Skin Care App - "SkinCaring"

client

freelance concept

Role(S)

research, design, prototyping, testing

Summary

I designed an app that lets beginner skin care users find information and ask questions.

Background

Skin care is a massive industry with billions of dollars in revenue (predicted to hit $200B by 2026) and millions of products available to consumers.

The problem

People need a way to get personalized, professional help with their skin because the staggering amount of information in the skin care market can be confusing, paralyzing, and discouraging for people who just want clear skin.

Research & Discovery

I gathered qualitative data related to skin care and the perception of self that is tied closely to the way a person feels about their skin.

Research goals:

Understand the emotions people have towards their skin and skin care.
What habits do people already have when it comes to taking care of their skin?
How easy is it for a person to create a skin care routine for themselves?

Skin Care user Persona

The Beginner Skin Care Enthusiast

Bio:

This person identifies as female and attends a university in Texas. She is a sophomore with a full plate of classes, a job, and a busy social calendar. She has always struggled with her skin and was bullied in middle school for acne all over her face. She has tried multiple things to fix her skin, but can't quite figure out the perfect formula for herself. She tried to get in to see a dermatologist but they're booked three months out at a time and she doesn't want to wait to start working on her skin. She googled a lot and bought a bunch of seemingly random (to her) products based on influencer recommendations, but has no idea how to put it together or how to use it all. She is overwhelmed, discouraged, and sad and feels like she wasted her money and her skin will never heal. She just wants to feel pretty.

Stats:

Age: 19
Location: College Station, TX
Education: Some university
Status: Single
Income: Student Loans and a Part-Time Job

Behaviors:

She wears a lot of makeup every day, and feels embarrassed to be seen without it
She buys every product recommended by an influencer with pretty skin, in the hopes it will work for her
She does her best to figure out how and when to apply products in the correct order
She's a member of skin care interest groups on social media
She has a dedicated amount of her monthly budget dedicated to skin care, and often overspends in that category

Core Needs and Goals:

Needs step-by-step, personalized guides for products she owns
Wants to see measurable progress towards clearer skin- milestones to celebrate
Would like professional help for her skin specifically- not "one size fits all"
Wants to improve her self-esteem and her relationship with herself, regardless of how her skin behaves

Frustrations:

The overwhelming amount of products in the market
How expensive a lot of skin care is (she has a limited budget)
That there is no "simple solution"
When people tell her "just wash your face and wear less makeup"
The seemingly endless number of factors that affect skin health... she is exhausted by the never-ending "guessing game" to figure out what is causing her breakouts

Early Sketches

After some early sketching, I worked out a customer journey map for how they might interact with the app.

Early sketches based on user data. Click to expand.

Customer journey map. Click to expand.

Dialing in the Design

I then created mid-fidelity wireframes. After critiquing with colleagues, I prototyped my designs in Figma to make them interactive for further usability testing.

Final Design Concept & Branding

I tested my mid-fidelity prototype with five users, and received some valuable feedback:

wanted a "weekly" option for treatment checklists
wanted more information about choosing specific dermatologists
needed better visual separation between morning and evening checklist pages
positive response to the psychological rewards throughout

high-fidelity prototype

Click through the interactive prototype to view proposed functionality.

Various branding elements, styles, and colors.

In Their Own Words

Real Words from Real Testers

"This is a really good way to form healthy habits."

"I'm a total list junky- I love this idea!"

"I find this app encouraging and empowering."

View the Miro board for this project:

GO TO MIRO

View the Figma board for this project:

GO TO FIGMA