Practising the Google Sprint process to deep dive into user goals for 'personalization' in skincare..
THE CHALLENGE
What does 'personalization' in skincare mean to users?
MY ROLE
User research, product concept, UX/UI design and evaluative testing.
TOOLS
Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Whimsical.
TIMELINE
5 days
Deconstructing the competition
A quick deconstruction of the user flow of competitor services for personalisation. The user flow informed us of the limitations and the strategies that had already been covered and grounds for opportunity.
Writing User Stories
Short interviews to gauge the needs of the users were converted into user stories in the following format:
As a working professional, I want to reduce the steps of my skin care routine so that I can get ready faster.
As a user, I want a super lotion that evens skintone, moisturizes, protects from sunlight and nourishes my skin so that I can reduce the steps in my morning routine.
As a user, I want a product that cleanses and moisturizes at the same time so I don’t have to wash-clean-moisturize
As a user, I want a product that moisturizes for a longer time (like a week) so that I can forget that step for a week.
Building the user flow
The flow is attempting to replicate the experience of a dermatologist appointment. The sections of information included demographics, lifestyle, skin profile, preferences, lead generation and purchase.
Validating through Card Sorting
Asking a variety of users to sort the given cards, each representing an aspect of the initial user flow. Each person bucketed them separately, sometimes adding and removing cards. It also help me refine the language of the flow.
Applying user insights
From the card sorting it emerged that people cared about fragrance the least and always placed it as an add-on at the point of purchase. I also switched 'Major concerns' screen to the very beginning to mimic the experience of going to the doctor and sharing the reason for your visit.
Users also
(changes marked in green)
Testing with wireframes
Starting with hand-drawn wireframes I tested certain complex features with users. Comparing two wireframes that have the same function gave me an intuitive understanding of the interface. I then went on to make digital detailed wireframes.
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So, how might we personalize skincare for users?
EARLY FINDINGS
Finding 1:
Mimic private consultation, educate users
The users identified the process to be most effective when it mimics the sequence of a dermatologist consultation starting with asking about your individual skin concerns.
Good-to-have:
• Diverse and inclusive imagery
• Clean and sterile visual language
DESIGN IMPLICATIONS
Must have:
• Input and output individual details
• Explain the process in detail
• Enable users to understand skincare
Finding 2:
Options to control results
The users wanted an option to revisit the questions until the results matches their expectations.
Good-to-have:
• Share how answers shape results
• Saving results library
DESIGN IMPLICATIONS
Must have:
• Way to revisit questions/sections
• Option to give feedback on recommendations
Finding 3:
Reinforce personalization through customization
Customization is manual and selected by the user themselves. So adding a customization option at the end may reinforce the 'made-to-fit' feeling of the products.
The users identified 'selecting and adding fragrance' as a customization option rather than personalization for skincare. They moved it to be an addition after receiving the personalization results.
Good-to-have:
• Choice to opt-in and out
DESIGN IMPLICATIONS
Must have:
• Custom options as add-on
• Integrated in the POS experience
OTHER WORK
See Skinscape app design here
Skinscape: UX Design