pibu
YOUR PERSONALIZED SKINCARE CONSULTANT
about
The beauty industry constantly changes and consumers desire a personalized experience. I want to incorporate what individuals beauty experience in-store with an e-commerce twist by creating a personalized beauty consultant at the tip of their fingertips. This will help educate them on not only their skin but ingredients that will work well with them along with recommendations for their skin type. My biggest goal for this project is to develop a prototype that emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s skin type and catering to what their skin needs. From my experience in the cosmetic industry, I noticed a trend where consumers purchase products without understanding what does, the ingredients, and how it will affect their skin. Along with that, they tend to layer ingredients together which causes reactions and through this project, I want them to be educated not only on their skin type, skin concerns, but also the ingredients and how to properly layer their skincare. I will adopt a user-centered design process with user research that contains a persona/scenario design along with an interactive prototype for the project. The target users will be the age between 17-29 because this is the demographic where individuals start their skincare journey and are curious about how to take care of their skin.
timeline
Research applications that serve a similar feature
Browse cosmetic pages to see what consumers are asking
​
Research brands/companies that have features that are similar; figure out what can be improved
Find research on beauty consumers and what they want
Research how beauty is changing and how it has changed
​
Create surveys/ develop an understanding of what individuals want to know
Start sending it out week 2
​
Analyze results + start grasping on how to develop applications like this
Start with concepts + basics and develop persona and scenarios
Research ingredients for skin types
​
Start conceptualizing the app→ develop wireframes and low fidelity prototype
Continue research for ingredients and skin types
Incorporate new concepts into the prototype
​
Start development of high fidelity prototype
​
Work on high fidelity prototype + finish
Send out to individuals to test the product and gather feedback
​
Improve high fidelity prototype based on feedback
Send out another time
​
Finalize improvements for the prototypes
Test the final product
​
Submit final prototype and paper
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
literature review
Skincare has been a booming industry within the last five years and since then, the beauty industry has shifted its focus from makeup to skincare. Individuals tend to enjoy a company that “genuinely wants to help you find the best products to address your skin concerns” (Pina, 2019), but a company’s product recommendation may still cause a negative reaction. Why? It’s because skincare is not one size fits all, as stated by Michelle Skelly, an Anti-Aging Specialist of Rodan + Fields (Skelly, 2018). Individuals need to understand that there are many underlying factors that may affect their skin such as weather, age, skin type, allergies, and stress, and they can still experience negative reactions due to an ingredient or other outside factors beyond their control.
​
As skincare becomes more and more popular, there are different marketing techniques and information that is widely available on the internet. Words such as “Hypoallergenic” or “Non-Comedogenic” demonstrate how a product will not cause allergies and or breakouts, which generates trust with the product and consumer. However, these labels become misleading for consumers since hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic “means whatever a particular company wants it to mean” (US FDA, 2020). In an article by Fashionista, Tanisha Pina acknowledges how consumers are “hungry for education, information, and safe formula” but are focusing on main ingredients such as Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid. By focusing on one or two ingredients in a product list, consumers are not fully understanding and acknowledging the potentially harmful ingredients that a skincare product may have.
​
Apps such as Sephora, Think Dirty, and Cherie have all acknowledged the importance of a personalized experience, however, their platform does not fully educate their users. These applications fail to engage with their consumers and understand their skin type before recommending a product. One common element that these apps have is that when there is a personalized skincare assessment, it automatically assumes that their users understand and know what skin type they have. Because of this, I want to be able to give users two skincare assessments: one to figure out their skin type and concern followed by what products they are looking for and incorporate aspects of all three apps such as building a community on the platform and allowing users to see toxicity reports and pH levels of products.
​
With this application, the emphasis on the education of skincare will be prominent and will be easy and accessible to new skin-enthusiasts. I want consumers and users to understand how incorporating a skincare routine can benefit their skin in the long run and how using something as simple as sunscreen or understanding the pH levels of your skin can affect one’s skincare journey. I’ll incorporate the science of skincare but break it down in a more friendly-fashion so that the audience will be able to understand and fully grasp the concepts.
​
By the end of the user's journey, we want them to be fulfilled and become their own skinfluencer, an expert in skincare, because .“the key to skin resiliency is knowing your skin and treating it well.” (Nwe, 2016)
user research
Main Design Challenge
The main design element of this project will be educating consumers on skincare and engaging with users to help them understand their skin and products. In Moscow’s hierarchy of needs, beauty falls within the “esteem” category. Beauty is an element that people always want to achieve and now, even more than ever, the beauty industry is emphasizing natural beauty-- where there is the importance of taking care of your skin before worrying covering up.
The main design challenge of this project will be creating a project that does not overwhelm users and creating an efficient and user-friendly experience for users. Because there will be a lot of information, it may become overwhelming for the users, so there has to be an element involved that allows users to feel at ease and engaged. As of right now, stores have created applications that help decide which skincare an individual should use. However, after reviewing these applications, the questionnaire to help determine a consumer’s skin type is either not there and or their questionnaire is very brief.
Everyone craves a personalized experience, and with this form of technology, it gives the user a personalized experience-- as if they have a skincare consultant at the tip of their fingertips. This project will be able to base skincare products based on their skin type, skin concerns, and preference for ingredients. Whatever the client/user wants, they will be able to cater to a skincare regime for them and or help them decide whether or not they should incorporate a product into their routine. Additionally, it will help users be able to fully understand ingredients in their skincare and because of this, it can help users with this will reduce the risk of them developing a reaction by combining multiple ingredients that does not work well for their skin type and concern.
Target Users
The users of this application will be Millenials and Gen Z ranging from ages 16-29. With this application, it does not discriminate whether or not an individual is a skincare beginner or a skincare enthusiast. Users would want to gain an understanding of skincare products by learning how to correctly use skincare, figure out a routine, understand the importance of their skin type, and more. The user will be able to incorporate what they are currently using and determining whether or not products are okay to be used together and or figure out what an ingredient does and its long term effects. To help them understand this, they will be asked to complete a skincare questionnaire that will help determine their skin type and concern and from there, they can build a regime, look at products, learn more about routines and steps, and can also join communities. The ease of this project will allow users to use the application anywhere they’d like, whether it be at home or when they are at the store determining whether or not they should purchase an item. The instant information will help their purchasing decision.
Research Methods
For my method, I used a passive method where I observed multiple skincare brands on social media. I then look at the comments and see how consumers are engaging and what they are asking and wanting from the brand. Additionally, I will be using surveys and interviews for my research.
Additionally, I am also conducting a survey via Google Forms. This will be sent out to various groups on campus along with friends and family to get an understanding of what individuals know about skincare and whether or not they do research before.
I am also interviewing a content creator and skincare enthusiast Nikka Gabrielle via email.
User Research + Findings
Interview
​
With my interview with Nikka Gabrielle, she made it known that she always does research before purchasing a product. Being a skincare and beauty guru, Nikka shared a couple of insights that will be useful in my design elements. She mentions that she would like a more elaborate and understanding of key ingredients, but also explains how videos and a feature that would allow individuals to see others skincare routine would be beneficial to someone who is new and experiencing skincare. Because of this, I do think that it will be beneficial to incorporate a part where users can engage and mention what other products they use with the product so that it gives other consumers/users an idea of what products to pair it up with. This will also be helpful because it gives another form of credibility, where it works for someone so it might work for them.
Additionally, Nikka mentions how researching and finding out information about products would take her a couple of days to a month which was shocking to me. Having someone who is in the industry that takes a long time to do research, makes me even more eager to develop an app/prototype that will allow the information to be in one place instead of searching through multiple websites for information.
Survey
My current survey has 20 participants but I am still sending out the survey to receive as much feedback as I can.
Out of the 20 participants, what shocked me was that no one really used any skincare or beauty apps and that 54% of these individuals have somewhat an idea or no idea about the benefits of products and 53.6% do not know what works for their skin. There was also a 50/50 split when it came to whether or not they would like an educative skincare app, which demonstrates that there is some interest in it.
Users need to be able to access quick and easy to understand information when it comes to skincare. Because of the abundance of information available online, in order to save time and have a better user experience when it comes to skincare, it will be beneficial to have it all in one spot-- where consumers can engage and access knowledge.
Feedback- Design Updates
With the current feedback, there are certain elements that I want to make sure that I include helping meet the user’s needs, which is:
-
Ingredients-- highlight main ingredients and its benefits
-
Allow users to engage with one another by incorporating their skincare routine in products listed
-
Provide simple skincare information such as routines, skincare terms, etc.
-
Skincare quiz to understand one’s skin type
persona/ storytelling
Based on the interviews and survey, I noticed that users are overwhelmed by all the information regarding skincare on the internet. They want to be knowledgeable but are unmotivated and or lazy to do so because it requires too much time and effort. Additionally, users want a more beginner-friendly approach when it comes to explaining skincare; they do not want professional or scientific verbiage.
​
Because of this, I was able to understand what individuals wanted-- whether they were new to the skincare industry or have had a regime since they were 13, they wanted valuable knowledge on what they were using whether it be ingredients, the effects, or how to properly mix and layer products together.
​
As a result, by understanding the different viewpoints and perceptions of skincare, I was able to create two personas for my Pibu application prototype.
Persona/Scenarios
PERSONA 1 : SAM
Sam's Scenario:
​
It's a nice Thursday night during quarantine and Sam decides to try out her new skincare products. She understands the layering process of it, but she does not know which products she should pair with her new one. As she begins to do more research, it seems like she has been getting the same results that do not help her. She wishes that there was an application that allows gives her an understanding of what products will work well together and which products she should avoid. Although she's staying safe at home, she does not want to risk another reaction on her skin.
​
Sam then finds an app the App store which attracts her- "Pibu." From the home screen, Sam notices that you can add your current products and how it gives tips on which products she should use together along with how it lists ingredients by what's good and what's bad for you. She really enjoys how she's able to actually absorb the information and understand it. Although she understands that not everyone's skin type is the same, she appreciates how there is a direction that she can take while trying out this new product.
PERSONA 2: TYLER
Tyler's Scenario: ​
​
Tyler has been living in Los Angeles for all his life before he transferred to Parsons School of Design in New York. Being someone from the West Coast, Tyler noticed the difference in his skin and how it has become a lot drier and irritated compared to before. Tyler wants to figure out why his skin is reacting this way and how to combat it but does not know where to start.
​
Tyler then remembers this application his friend recommended him called "Pibu." Tyler then begins to browse the app and notices that there is a skincare quiz. He never knew what his skin type was so having this quiz was very helpful. After taking the quiz, Tyler notices that the app creates a skincare regime based on his skin type and customizes it by how many steps he would like along with the affordability. Just like that, Tyler was able to find skincare products that will help him with his dryness and irritation.
​
Another thing that Tyler notices on this application was that the ingredient listing and information were easy to digest. It made his experience even more enjoyable and motivated him to learn even more about the products he's putting on his skin. He really enjoys reading the blog posts about skincare and enjoys how users can share their skincare regime with others.
wireframe/workflow
With this wireframe, users are able to:
-
figure out their skin type based on the skincare quiz
-
get various information on the blog/editorials
-
able to easily search ingredients
-
have an easy to understand ingredient glossary
-
upload/ enter in their current products
-
easily notice the "dirtiness" of certain ingredients by the colors on the product ingredient list
-
have their own personal page where they can share their current routine and favorites with their friends/followers
low fidelity testing
Low Fidelity Prototype Testing:
​
1. Finding out their skin type
This test seemed very straightforward for the user. In less than a few seconds, she was able to guide herself to the
"quiz" box from the wireframe. From submitting her results to finding her routine and what will work with her skin
and what would not, she states that it was very straightforward. There were no missing buttons that prevented her
from finishing the quiz, however, if she wanted to go back, she was unable to.
​
2. Finding products based on their skin type
The user was conflicted with this task. She was able to smoothly go through finding a product based on her skin
type after taking the quiz, however, if she did not take the quiz, there was no sort or filter option that she was able to
use. This prevented her from completing the task.
​
3. Checking to see what ingredients their products have and the description of the ingredient
The user was conflicted with this task as well. She did not know which option she should have used-- whether it be
the search tool or the current products listed. She mentioned how the cart near the search bar confused her,
because, she felt that if she used the search tool, it would be for a purchase not finding information based on her
already owned products.
​
Reflection
Based on the feedback, I found that a lot of the confusion has been surrounded by the purchasing option of the application. With this low fidelity prototype, what seemed like a good addition for the app was designed in a way that was more confusing for the user. After getting feedback from the user, I have made a decision to forgo the purchasing option and solely make Pibu an educating app. After they are able to do their research, then it can guide them to make their purchase.
​
Additionally, from the testing, it demonstrates how something can completely slip your mind in the low fidelity prototype phase such as the sort and filter option. With my priority for this app allowing users to find products based on their skin type, this feature is something that should not be missing in the app.
high fidelity prototype planning
From the feedback of the low fidelity prototype, I have decided to adjust the application with it solely focusing on informing users on their skin type, concern, and ingredients in their skincare along with others and removed the shopping ability from the prototype . From here, users will be able to make their purchasing decision.
COLOR AND TYPOGRAPHY
PRIMARY COLORS
#74B883
#C4C4C4
#000000
SECONDARY COLORS
#295229
#9A8C10
#D03333
ACCENT COLORS
#748FB8
#DB97B8
#CFAA72
#FFF84D
#FFBADF
#70FF4D
FONTS
The Primary Colors focuses mainly on the application features and is the color users will see throughout the application.
​
The Secondary Colors focuses on ingredients. Because this application focuses on ingredients, I made sure to use three colors that are easy to distinguish between good, okay, and bad ingredients.
​
The Accent Colors focuses on Call to Actions and background colors of some pages. The user will be seeing these colors as headers.
​
high fidelity prototype first draft
evaluation
Usability Testing
I tested my high-fidelity prototype with 5 individuals in person or through Facetime. All demographics are around the same age (22-27) but range regarding skincare knowledge.
​
Revisions
From the usability testing, I ended changing the menu bar by adding an 'ADD PRODUCT' option. I also ended up changing the font of the details of the ingredients under the product page since the users stated that it was too small to see.
​
Evaluations
From the usability testing, the users were able to complete the tasks in a fairly quick manner. All users were able to complete the following tasks:
-
Complete skincare quiz
-
Create an account
-
View products
-
Find ingredients
-
Find profile and skincare closet
​
The one task that 2/5 participants had a hard time doing was adding a product into their skincare routine. These users immediately went to the menu option.
​
All users felt that they were more informed with skincare ingredients and really appreciated how ingredients were color-coded and how they had access to information to ingredients that were potentially hazardous right away.
Ratings:
Users were asked to rate the prototype on the following criteria:
-
User Friendliness
-
Was it easy to navigate? Was the prototype overwhelming?
-
-
Effectiveness
-
Were the users understanding the concept of the application? Was it effective in informing them about products and their ingredients? ​
-
-
Information
-
Was the information easy to understand? Were users easily able to recognize the main points of the products? ​
-
​
The average ratings of the criteria listed above are:
-
User Friendliness
-
Average score: 4.7​
-
-
Effectiveness
-
Average score: 5.0​
-
-
Information
-
Average score: 5.0​
-
​
Overall, the scores from the users demonstrate that the application was effective in informing the users of skincare products. The users all agreed that if there were to be an application like this, they would feel more at ease when it comes to purchasing products.
​
Notes From Users:
-
link the ingredients at the end of skin quiz to the ingredient sheet
-
have an area on the profile where it includes the ingredients that you do and don't want (link the end of the skincare quiz to profile)
-
add a list of ingredients that you do not want to mix - have it on the profile as well, if possible
-
larger font size for ingredients
-
would like videos incorporated into the application such as demos
​
​