Getting Playful with Design and Data

I first started out on X (formerly Twitter) with #buildinpublic towards the end of January 2023.

Initially, I planned to build and release a series of Airtable apps (launching soon!) but never anticipated building a side project like BawkBox.

Before BawkBox, there was a previous product of mine called Birdgaze. It was a small collection of blank design templates.

I created Birdgaze after receiving positive feedback on a post I shared on X, of my April account analytics just 3 months after starting on my build-in-public journey.

I thought, “why not make this into a product?” and started to build.

I was noticing a trend of creators wanting to share their account growth analytics at the start of each month.  

The idea sort of presented itself when others expressed a desire for something I had created (which was super neat)!

I also just really enjoy creating images.

I created a small offering of design templates for users to showcase their X account analytics.

I made my first online dollar within the first 24 hours of it going live!

Birdgaze was my very first product and the idea felt validated.

To my dismay, I came across a prominent competitor shortly after the launch of Birdgaze. I honestly wondered if it was the death knell for my project 🥺

I knew that Birdgaze in its current form, wasn’t unique in any meaningful way apart from its avian aesthetic. There are thousands of design templates available on Gumroad.

I wasn’t sure if it was still worth pursuing. The experience of building and shipping was super-duper new to me.

I felt like an imposter.

I decided to share my dilemma with the community and the outpouring of support I received was incredibly encouraging.

Resolved to soldier on, I focused exclusively on what made Birdgaze different from the competition.

As uncomfortable as having a competitor was, it forced me to grow and to critically rethink my project. 

I had to really evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, and that’s what created the possibility for it to become something completely new: BawkBox.

It was during this time that I came up with the idea of a monthly mystery box.

BawkBox involved detailed prep and build.

Template designs went through tons of iterations. The monthly-mystery-box concept involved careful planning and the infrastructure required several rounds of fine-tuning.

I knew that I wanted the mystery templates to auto-generate with stats and for users to get one free roll every month, alongside new design installments.

But I didn’t really know how to make any of those features work 😅 

At first, the whole operation was loosely held together by digital duct tape.

Personally, an overall concept or action plan can be valuable but things often deviate and need adapting as the project gets built.

Hammering down a core idea of the project helps guide its development but sometimes being agile is just as valuable.

I had zero experience with digital products apart from website building, social media services and some graphic design sense when I started BawkBox.

I needed to learn loads!

I studied JavaScript, learned about serverless solutions because of CORS restrictions, discovered Jimp for image generation and so much more.

Creating, shipping and maintaining a product has absolutely helped increase my skills in all areas.

It’s been a huge source of both personal and professional growth. 

I now have the experience and confidence to draw on for future projects, which is invaluable.

When I first started building: I knew Elementor, MailerLite and a little WordPress. I had some background in HTML/CSS/JavaScript but can’t say I was proficient with them.

It’s really amazing how ChatGPT changed all of that. 

Throughout my build-in-public journey, I’ve used ChatGPT like a mentor with the power of Google search.

I’ve expanded my toolset to include: JavaScript, Jimp, Node.js, Google Apps Script, Pipedream (and other serverless solutions). I’ve even dabbled in PHP for more recent projects.

BawkBox specifically uses Google Sheets and Apps Script, Elementor, MailerLite and Pipedream. The specific languages that make it work are Node.js, JavaScript, and PHP.

I’ve been wanting to learn Framer and would also like to swap MailerLite for Loops but I just haven’t had the time.

Birdgaze took only 48 hours from concept to first sale. It was a whirlwind!

On the contrary, BawkBox took about three weeks between plan and build. Executing on my vision was time-consuming but I was fueled by my own excitement. It kind of took over my life 🙃

I originally wanted to release BawkBox around the first week of June (to coincide with creators sharing the previous month’s analytics) but there were a bunch of hiccups and I delayed by a few weeks.

I had to build the website from scratch. Setup numerous scripts and forms. Somehow auto-generate images and figure out a distribution method.

It took a while but when it came together and was functional, it felt like such an accomplishment.

Birdgaze didn’t start off quirky or fowl-themed, and it didn’t even have a landing page!

The templates were blank with no auto-generated or prefilled stats to start because I didn’t have any earthly idea on how to do that.

I only had a Gumroad product page with .zip files that contained a 5-pack of gradient or retro-themed templates. All templates were free except for a 10-pack without watermarks available for $2.

When Birdgaze hatched into BawkBox, it went through a ton of aesthetic changes before ever seeing the light of day. From the website, to its design, theme and everything in-between!

Even the website flip boxes were a last-minute addition.

I cycled through fonts, content boxes, backgrounds, rarity icons and tested different themes for the templates. Once I settled on the chicken-theme, the quirkiness dialed right up to a 10.

I leaned into it more and more each month until arriving at this magical amalgamation of poultry-inspired goodness 🐔

Birdgaze was completely spontaneous.

BawkBox was briefly called Bird Box but I knew that couldn’t last long due to post-apocalyptic connotation.

The name BawkBox came to me when I couldn’t sleep as well as a license for eccentricity that really makes it fit.

Another of many insomnia-inspired gems.

The Twitter to X analytics disruptions have been problematic for BawkBox.

It more or less derailed the first half of this month (September 2023) which is typically the most active usage period for this product.

I’m currently pivoting to deal with the sudden disappearance of the robust 28-day and previous-month summaries.

I had just added the 28-day and custom-day summaries to last month’s box to combat the unreliability of previous-month summaries but c’est la vie!

I plan to continue adapting BawkBox as needed but it’s a challenging landscape at the moment due to X analytics being in a constant state of flux.

The first time anyone laid eyes on Birdgaze and BawkBox, they were completed products.

I didn’t share build details prior to release other than the occasional teaser.

Part of that was due to active competition but also partly due to my perfectionism, especially when it comes to design.

I know there will be countless iterations before I arrive at a final version.

I did give a sneak peek at BawkBox with my May analytics post, but no one knew what they were looking at!

I was exceptionally nervous to even share a final product! It felt like carving out a piece of myself and leaving it on the table. 

That feeling has since softened over time but it was incredibly nerve-wracking to share my work at first - especially something I felt pride over and worked really hard on.

My process throughout this entire journey has been to push through the discomfort and deal with it moment to moment.

I try to trust the process. The process being the reassurance that I will emerge from whatever adversity on the other side.

I’ve gained so much personal insight and have been able to show myself that the world won’t end after making a mistake or revealing an imperfection. I honestly wasn’t sure of that before experiencing it.

BawkBox has truly been a passion project.

I’ve had a blast creating the website and the silly fowl-themed designs each month.

It’s been a valuable creative outlet for me and a way to flex my design muscles without limitation.

A way for me to express my own design style that is as authentically me as possible.

I also wanted to give the community something fun and playful to interact with. It’s something to look forward to each month.

As a pedigreed introvert, it’s been a way for me to connect with others. Through design, instead of conversation.

The feedback for Birdgaze was better than I’d hoped! Making my first online dollar within 24 hours of its launch, was pretty dang neat.

Somehow, the reception to BawkBox topped Birdgaze and only improved over time!

It was surreal to see the community actually posting about and using something I made.

The start of each month started to feel a bit like Christmas. More and more users claimed their rolls and posted templates.

I’m so incredibly grateful for all the support I’ve received.

It’s led to profound personal growth that I can’t overstate 🌱 I’m a huge introvert with an even bigger inner perfectionist and little experience with putting myself out there.

Creating and sharing in public has bolstered my confidence, led to incredible opportunities and shown me that I’m capable of doing the things I set out to do.

Sharing and being vulnerable every day has been immensely difficult and uncomfortable at times. Pushing through and being consistent has proven to be a reward in itself.

The experience I gained from BawkBox opened the door for me to design testimonial templates for Senja, which has been yet another leap out of my comfort zone!

It took a lot of repetition but I’ve learned that doing my best is always enough. 

Perfect really is the enemy of good.

I’ve always been a visual person. My mind speaks in imagery and I have an eye for spotting flaws.

Sharing BawkBox and receiving positive feedback honestly gave me so much more design confidence, especially with how offbeat and out there it is. It’s helped me hone and flex my creativity.

BawkBox has allowed me to be loud, playful and eccentric. I’ve explored different styles of expression.

I push the envelope a little more each month and it’s bled over into my general style and personal branding.

BawkBox has a few new features I’ll be releasing very shortly.

I’m also looking to expand my design services in the near future.

I’ve been working up to my Airtable apps launch this entire time. Launch day is near!

BawkBox has become, in essence a marketing tool for what’s to come.

Snacks, ambient lighting, electronic music (usually on shameless repeat) and my doggo underfoot are all building necessities 🐶🎧

Iced coffee is also non-negotiable. Coffee-flavored boba’s are even better!