Turning gift search from overwhelming to effortless
Choice overload → guided discovery (Sherlox)
Choice overload → guided discovery (Sherlox)
Finding a good gift sounds simple, until you actually try. People get stuck because there are too many options, too little context, and a constant fear of choosing the wrong thing.
Sherlox is a gift finder built to reduce that friction. Instead of browsing endless lists, users can describe the recipient in a few steps and get suggestions that feel relevant.
The goal was a product that feels helpful, fast, and lightweight, while still offering room for exploration.
This wasn’t a “make it pretty” project.
The challenge was to design an experience that reduces decision fatigue without feeling restrictive. Users needed to feel guided — not forced.
That meant solving for:
The product needed structure — but also personality.
Sherlox was a full end-to-end build. I was responsible for design, illustration, and frontend development.
My role included:
The goal was to make the product feel approachable, while keeping it easy to maintain and extend.
I focused on turning a vague, emotional task (“find a good gift”) into a flow with clear next steps.
Key areas of focus:
The aim was a calm experience that still feels fun.
The result was an experience that helps users move from “I have no idea” to “this feels right” faster.
Users could:
The wishlist was designed to be especially low-friction: users could add items simply by pasting a URL, with product details fetched automatically.
Discovery didn’t stop at the gift finder itself.
I designed a content layer around Sherlox to support users who were still exploring ideas, while also strengthening the product’s organic discoverability.
Key considerations:
This turned the blog into both an inspiration tool for users and a sustainable acquisition channel for the product.
Sherlox works because it respects how gift search actually happens: people start with uncertainty and build clarity through small decisions.
Instead of pushing users into endless browsing, the product provides structure and momentum.
The combination of guided inputs, browsable categories, and helpful content made the experience both useful and discoverable.
Choice overload is a UX problem. More options rarely help.
The way out is structure: guide the first steps, reduce uncertainty, and let exploration happen inside a clear mental model.
If you’re building a product that feels more complex than it needs to be, I’d love to hear about it.
Short messages or early-stage questions are welcome, happy to think along!