How to Build a Smart Gift Shop with Personalized Occasion Alerts

Simple Summary

Build an engaging online gift shop with integrated occasion reminders to help users never miss important gift-giving moments.

Product Requirements Document (PRD)

Goals:

• Develop a user-friendly ecommerce platform for gift shopping
• Implement an intelligent occasion reminder system
• Create a seamless shopping experience from browsing to checkout
• Ensure scalability and security of the application

Target Audience:

• Gift shoppers of all ages
• People who want to stay organized with important dates
• Individuals looking for personalized gift recommendations

Key Features:

1. User registration and authentication
2. Product catalog with search and filter options
3. Occasion reminder system with personalized alerts
4. Smart gift recommendations based on occasions and preferences
5. Shopping cart and secure checkout process
6. Order tracking and history
7. User reviews and ratings
8. Admin panel for inventory and order management

User Requirements:

• Intuitive navigation and responsive design
• Fast loading times and smooth performance
• Secure payment processing
• Easy management of occasion reminders
• Personalized gift suggestions
• Clear order status updates

User Flows

1. Occasion Reminder Setup:

   • User registers/logs in
   • Navigates to "My Occasions" section
   • Adds important dates (e.g., birthdays, anniversaries)
   • Sets reminder preferences (frequency, method)

2. Gift Shopping Process:

   • User receives occasion reminder
   • Clicks on suggested gifts or browses catalog
   • Adds items to cart
   • Proceeds to checkout
   • Enters shipping and payment information
   • Confirms order and receives confirmation

3. Review Submission:

   • User logs in and views order history
   • Selects a received order
   • Clicks "Write a Review"
   • Rates product and writes comments
   • Submits review for moderation

Technical Specifications

• Frontend: Next.js for server-side rendering and optimal performance
• Backend: Node.js with Express for API development
• Database: PostgreSQL for relational data storage
• Authentication: JWT for secure user authentication
• Payment Processing: Stripe API for handling transactions
• Image Storage: AWS S3 for scalable image hosting
• Styling: Tailwind CSS for responsive design
• State Management: Redux for complex state handling
• Testing: Jest for unit and integration tests
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions for automated deployment

API Endpoints

• POST /api/auth/register
• POST /api/auth/login
• GET /api/products
• GET /api/products/:id
• POST /api/cart/add
• GET /api/cart
• POST /api/orders/create
• GET /api/orders/:id
• POST /api/reviews/submit
• GET /api/occasions
• POST /api/occasions/add

Database Schema

Users:

• id (PK)
• email
• password_hash
• name
• created_at

Products:

• id (PK)
• name
• description
• price
• image_url
• category
• stock_quantity

Orders:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• total_amount
• status
• created_at

OrderItems:

• id (PK)
• order_id (FK)
• product_id (FK)
• quantity
• price

Reviews:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• product_id (FK)
• rating
• comment
• created_at

Occasions:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• title
• date
• reminder_days

File Structure

Implementation Plan

1. Project Setup (1-2 days)

   • Initialize Next.js project
   • Set up version control (Git)
   • Configure development environment

2. Authentication & User Management (3-4 days)

   • Implement user registration and login
   • Set up JWT authentication
   • Create user profile management

3. Product Catalog (4-5 days)

   • Design and implement product database schema
   • Create API endpoints for product retrieval
   • Develop product listing and detail pages

4. Shopping Cart (3-4 days)

   • Implement cart functionality (add, remove, update)
   • Create cart page with summary
   • Integrate with local storage for persistence

5. Checkout Process (4-5 days)

   • Implement Stripe API integration
   • Create checkout flow and confirmation
   • Handle order creation and storage

6. Occasion Reminder System (5-6 days)

   • Design and implement occasion database schema
   • Create reminder setting interface
   • Develop notification system (email/push)

7. Gift Recommendations (3-4 days)

   • Implement recommendation algorithm
   • Integrate with product catalog and occasions

8. Reviews and Ratings (2-3 days)

   • Create review submission form
   • Implement rating system
   • Display reviews on product pages

9. Admin Panel (4-5 days)

   • Develop interface for inventory management
   • Create order management system
   • Implement user and review moderation

10. Testing and Refinement (5-7 days)

    • Conduct thorough testing of all features
    • Perform security audits
    • Optimize performance and fix bugs

11. Deployment Preparation (2-3 days)

    • Set up production environment
    • Configure CI/CD pipeline
    • Prepare documentation

Deployment Strategy

1. Choose a cloud provider (e.g., Vercel for Next.js frontend, Heroku for Node.js backend)
2. Set up a managed PostgreSQL database (e.g., Heroku Postgres)
3. Configure environment variables for production
4. Implement SSL certificates for secure connections
5. Set up CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions
6. Configure automated backups for the database
7. Implement logging and monitoring tools (e.g., Sentry, New Relic)
8. Conduct load testing before launch
9. Use a CDN for static assets to improve performance
10. Implement a staging environment for pre-production testing

Design Rationale

The chosen tech stack (Next.js, Node.js, PostgreSQL) offers a balance of performance, scalability, and developer productivity. Next.js provides server-side rendering for improved SEO and initial load times, crucial for an ecommerce platform. PostgreSQL was selected for its robustness in handling complex relational data, essential for managing products, orders, and user information.

The occasion reminder system is a unique feature that differentiates this gift shop from competitors, providing added value to users and potentially increasing customer retention and sales. The implementation of Stripe for payments ensures a secure and widely-accepted checkout process.

The file structure is organized to promote modularity and ease of maintenance, separating concerns between frontend components, API routes, and utility functions. This structure also aligns well with Next.js conventions, making it easier for developers familiar with the framework to navigate and contribute to the project.

The deployment strategy focuses on scalability and reliability, using cloud services that can handle varying loads and provide high availability. The use of CI/CD and automated testing ensures that new features and bug fixes can be deployed quickly and safely, maintaining the quality of the application as it evolves.