. The UX/UI had some big changes as the project development was ongoing. This became challenging since the deadline was rapidly approaching. We created various design iterations to achieve the best possible product.
- Sometimes clients may not know anything about design, how much it should cost, or how much work it involves. However, during this project, our client was involved in the design process during every phase. Since they asked good questions and aided us in making some good decisions, it helped us to deliver a great product and nurture a long-lasting client relationship.
- Another challenge was the approval of the app on the App store. Apple required us to change and adapt some of the app features because there was insufficient evidence why they were required (i.e. why the phone number was required on user registration etc.). Most of the changes were not made at the end; all that was required were explanations of why some of the features are required for the app to function.
Finished product
- The app was designed to provide users with a user-friendly and fun experience. In order to accomplish this, we focused on having weekly brainstorming sessions with the client.
- After the entire design was created, the user experience polished, and the implementation of the backend and the mobile app was done, we had a fully functional backend that communicates with the app, stores, and procreates offer/event info. It also processes the payments via Paypal API.
- Users upload assets from their device so they can personalize the Video theme templates available on the app. Users can record a video clip and take or upload photos from their device and the app integrates it with the template, resulting in a customized video which is then delivered with the selected gift to the recipient. This video is then viewable to the recipient upon delivery of the gift. After that, the video is stored in the app device Gallery for both sender & recipient for easy reference and safekeeping long after the occasion has passed. This ensures the special occasion video is preserved and protected.
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