1. Begin with evidence from real life
Write down things the person has actually said, done or chosen. Recent hobbies, repeated frustrations, favourite routines and plans for the next year are stronger clues than age or gender. Separate direct evidence from your own guess.
2. Define the job of the gift
Is it celebrating a milestone, making daily life easier, creating time together or simply showing that you noticed? A clear purpose removes many superficially attractive options.
3. Set honest constraints
Choose a total budget including delivery, the date it must arrive and any practical requirements such as size, compatibility, allergies, mobility or storage. A suggestion that fails a hard constraint is not a near match.
4. Generate categories before products
Explore several routes: upgrade something they use, support a current interest, remove a small annoyance, create an experience or preserve a memory. This prevents the first plausible search result from anchoring the whole decision.
5. Build a short, explainable shortlist
Keep three to five options. For each, write one sentence explaining the fit and one risk. “Supports the pottery class she started; risk: confirm the studio accepts outside tools” is more useful than a vague score.
6. Verify before buying
Check the exact seller, dimensions, materials, delivery date, returns and compatibility. For experiences, confirm access, location, validity dates and what is included.
7. Preserve what you learned
Record what worked, what was returned and any new preference the person explicitly shared. Do not infer sensitive characteristics or treat one reaction as a permanent rule.