Skincare Stuff

End-to-end mobile app

Roles

UX Designer, UX Researcher, UI Designer

Deliverables

User Research, UX Design, product branding, app MVP

Tools

Figma, Whimsical, Optimal

App Preview

The is Sebastian, a Skincare Slacker.

He's new to skincare and feels unmotivated to create a skincare routine since he isn't particularly interested in skincare, yet recognizes the need for one.

He’s lazy– he just wants a quick and straightforward routine, but is overwhelmed by the vast array of products available. The Skincare Stuff app could assist him in curating a personalized skincare routine, offering him the guidance he requires.

Challenge

Users new to skincare need to gain more knowledge building a personalized skincare routine. Skincare beginners need help learning their skin types and identifying their skin concerns to select the appropriate products.

Goals

  • Build a personalized skincare routine

  • Educate users on how to use products effectively

  • Recommend products and skincare tips

Branding Stuff

Users have expressed feeling stressed due to the abundance of product options and terminology, especially as newcomers to skincare. They seek simplicity and guidance in their skincare journey. Skincare Stuff is intentionally branded as approachable, relaxing, and playful to address these needs and create a welcoming environment for users.

Color Palette

The palette is to give a sense of bright energy and lightheartedness. The green color appears fresh like skincare. The cream color fills the space to offer a calm vibe.

Typography

Rounded sans serif font for a friendly and legible look. Nunito was used for headers and Proxima Nova was used for body text.

Illustrations

Soft edges and colors offer a pleasant, welcoming appearance to avoid looking intimidating.

Research

What’s Already Out There?

With ongoing research and development, the skincare market continues to grow– releasing new, exciting products and trends. However, with the numerous amount of choices and resources, users are having difficulty finding what works best for them. I began my research by analyzing competitors in the skincare industry.

Objectives

  • Understand the motivations and frustrations of people that are new and unfamiliar with skincare

  • Analyze competitors on how they inform and encourage their audience on what skincare products to use

I did in-depth research on skincare competitors– Cloe, Hydration Reminders, Think Dirty, Charm, TroveSkin, sunZapp, RYNKL, Skincare by Alana, Ulta Beauty, Peach & Lily, Sephora, and SokoGlam.

Competitors

Most common features that I found helpful:

  • Skincare questionnaire

  • Tracking user’s progress

  • Blogs

  • Shopping app integration

  • Identifies toxic ingredients

  • Product reviews

  • Product or routine suggestions

My goal was to understand the user's experience in educating themselves about the skincare products they need, how they construct their skincare routine, and the determining factors they consider when selecting products.

Getting Under Their Skin

I created a survey of 24 participants from the ages 18-35 years old. Survey results revealed:

I interviewed 6 participants to learn about their skincare journey. Interview takeaways:

  • Began their skincare journey because of their skincare concerns. Started to research remedies

  • Does not want to spend too much time and money. Just want a simple, short routine

  • Read forums and reviews to get information because they feel it saves time from researching on their own

  • Multiple resources found in one place are preferred for convenience

  • Not aware of what ingredients are in their products– at most just knowing the key benefit. Would be open to learning benefits

  • A couple of participants shared that they would prefer to read at their own pace instead of watching videos

  • Receives product recommendations from friends and family

Building Empathy for New Users

Define & Ideate

Based on my research findings, I created a feature roadmap to prioritize important features and screens, arranging them from highest to lowest priority. To guide the user flow, my focus was on what Sebastian, the Skincare Slacker, would do.

Sebastian, the Skincare Slacker, is the persona I kept in mind throughout my designs, taking into account his motivations and also his "icks" as he embarks on his quest to build a skincare routine for himself.

Sebastian’s Quest

This user flow illustrates the actions Sebastian may take in creating a skincare routine on the app.

Go with the Flow

Features that support users in making a decision include:

  • The onboarding process in which the app offers product recommendations based on the user’s skin type and concerns

  • The product comparison chart displays the recommended products side by side to compare skin type, product texture, scent, key benefits, and price range.

Screens That Are Sort of Really Important

By completing the skincare questionnaire, users will have a skincare profile that allows the app to provide product suggestions according to the user’s skincare needs. Once their routine is completed, the user will find that products are auto-arranged in order of application, usage & directions, and with advisory messages.

End: Skin Profile

Skincare Questionnaire (Onboarding)

  • Enter name

  • Select gender

  • Select skin type

  • Select skin concern(s)

  • Select type(s) of skincare of interest

  • Summary of skincare profile

Start: Question 1

Question 2

Question 5

Create a Routine

  • Recommends products - 3 products to choose from

  • Order of application - select one product at a time

  • Product comparison chart - product details are shown side by side

  • Auto-arranges routine in order of application along with instructions

  • Users can click on each product to further view details

Select Toner

Select Moisturizer

Select Sunscreen

Question 4

Question 3

Morning Routine

Select Cleanser

Select Routine

Users! Spill the Tea.

Prototype & Testing

Based on my research and focusing on the persona, I aimed to create a foundation of creating a skincare profile and routine with ease and convenience. I conducted five user testings with participants aged 22-29 years old, ranging from some familiarity to no knowledge of skincare.

Usability Test Objectives

  • Test usability of the onboarding process

  • Observe for any confusion of terminology and navigation

  • Observe for any confusion when creating a routine

Tasks

  • Complete the onboarding process of filling out the skincare questionnaire

  • Create a routine by selecting the recommended products

  • Save an article to read for later

WINS!

  • All users completed the questionnaire for their skincare profiles

  • The onboarding process was rated 4.6 out of 5 (5 being the easiest, straight forward)

  • Liked the overview of the app, informative, the colors are welcoming and reminds them of skincare

  • All users completed creating a routine

  • Creating a routine was rated 4.3 out of 5

  • Found the product comparison chart helpful and product recommendations were straightforward

Lets Make These Parts Better

  • The Product Comparison Chart icon should be more visible for quicker access

  • Users were able to save articles easily, but could not quickly find where it was saved

  • Display confirmation messages would be reassuring after completing a routine

During user testing, users did not find the product comparison chart right away so I updated it by changing the location and making it bigger for quicker access.

Going Back and Iterating

Users found the idea of search tags helpful because of the lack of skincare terminology, however, without a specific order, it felt disorganized and overwhelming. I updated it by organizing it by categories and dropdown menus.

Final Thoughts

Insights I've Soaked Up

The process of understanding users’ experiences with skincare was eye-opening. I have a natural interest in skincare– I made many assumptions about the amount of knowledge users would already have. I gained insight into what users need to start their skincare journey. I created features to support and educate users to decide which products to use for their skin type and concerns. The goal was to create an enjoyable and straightforward routine for users new to skincare.

  • Integrate shop apps to make purchasing products convenient for users

  • Provide more support by adding live chat and how-to videos

  • Identify skin issues by taking photos

  • Provide analytics by tracking progress

Next Steps

See More of my work