Digitizing Skincare with Glo

A digital skincare platform that simplifies skincare routines.
Self-initiated project | January 2023 - April 2023

Overview

Skincare has never been more popular or complicated. The market is becoming more saturated and customers are feeling overwhelmed by the countless choices. According to a recent market research study conducted by Automat,

70% of consumers feel overburdened by the amount of beauty products available.

Glo is a digital skincare platform that simplifies skincare routines. Users can input, edit, and complete their skincare routines based on the current needs of their skin.

Problem

There’s been an undeniable influx of skincare content, product choices, and how-to guides.

Understanding the current needs of your skin and using the correct products to address those needs leads to desired results and healthier skin.

An effective skincare regimen is one that is consistent and adaptive to changes.

Many people are adopting skincare routines for the first time and are using multiple products at once in hopes of achieving their skincare goals.

How might we demystify skincare sequence and usage to get the most out of your skincare?

Process

Leveraging design techniques like competitive analysis, user interviews, and usability studies‍ I developed a deep understanding of user needs in order to create an app that helps users achieve their skincare goals.

Competitive Analysis

I completed a competitive analysis at the beginning of the discovery phrase to learn about other companies offerings and what would stand out about Glo. I realized there was a lot of overlap and it was difficult to find a unique offering.

User Interviews

I completed user interviews as I wanted to understand what would actually be useful when it came to skincare routines and not just what was on the surface. Admittedly, I was skeptical that yet another video viewing platform would be the solution.

Although users expressed interest in skincare information, it was determined that users do not desire or require an additional platform for viewing skincare videos.

Further, I made sure to ask open-ended questions that weren't leading in order to obtain unbiased answers and information. The goal of the user interview script was to explore what were the pain points between the user and their skincare routine/goals.

The creation of Glo was driven by qualitative user data.

The original design task was created from a project generator which prompted me to design a website for finding and viewing skincare tutorials. After completing user research as listed above, I discovered this was not the solution to the problem and instead learned that user's wanted real-time skincare routine tracking and customization.

Solution

Usability Testing

I conducted moderated usability studies with 5 participants. All who are between the ages of 28-32.

Participants completed their skincare routine step-by-step using Glo.

Human interaction components I considered:

Eyeglass users washing their face while navigating the text on the screen

Users hands are slippery with products and need to quickly figure out next steps

Users who have a time constraint and need to complete their skin routine fast

High Priority Pain Point

User’s had difficulty identifying action buttons and understanding when/how to move onto the next step in their routine.

Solution:

I updated the design to resemble a music player interface and reduced the number of actions users can make during the primary user flow.

Further, I increased the size of the buttons and utilized color contrast to signal hierarchy in the actions provided.

Lastly, I used labels for secondary actions and icons for the primary action.

Low Priority Pain Point

User’s want to be able to mark a routine complete without having to complete all the steps in the app.

Solution:

I resolved this by adding a ‘kebab’ icon to the routine cards, which enables users to choose if they would like to mark the routine as complete without entering the user flow.

Final Interface Iterations

The app interface went through many iterations in order to improve the user experience and enhance the user interface.

Updating content design and layout:

• Renamed "Reorder" to "Edit" for better accuracy: This reflects the expanded functionality of the link, which now allows adding, deleting, and reordering steps, not just reordering.

• Repositioned routine duration: It's now closer to the call-to-action button, as it's more relevant to starting the routine than previewing it.

Streamlining UI:

• Introduced a dropdown for duration: This simplifies input, speeds up selection, and reduces potential errors compared to a text box.
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• Removed text input stroke for visual clarity: This creates a cleaner, more uncluttered interface that's easier on the eyes. Along with, change the disabled button color to reflect it’s disabled state.

Enhanced navigation:

• Refined the countdown timer: The container now avoids resembling a button while maximizing screen space for clear visibility.

• Streamlined skip option: Instead of hiding it in preview, a dedicated "skip" button empowers you to adapt your routine on the spot.  For example, you might need to skip retinol after cleansing based on your skin's current needs.

• Focus on "Start": We removed the timer from the step's first screen to keep your attention on the action you need to take – press the "Start" button to begin your routine.

Next Steps

While still in its early stages (MVP), Glo has room for growth in both product functionality and design. User research has revealed some key features and additions that would be valuable to users.

  • Ability to view a history of previous products used with notes attached 
  • A skincare diary to document and track progress  
  • Add text speech to the routine flow 
  • Users can customize their product recommendations to chosen brands that they trust
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