Goodies for Gifts is one of our all-time favorite projects. The concept is simple but the execution was complex. Lynn Steinberg of Goodies for Gifts approached us in the Summer of 2011 with a unique idea: an online advertisement hub for small, independent bakeries nationwide. In a sense, she wanted to create Etsy but for food.
Since her audience, both her advertisers and her visitors, were mainly female, we came up with a feminine and whimsical theme for the overall design direction from the logo to the website collateral. It was our first foray into a boldly lady-friendly design, but we quickly found that the nature of the website and the product made for a fun creative process. We custom designedthe logo as well as the website from the ground up to match the overall objection of the business.
The development end of the project was extensive. We used WordPress as a platform to allow the vendors to register for an account and produce their own listings for the website. We used Recurly to manage the paid subscription portion of the website and integrated it completely into the workflow of the website.
On the backend, vendors can create listings, attach descriptions, photos, and prices to advertise their delicious treats. Every action a vendor makes goes through an approval process with Goodies staff to ensure the integrity of the website.
The frontend is incredibly functional. The Listings page features an infinite scroll showcasing all Goodies that match a search criteria by visitors. Visitors can drill down to location, category, occasion and keyword. The search algorithm automatically builds and displays allowing users to quickly and easily drill down to the Goodie of choice.
For more information on the creating of Goodies for Gifts, check out our guest column on The Bloggery, a creative take on the traditional blog.
