saher ahmed
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Helping Gifters discover the perfect Disney magic, even if they’re not familiar with the world of Disney.
BACKGROUND
Frustrated Gifters, Fragmented Discovery
Many users struggled to find the right Disney gifts for children, especially if they are not very familiar with characters or product categories.
Confusing terminology and inconsistent price ranges created uncertainty and slowed the gift-buying process. Users wanted clear guidance, relevant results, and a magical yet simple experience.
Validating design decisions with real Gifters.
USER RESEARCH
Understanding Gifters, Exploring the Market
To inform the design, I conducted competitor research on gift recommendation flows across major retailers, including approaches from non-Disney gift platforms. I also carried out moderated user research, speaking to users who weren’t familiar with Disney products.
This helped identify pain points:
Unclear terminology
Difficulty finding appropriate gifts
Low confidence when browsing
Users were excited about guidance but needed a balance between clarity and maintaining the fun, magical Disney feel.
Sketching the gift journey and testing flows for clarity.
UPDATED HYPOTHESIS
Design an engaging experience to help users discover the perfect Disney gift
After research and testing, we refined the approach: the Gift Finder shouldn’t display prices during the quiz to preserve Disney’s enchanting feel.
Instead, we would provide personalised recommendations based on age, favourite types of characters, and interests. The quiz would be brief but meaningful, delivering accurate results without any extraneous details.
Design Approach
From Insights to Magical Interfaces
I led wireframing, ideation, and iterative design for the Gift Finder. The quiz interface was structured around three key inputs: age, interests and favourite character types.
Each question included visual cues and playful micro-interactions to make the experience engaging. The results page showed personalised recommendations in a single scrollable layout rather than splitting content across multiple screens.
I also prioritised mobile usability, ensuring the quiz and results worked seamlessly on smaller devices. Prototyping and moderated testing allowed us to refine language, content hierarchy and visual emphasis to meet real user needs.
Results & Metrics
A More Confident, Delightful Gift Journey
Users were able to find relevant gifts faster, improving quiz completion rates by +35%.
Positive feedback on clarity and magical design increased perceived satisfaction by +40%.
Reduced confusion around product selection and filters led to fewer drop-offs during browsing.
Reflection
Guidance while preserving brand elements
This project taught me the importance of guiding users without removing the enchantment of Disney. Even small design decisions like reordering questions, clarifying terminology or keeping prices hidden had a meaningful impact on user confidence and engagement.