Product Design for a Personalized Skincare Planning Tool
PERSONAL PROJECT • PRODUCT DESIGN • 2024
As skincare routines become more complex and personalized, the need for a seamless solution to help users manage their products more effectively is growing. This case study examines the design process of a user-friendly mobile application that simplifies skincare routines, organizes products, and assesses ingredient compatibility.
PROBLEM
As skincare routines become more complex and personalized, the need for a seamless solution to help users manage their products more effectively is growing. This case study examines the design process of a user-friendly mobile application that simplifies skincare routines, organizes products, and assesses ingredient compatibility.
Despite the wide range of skincare products available, people often find it challenging to organize them effectively and understand the compatibility of various ingredients. Users often struggle with information overload, understanding product compatibility, and personalizing skincare to their unique needs.
GOAL
Simplify and streamline skincare routines for users organizing products, creating personalized routines, and understanding ingredient compatibility.
The primary goals of this project are to help users identify the most effective combinations of active ingredients for their skin type and concerns, and to empower them to develop personalized skincare routines using their existing products.
Ingredient Compatibility
The primary goals of this project are to help users identify the most effective combinations of active ingredients for their skin type and concerns, and to empower them to develop personalized skincare routines using their existing products.
Personalized Skincare Routines
Tailor skincare routines to individual skin types, concerns, and preferences, fostering a more targeted approach to achieving skincare goals.
RESEARCH
What do user habits look like?
In order to understand the challenges faced by skincare enthusiasts in forming and maintaining effective skincare routines, I conducted comprehensive research.
User Interviews
My goal was to identify patterns and pain points in the current experience and discover how each user type can more efficiently and easily operate through their user flows.
To understand user behaviors closely, I conducted a total of 6 interviews actively doing skincare routine and those were broken down into 3 types of user.
"I wish I understood what all these ingredients in my skincare products actually do."
The Problem Solver
Focused on addressing skincare concerns, seeks targeted solutions, values efficacy and results.
"I have so many skincare products, but I struggle to keep them organized and accessible."
The Skincare Enthusiast
Well-informed, enjoys trying new products, seeks innovative and effective skincare solutions.
"Creating a skincare routine feels like a chore, and I never know if I'm doing it right."
The Minimalist
Prefers simplicity, values efficiency, seeks products with minimalistic packaging and formulations.
Empathy Map
To highlight key research findings across all user types and aid in our decision-making, I utilized empathy mapping. This helped me make inferences about our users based on their behavior, prioritize where our focus laid, and determine what the most important takeaways were.
Identifying Pain Points
Throughout my research, while each user type had a variety of needs and pain points, across all user types, I identified several pain points:
Product Overload
Many users expressed frustration with managing numerous skincare products, leading to cluttered spaces and difficulty in keeping track of expiration dates and usage instructions.
Ingredient Confusion
Understanding skincare product labels and deciphering ingredient lists proved challenging for users, resulting in uncertainty about product efficacy and potential interactions between ingredients.
Time-Consuming Routine Creation
Crafting personalized skincare routines was perceived as time-consuming and daunting, requiring extensive research and trial-and-error to find the right combination of products for individual skin concerns.
Ineffective Product Utilization
Users reported instances of purchasing skincare products that ended up unused or forgotten, leading to wasted resources and ineffective skincare routines.
Storyboard
How do I support for the ideal solution scenario?
To understand the needs and preferences of each persona, I created a storyboard, exploring their unique journeys and aspirations. Through visual storytelling, I captured their desires, and challenges, laying the foundation for customized solutions within the skincare app.
The storyboard reveals the diverse preferences and priorities of each persona, highlighting the importance of offering personalized, user-centric features and experiences in the skincare app. By understanding the unique needs of each persona, the app can better address their concerns and provide valuable solutions tailored to their individual skincare journeys.
Low Fidelity Concepts
User Test
I polished up the screens that would be used in user testing and established the main user testing goals. I looked for and answer to these questions:
How effortless is it to complete tasks pertaining to each of the 3 user types? How well does my assumed user flow align with the users' approach?
After iterating on the feedback I gathered, I tested again to see if these changes improved usability.
Final Design
After usability tests I made some changes and end up having the final product.
Creating a New Routine
After opening the app, home page appears with a calendar to see current date. Users can see daily routines here and create a new routine by adding as many products as they want. They can chose the days that they want to repeat, add a time and set a reminder.
Accessing the Calendar
There is a possility to see the calender as a week and a month easly. Thus users can access the calenar easily.
Compatibility
Users can see how ingredients work together while they are creating their routines as if it's a relationship match. There are 3 types of match with the iteration: Perfect match, long distance and toxic relationship.
Project Takeaways
What did I learn?
Throughout this project, I faced the significant challenge of harmonizing the depth of features with the need for simplicity and ease of use. I initially aimed to add every conceivable feature to diverse user needs. However, I quickly realized that overloading the app with features could overwhelm users, ultimately diminishing the overall user experience. This realization prompted me to shift towards a more simplified approach, prioritizing essential functionalities and embracing simplicity as a guiding principle in design. Through overcoming this challenge, I acquired invaluable lessons about the importance of flexibility and adaptability in the design process. While my initial vision involved a wide array of features, I learned to remain receptive to user feedback and redesign accordingly. This project has reshaped my outlook as a designer, underscoring the crucial balance between user experience and feasibility. Moving forward, I am committed to ongoing refinement based on user insights, as well as cultivating a community within the app to enhance users' skincare journeys.