The Ginkgo Project is an Asian-American influenced candle brand specializing in artisan bubble tea inspired fragrances and design.
Our Main Objective
With the pandemic shutting down every major city, we set out to design an intuitive eCommerce candle shopping experience that bridges the gap between online and in-store shopping.
Overview + Team Role
The Ginkgo Project, an independent design studio that produces artisan home products with emphasis upon environmental sustainability. Our first product line consists of Asian-influenced candles that draw inspiration from popular bubble tea flavors.
My co-founder and I started developing the brand at the beginning of June 2020. As the founder, my responsibilities ranged from leading the project planning to management, user research, branding, visual design, wireframing, candle manufacturing and sourcing, website design, packaging and print collateral design, and social media and digital marketing assets design.
E-commerce website built using Shopify.
Founder // Product Designer
June 2020 - January 2023
Understanding the Problem Through Interviews
As an occasional candle shopper myself, I tend to find the joy in browsing the store aisles in order to smell every candle within sight hoping to find the perfect scent for my day's mood. Understanding that one's shopping behavior and expectations can vary tremendously from person to person, I conducted interviews with a diverse group of candle shoppers, both online and in-person.
After listening to our interviewees, we discovered the following pain-points:
Scent descriptions are deceiving. A portion of shoppers noticed that not every candle aligns with their intended scent notes (based on the label), making it extra frustrating when their expectations are met with differing smells.
Gifting a candle is a mystery. Although candles can make for a wonderful gift, browsing for the right scent for that special person can be quite a daunting task. Everyone has their own particular scent preference, which typically isn't a common thing to know about for your friends and family.
Shopping online is too risky. Many online candle brands are popping up left and right, but most shoppers are skeptical on trusting anything but Amazon and other major store retailers. In addition, nothing is worst than ordering an online candle that you don't end up liking - especially from unfamiliar brands/websites.
Empathy Map
Using our interview notes, we were able to map out their attitudes and behaviors in a more detailed manner through our empathy map. This step helped us create our user personas shortly after.
Defining The Problem
Without the ability for online consumers to smell and experience their candle products in-person, this becomes a major purchase barrier due to the lack of scent perception and commitment. Additionally, how can we reassure consumers who are particularly hesitant on brand trust and product reliability for a new brand without an established reputation?
"Fragrance is by far the most important characteristic impacting candle purchases today, with three-fourths of candle buyers saying it is “extremely important”... in their selection of a candle."
-https://candles.org/
Our Brand Goals
Long Term Goals
Brand Trust — consumers should have an ease of mind knowing we have their best interest at heart
Brand Loyalty — we want our consumers to feel loved and rewarded for the little things they do
Positive Brand Reputation — people should feel excited knowing they have a quality product in-hand
Product Goals
Accessible and Intuitive — anybody can try out our scents, risk-free
Effortless — to make browsing and shopping as enjoyable as in the store
Clear Searchability — finding exactly what you want should be as easy and painless as possible
Competitor Research
Site Map
Creating the site map helped us better organize our main content and functions. A visualization is always crucial in giving us an overview and direction to the project.
Wireframing
Less is more. After placing all the most important features and sections, we wanted to ensure our pages are seamless and easy to navigate. Browsing for a product, adding it to your cart, and checking out should be more fluid than even checking out in-store.
All top products can be added to cart or reach the checkout screen within 2 clicks.
Software used: Figma
Sniff Samplers
Curious consumers can effortlessly explore and sample all our scents in the comfort of their own home - before committing to a full candle.
For our sampler, we offer free shipping, at-cost pricing, and an exclusive coupon code for their next purchase to enhance conversion rates and encourage repeat business.
30% of customers who order a sniff sampler from us end up purchasing a full candle on their next purchase.
Our Story & Featured Section
We want to create a personable brand that people can relate to. We invite all our users to learn about our history and inspirations as well as taking a dive into the articles and magazines we were featured in - in an effort to grow our brand reputation.
Reviews & Recommendations
Similar to how one may cross-shop for similar products in-store, it is crucial that we can intuitively recommend other scents that may be of interest.
Reviews are especially important to help other users get a clear idea of the product before purchasing it.
Logo Design
When I set out to design the logo, I drew inspiration from the graceful Ginkgo Biloba leaf, a symbol of resilience and longevity. Using the golden ratio, I carefully crafted the form to create a sense of harmony and balance, ensuring the design feels as natural as it does timeless.
The choice of teal and warm terracotta was equally intentional—teal evokes depth and calm, while warm terracotta adds a touch of earthly warmth and luxury. Together, they reflect the brand’s modern, yet inviting presence, blending sophistication with a grounded, organic feel.
Digital & Print Assets
I designed a range of digital and print assets using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign, including email marketing assets, social media graphics, website content, packaging, in-store signage, and wholesale product catalog. Each piece was crafted to align with brand goals and style guidelines, ensuring a cohesive narrative across platforms.
Reflections
Being the primary designer while also managing the side business presented a unique challenge for this project. I had to learn to be able to make fast decisions for the sake of the business, despite my inner temptations to over-design certain aspects since it was also my passion project. Finding the right balance between a designer and a business owner has helped me appreciate visionaries who lead successful companies in the ever-growing design and tech world.
On top of everything, being a user experience designer requires you to wear many hats, which is a skillset that can always be improved and developed along the way. Keeping all our stakeholders in mind during every step of the design process is an essential tool in becoming a well-rounded designer.
