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From Confusion to Confidence: Designing Trust for Experiential Gifting
My Role
Timeline
Team
Overview
Ribin is a new-age gifting platform that makes India’s tradition of meaningful gift-giving more personal by offering curated experiences as digital gift cards.
As the design lead, I shaped Ribin’s product and brand to close the gap between user expectations and product delivery. My work simplified the platform, introduced credibility features, and built an identity that made experiential gifting tangible.
Problem
What went wrong?
Ribin, as a pioneering experiential gifting platform, struggled to convert genuine user interest into completed purchases. This fundamental disconnect stemmed from a profound "Commitment Gap" that challenged both the product's immediate usability and its market credibility.
// App no good
The initial app presented a significant barrier to adoption. Its user experience was clunky and visually unrefined, frustrating users attempting to navigate the journey of discovery and purchase. This lack of polish signaled an inherent lack of reliability, making users wary of committing to a service that already lacked tangibility.
Selling experiences, rather than products, created a credibility challenge in the market. Users were hesitant to commit to a purchase with no tangible reference, viewing the experience as an uncertain, high-risk choice.
Research
And insights
Conducted 10+ qualitative interviews with stakeholders and users, supported by behavioral analysis.
65%
of users would prefer gifting experiences over physical items.
84%
rely heavily on reviews when choosing gifts.
70%
struggle to decide what gift to give.
Core Pain Points
“How do I know this experience will be good?”
Uncertainty about quality led to abandoned carts.
“What if my friend doesn’t like it?”
Fear of disappointing recipients created decision paralysis.
“Is this platform trustworthy?”
As a new category in India, credibility was a major concern.
Behavioral Insights
Emotional connections drive gifting: gifts fulfill subconscious needs for esteem and connection, making experiences more memorable.
Reviews and word-of-mouth build trust: authentic social proof alleviates credibility concerns.
Thoughtful gifting balances emotion & practicality: users seek guidance around preferences, budget, and occasion.
Solution
Designing for Trust
and Clarity
The core finding of our research was simple: users could not visualize the experience, and what you can't see, you won't buy. To solve this, we moved Ribin from a transactional e-commerce look to an immersive, media-rich platform.
We focused on replacing static frustration with dynamic immersion, using design patterns familiar to our target audience.
Introducing the Discover Feed: Viral Immersion
We focused on replacing static frustration with dynamic immersion, using design patterns familiar to our target audience.
Designed for endless, passive scrolling, this section showcased experiences via full-screen, high-impact video reels. This leveraged a behavior users were already addicted to, allowing them to rapidly stumble upon inspiration. This massive injection of easy, engaging content dramatically increased time-on-app and solved the "I don't know what to gift" struggle by offering effortless, immersive discovery.
To directly tackle the visualization barrier, we prioritized short, influencer-style video previews. This was a radical departure from standard product videos.
On the Experience Detail Page, the main hero section focuses on video previews. Users don't just see the product; they see a fast-paced, personal vlog-style sneak peek into the excitement, ambiance, and service quality.
Building Credibility with Dual Review Signals
Once users were engaged through powerful visuals, we had to neutralize their final hesitations regarding safety and trust.
Since 84% of users relied on external validation, we implemented a Dual Review System on every product page to secure the conversion.
Experience Enhanced
Beyond the high-impact discovery features, the entire application underwent a comprehensive UI overhaul to ensure a seamless experience.
Concluding the ribin project
Some Learnings
Trust is critical for intangible products.
Your product needs to be designed for trust. Your marketing should sell earned trust.
Influencer led short‑form video showcasing real moments from the experience is among the most effective formats in experiential gifting, converting hesitation into intent by pairing social proof with vivid previews.
Next Steps
One of the features that didn't make it to Final Design was Party
Users can effortlessly create a shared space to communicate, debate, and share experiences with friends, whether planning a group outing or coordinating a surprise gift. This space allows everyone involved to easily shortlist and discuss ideas, drastically simplifying the messy logistics of group planning and ensuring all participants are aligned on the perfect experience.
Smart Gifting
Crucially, the feature allows gift-givers to leverage the Ribin Algorithm's personalized insights into a potential giftee's preferences and past interests. By analyzing this internal data, the algorithm can suggest experiences with a high probability of delighting the recipient. This ensures the gift given has a high probability of being cherished, eliminating guesswork and guaranteeing thoughtful, personal gifts every time.
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