HipChip

Project Overview

HipChip is a platform designed to make group gifting easy and hassle-free. The platform allows users to collect contributions from a group for a wide variety of occasions, including birthdays, teacher gifts, baby showers, and weddings. However, HipChip’s website and application was outdated, and they needed a fresh, responsive design to enhance the user experience and improve conversion rates. My role was to lead the UX/UI redesign of the website to ensure it became more user-friendly and aligned with the company's goals.

My Role: UX Research, Information Architecture, Prototyping, Interaction Design, UI Design, Conversion Rate Optimization

Research

To begin, I conducted stakeholder interviews with the HipChip team, which included parents, teachers, coaches, and PTA members. These discussions helped me understand their pain points and the expectations for the website. We gathered insights into their group gifting experiences and noted the friction points they encountered with the previous design.

Key Insights:

1. Usability Issues: The website's navigation was unintuitive, with users struggling to complete basic tasks such as setting up a gift or inviting others to chip in.
2. Dated Aesthetic: The website looked outdated, which detracted from user trust and engagement.
3. Mobile Optimization: Many users accessed the website via mobile devices, but the site lacked responsiveness, creating a poor experience on mobile screens.
4. Conversion Issues: The website had a low conversion rate due to unclear calls-to-action and a confusing user journey.

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Understanding the Problem

After gathering initial research, I performed usability tests on the existing platform with a small group of target users. This allowed me to pinpoint specific pain points:

1. Setup process: Users found it difficult to set up a group gift due to the overly complicated steps.
2. Invitation method: Sharing gift invitations through multiple platforms was unclear, causing confusion and drop-offs.
3. Visual hierarchy: Information was scattered, and users had difficulty understanding the next steps in the gifting process.
4. Responsiveness: The site had minimal mobile optimization, making it challenging for users on-the-go to interact with the platform.

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Competitive Analysis

I analyzed several competitors in the group gifting space to better understand their UX strategies and opportunities for HipChip to stand out. Competitors such as GoFundMe and GiftCrowd had smoother user flows, a more modern visual style, and easier gifting processes. These findings were used to guide design decisions aimed at making HipChip a leader in its space.

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Define and Ideate

Armed with research insights, I led brainstorming sessions with the HipChip team to define the core objectives of the redesign. The goal was to simplify the user flow, enhance the site’s visual appeal, and improve responsiveness across devices. We defined the core features and aligned on the primary user goals:

• Simplified group gifting
• Seamless invitation process
• Clear progress tracking for group contributions
• Responsive design across all devices

I also collaborated closely with stakeholders to refine the website’s information architecture using card sorting techniques. This allowed us to streamline the user journey, ensuring that key actions like setting up a gift, inviting contributors, and delivering the final gift were accessible and intuitive.

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Wireframes

Next, I created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the new site layout. This included:

• A simplified gift setup process with clear instructions
• An intuitive invitation method allowing users to share links via email, social media, and messaging apps
• A dashboard view where users could track contributions in real time

These wireframes were shared with the HipChip team, allowing us to agree on the flow and structure before moving into high-fidelity design.

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High-Fidelity UI Design

In the high-fidelity designs, I focused on making the platform feel fresh, modern, and approachable. I incorporated HipChip's playful and friendly brand identity through:

• A clean and inviting color palette
• Easy-to-read typography to ensure that all instructions were clear and user-friendly
• Custom illustrations to highlight each stage of the gifting process, making it engaging for users

I also ensured that calls-to-action (CTA) were strategically placed to guide users through each step, helping to optimize the conversion rate.

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Design System

To maintain consistency across the HipChip platform, I developed a design system that included a set of reusable components and guidelines. This system ensured a cohesive user experience across all pages and devices.

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Results

The new HipChip website was launched with a significant improvement in usability and user satisfaction. Key outcomes include:

• Improved Conversion Rate: Clearer CTAs and a streamlined flow resulted in a 20% increase in gift setup and contributions.
• Mobile Responsiveness: The new responsive design increased mobile traffic by 30%, with mobile users now completing the gifting process just as easily as desktop users.
• Enhanced User Experience: Usability tests conducted post-launch indicated a 40% reduction in user confusion, with participants praising the simplicity of the new interface.

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Conclusion

This project was a rewarding challenge that allowed me to showcase my skills in UX research, information architecture, and UI design while solving complex user experience issues. The final result was a modern, responsive, and user-friendly website that enhanced the overall group gifting experience for HipChip's users.