Cleansely Skin
Role
UX Designer/UX Researcher
Tools
Figma, Whimsical, Google Form & Google Sheets
Date
August 2023 - September 2023
My ultimate goal was to help users effectively identify suitable skincare products to keep or discard in their daily routine through a tracker.
It’s hard to find the right products that suits your skin. Despite the abundance of resources available online, some individuals struggle to discover the ideal skincare routine tailored to their specific needs. As a result, they often turn to a trial-and-error method, which leads to wasted time, money, and frustration stemming from the use of ineffective products.
Numerous skincare apps already exist, all aiming to assist users in discovering and curating suitable products for their needs. I conducted an analysis of other competitors to gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses.
As I explored each application, I took notes on their functionalities and compared them. While they may share similar features, such as tracking routines, analyzing ingredients, and recommending products, each application has a distinct main focus. At this stage, I am considering what I can learn from these apps to include in my design solutions and how I can differentiate my app to stand out in the market
I wanted to understand how young adults typically do their skincare routine and what were their struggles. Thus, I created a research study through surveys and user interviews. This research study primarily targeted university students and recent graduates who grapple with various skin concerns, such as acne-prone skin, hyperpigmentation, excessive dryness, and more.
I gathered twenty-one responses from individuals aged 18-25 for the survey, featuring a mix of multiple-choice, ranking, and short-response questions. To encourage participants to elaborate on their skincare decisions, I included specific response prompts.
At the first review, one common issue that stuck out to me was that most participants struggle with consistency. Some participants found it challenging to adhere to a strict daily routine and often forgets which product to apply at a given time. Other respondents expressed challenges in maintaining consistent skin results and selecting suitable products for their specific skin types or concerns.
Out of those who were not satisfied with their skincare routine, around 57% struggle with consistency in either routine or product results.
I created an affinity map to organize all my information and convert it into easily digestible data. I grouped the information based on similar interests and ideas and then labeled each category. This process allowed me to identify common challenges and preferences related to skincare products.
After organizing my thoughts through the affinity map, I discovered several trends in my participant's behaviors. The top three common factors in choosing skincare products are price (30%), brands/reputation (22%), and ingredients (20%).
Some participants have expressed concerns about adverse effects resulting from products that are marketed for their specific skin type. These participants suggest that such issues can be attributed to overusing active ingredients or using a product for the wrong skin concern. While ingredients rank among the top three factors that people consider, not everyone takes into account the quantity of usage or the significance of each ingredient.
This data insight raises the question: How can we identify good products in our skincare routine? To reiterate, user interviews and surveys highlight that many participants lose track of their products. This directs the design approach toward scheduling and tracking. An application that enables users to track their currently used products and product ingredients may offer a consistent routine and promote healthy skin results.
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After identifying potential user needs, I developed behavior archetypes to precisely define my target audiences. These behavior archetypes enable me to gain insights into my users' needs and shine light on potential solutions for each archetype's specific problems.
Experiments too much and unsure what works
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Violet frequently tries new skincare products and struggles to notice significant improvements. She has sensitive skin, so she must be cautious to avoid irritation and breakouts, making it challenging to pinpoint the causes when issues arise.
Wants to understand how her product affects her skin (what to continue and what to avoid)
Constantly forgets their skincare routine schedule
Mark is heading towards his last year of college, and he is busy with his senior thesis reports and projects. Mark has acne prone and oily skin and ever so often break out. Recommended by his dermatologist, he started using tretinoin.
Wants to stay consistent with skincare routine
Violet frequently tries new skincare products and struggles to notice significant improvements. She has sensitive skin, so she must be cautious to avoid irritation and breakouts, making it challenging to pinpoint the causes when issues arise.
Mark is heading towards his last year of college, and he is busy with his senior thesis reports and projects. Mark has acne prone and oily skin and ever so often break out. Recommended by his dermatologist, he started using tretinoin.
Wants to understand how her product affects her skin (what to continue and what to avoid)
Wants to stay consistent with skincare routine
Now that I know my target audience, I can outline the various screens of the app. I wanted to understand how my users can navigate the app. I’ve created a site map to help organize the placement of each functionality.
Here is one iteration of my early designs. I utilized the site map above and drafts of user flows to help craft these wireframes.
Users can view and edit routines, adjusting the time (morning or night) and choosing to repeat routine steps. This provides a simple layout for tracking product usage and schedules.
Users can track their skincare progress through six different categories. Bad symptoms are marked red on the calendar, while good symptoms are marked green.
The shelf function is designed to track the products users already own. Users can search for products using keywords or scan the barcode to add items to their inventory. Additionally, the app provides information to users about a product's purpose and ingredients.
