The challenge
The problem
A product photo shows one angle. Shoppers want to see the back, the sides, and the finish before they buy, and when they can't, they hesitate or send the product back.
Shopify merchants wanted a 360° view on their product pages. The tools they found needed a developer to add code to the theme, slowed the page down, or were priced for large brands.
Our solution
We built SpinLab as a Shopify app. A merchant uploads a short video of the product, and SpinLab turns it into a spin that shoppers can drag to look around the item.
Installs like any Shopify app
Merchants add it from the Shopify App Store. No theme code to edit and no developer needed.
Light on the page
The viewer loads only when needed, and spin files are served from AWS S3 through a CDN.
Emails that match the brand
Welcome, feature request, contact, and admin emails all share one template.
A way to ask for features
Merchants submit ideas in the app, get a confirmation email, and can vote on a public board.
Technologies used
| Technology | Used for |
|---|---|
| Next.js | The merchant-facing app and website |
| Django | The backend and email templates |
| Shopify App Bridge | Running inside the Shopify admin |
| PostgreSQL | Store, product, and request data |
| AWS S3 + CDN | Storing and delivering spin files |
How we built it
Shopify app first
Built on Shopify App Bridge so it installs and runs like any other app in the admin.
Video to spin
Merchants upload a product video; SpinLab turns it into an interactive spin for the product page.
Keep pages fast
The viewer is lazy-loaded and spin files come from a CDN, so product pages stay quick.
Emails and feedback
One shared email template, plus a feature request flow: review, vote, update.
Gallery
Project statistics
- shared template behind every merchant email
- 1
- plans: Free, Pro, and Enterprise
- 3
- lines of theme code for merchants to edit
- 0
The result
SpinLab is live on Shopify. A merchant can add a 360° view to a product page without a developer, and shoppers can turn the product around before they buy. See the SpinLab product page for features and pricing.
Key takeaway
Give shoppers a better look at the product, and make it simple enough that any merchant can set it up alone.
