Customizable Gift Card Templates for Retail Kiosks

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing gift cards lack customization options and are often relegated to lower priority in retail store displays due to limited aesthetic design and inventory constraints, limiting their potential for cross-promotional sales between companies.

Innovation Solution

A customizable gift card system that allows customers to design cards using modifiable templates and layouts, with the option to designate redemption at specific stores through a point-of-sale terminal like a kiosk, reducing shelf space requirements and increasing design variety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If gift cards are provided with pre-printed patterns by stock suppliers, then the gift card production process is simplified, but the customer cannot select or customize the design aesthetic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegift card production processVSAvoidcustomer design selection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from static pre-printed patterns to dynamic customizable designs where customers can select from multiple template categories (birthday, holiday, event-specific) and modify design elements including colors, images, and text fields through an interactive interface at the point of sale terminal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Customers are enabled to independently customize their own gift card designs through the terminal interface without requiring manual intervention from store employees, selecting templates and modifying parameters themselves

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If multiple cross-promotional gift card arrangements are supported, then sales opportunities between companies increase, but store display and inventory space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecross-promotional salesVSAvoidstore display space

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

A single gift card system is designed to support multiple redemption locations and cross-promotional arrangements simultaneously, allowing one card to be valid at various stores based on customer selections rather than requiring separate physical card inventories for each promotional arrangement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses digital replication of gift card designs and redemption information rather than physical duplication of cards for different promotional arrangements, allowing unlimited cross-promotional configurations without increasing physical inventory requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Area of stationary object

If gift cards are treated as non-staple products with limited priority, then store space allocation is minimized, but the number of cross selling arrangements is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestore space allocationVSAvoidcross selling arrangements

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces the mechanical inventory management approach with a digital configuration system where cross-selling arrangements are defined through software contracts between stores rather than through physical product allocation, enabling flexible multi-store agreements without dedicated shelf space

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS7668619B2Personalized gift card templates

Publication Date: 2010.02.23 WALGREEN CO

AI summary

A customizable gift card that may be designed using a plurality of design templates that have modifiable fields and layouts. The gift cards may be designated for use at one or more stores based on contract arrangements between the one or more stores and a vendor of the gift card. The gift card may be adapted to be used exclusively at the one or more designated stores. A point of sale terminal such as a kiosk may be used to reduce shelf space and provide a greater variety of gift card design options to a customer.