Vices VIP Dashboard

Robust project and client management for corporate gifting

I architected, designed, and built a custom dashboard that elegantly handles both customer relations and project management duties with flexibility, style, and efficiency. This dashboard supports Vices VIP, a company that focuses on white-glove B2B bespoke gifting.

The dashboard powered over $1M in orders in its first year while being praised for its usability and ability to scale without adding additional staff.

Development Began September 2022
Launched January 2023

Digital Transformation

This project was aimed at solving the inefficiencies of manual processes and scaling a highly custom, white-glove service. My role was to connect with stakeholders and users, uncover their pain points, and build a holistic system that streamlined their workflows while emphasizing the brand’s core value of fostering relationships. The result was a flexible, ongoing solution that eliminated hours of tedious manual processes for both the Vices VIP team and their customers by empowering clients to view, update, and manage their own gifts. The system continues to evolve based on client and customer feedback and new project requirements.

Challenges

Communication

The Vices VIP team faced bottlenecks with excessive emails and labor-intensive project management tools. They required a highly customized solution that eliminated endless email chains while retaining the premium brand experience their white-glove service demanded.

Complexity

The system needed to handle numerous use cases, from entering and managing recipients to creative approvals and shipping and inventory management, all within one seamless platform.

Scalability

As the business scaled, Vices VIP needed a solution that could grow without the need to hire more staff. Automating tasks and allowing clients to manage their projects independently was critical.

Integration

Vices VIP relied on several external platforms for billing, project management, and logistics. The new dashboard needed to integrate smoothly with these platforms to avoid manual workarounds and maintain operational efficiency.

Process

Empathy Meets Analysis

The project began with in-depth discussions to understand Vices VIP’s workflows and how gifting was tied to their relationship-driven business. The core principle of this system was to foster stronger relationships while simplifying complex operations and maintaining a premium, high-touch experience for users.

Partner on pilot

With tight budgets and we-needed-this-yesterday deadlines, we were lucky enough to partner with client who was willing to test the system and offer early feedback. They understood the nature of digital product development and were excited to share their insights.

Brand-Aligned Design

The visual design of the dashboard was aligned with Vices VIP’s luxury branding, while emphasizing usability and accessibility, ensuring every user could easily navigate the system.

Customization and Collaboration

From the start, the project involved continuous collaboration. I conducted regular check-ins with the team and a few willing clients to ensure that their needs were being met. The platform was designed to be adaptable, and every new feature request was carefully incorporated in a way that fit seamlessly into the existing workflow and company vision.

Solutions

Custom CRM and Project Management

Digital Transformation

The dashboard streamlined client relationships and project management by automating manual processes and enabling fast, intuitive navigation between clients and projects.

Add Gift Recipients

Edit Recipient Before Approving

Approve Gift Recipients

View Shipment History

Email Shipment Tracking

Security & Convenience

Admin and Client Views

The admin view offers advanced tools for internal teams, allowing them to manage clients and orders efficiently. The client view gives customers control over their projects, enabling them to upload recipients, approve assets, and manage gift orders without needing extensive training.

Left: Client Nav, Right: Admin Nav

Admin: Set Active Company (Client Names Anonymized)

Unified Login

Admin: Manage Users

Admin: Onboard via Email

Automated Workflows

Efficiency

Manual tasks like file sharing, asset approvals, and recipient management were automated. Clients can bulk upload recipients, manually add them, or allow recipients to select their own gifts via custom forms, significantly reducing the need for intervention by Vices VIP staff.

Upload Creative Asset

Automated Notifications

Bulk Upload Recipients

Bulk Assign Gifts

Integrated Lead Form

Bespoke Solutions

Customization and Flexibility

Bespoke landing pages allowed clients to gather recipient details, collect addresses, or offer product choices based on their specific needs.

Choose Your Gift

Select Options

Integrate With Inventory

Custimize Confirmation Message

Reflections

How To Say “Yes” to Everything

One of the most significant challenges was the company’s willingness to accommodate every client request, no matter how unique. The impulse to modify the system for niche cases risks alienating the majority of users, yet every client deserves a great experience. My rule of thumb is only to modify the core platform if a feature was requested at least twice, which allows us to focus on features that would benefit the majority of users while still providing room for tailored adjustments when truly necessary.

This has called for some true creativity in folding in feature requests in a way that doesn’t disrupt the workflow users have come to expect.

What Worked Well

The product has been continually praised for its ease of use and intuitive design. This speaks to the strength of the design decisions I made, as well as my ability to balance client requests with the needs of the core user base. The choice to be strategic about modifications for edge cases proved successful, with the design choices aging well as the platform grows.

The system remains scalable and flexible, with optimized data handling and a clean architecture that allows for ongoing improvements without overcomplicating the codebase.

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Contact

Gus Watkins

UX, Digital Products, Digital Transformation
for SaaS, Dashboards & E-Commerce

Email: gus@guswatkins.com
Phone: (+1) 323 529 5110
Online: LinkedIn