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Beauty consumers waste money and products an endless cycle of discarding products that don't work. This not only results in excessive cosmetic waste, but users are burdened by frustration and worsening skin conditions. At the same time, brands struggle with returns, recycling systems can’t keep up, and sustainability remains inaccessible for everyday consumers.

The problem we sought to answer was:
How might we help beauty consumers discover sustainable products that fit their needs on the first try, while incentivizing eco-friendly habits?

02 RESEARCH

We interviewed 5 participants aged 14-31 to understand their skincare shopping behaviors and pain points.

We spent 15 minutes asking our interviewees questions about their skincare product preferences and their criteria when searching for products. After interviewing, we organized our ideas on an affinity map.

Here are some key insights from our user interviews:

1. Trial-and-error leads to waste

Users rely on guesswork when buying beauty products online, resulting in dissatisfaction and unnecessary disposal of products that don't work.

2. Hidden demand for sustainability

Users want sustainable brands align with their values but struggle to find reliable eco-friendly options that meet their specific needs.

3. There's a transparency gap

Limited access to samples and unclear ingredient information block confident decision-making.

03 OPPORTUNITY

Create a mobile platform that empowers beauty consumers to discover personalized, sustainable products on their first try.

Our research revealed that users want sustainable options but lack confidence in finding products that actually work for their skin. Thus, we dug out a golden opportunity:

04 IDEATION & FIRST DESIGN ITERATION

We brainstormed solutions across three categories - dark horse (most bold), likely to please, and likely to work. After voting on feasibility and user delight, we narrow down our direction to three ideas.

Here are three concepts we tested, along with our first design iteration.

AI-Powered Recommendations

Personalized product matching based on skin concerns and sustainability preferences

Subscription Sample Box

Curated products based on skin testing results to reduce commitment risk

Virtual Try-On

VR-powered visualization of how products look and impact skin

05 INITIAL USER TESTING

We ran remote usability testing on our initial solutions with our original interviewees, asking them to walk through key flows and verbalize their thinking.

Some key insights were:

Sampling reduced decision anxiety and increased confidence
Virtual try-on was exciting but felt gimmicky without real skin impact data
Sustainability benefits needed to feel tangible, not abstract

Our insights revealed that trust, not personalization alone, was our core challenge.

So, we decided to revise our concept to focus on transparency around sourcing and incentives that reward responsible behavior.

"I'd feel more comfortable trying something new if I could test it first. Like, what if it breaks me out?" - Mark, 25

“The AR thing is cool, but it doesn't actually tell me if the product will work for my skin. Not too sure if I’ll actually use it.” - Maira, 15

We decided to integrate a recycling rewards system to promote sustainability and reinforce environmental impact.

05 THE FINAL DESIGN

Introducing Vial & Vale — your sustainable skincare hub

We created a mobile experience that makes sustainable beauty simple. Find personalized product suggestions that work, try samples risk-free, and earn rewards through recycling.

FEATURE 1

Discover products built for you,

validated by you

Short skin test to assess specific skin concerns and sustainability values

Tailored product feed filtered by skin type, concerns, and eco-preferences

Detailed sourcing and ingredient transparency for every product

FEATURE 2

Sample products before committing

Customizable sample box personalized to questionnaire results

Try up to 3 products risk-free before buying

Comprehensive, transparent descriptions about brand and product

Seamless transition from sample to purchase

FEATURE 3

Recycle your empty samples and earn rewards

Return empty product packaging to earn points toward future purchases

Clear recycling guides for each product type

Points system incentivizing sustainable disposal

Dashboard showing environmental impact of user's recycling efforts

06 REFLECTION

If I could do it again…

Test with broader demographics

Our user group skewed young (14-31), so testing with older users might reveal different insights on skincare preferences.

Prototype the recycling logistics

We designed the digital experience but didn't fully flesh out the return process. Mapping out shipping and collection would make the process more feasible.

06 REFLECTION

My biggest takeaways…

Trust is built through transparency and user control

Users engage more deeply with sustainability when it’s tied to clear actions and visible outcomes, rather than abstract values or messaging.

Sustainability must be actionable to feel meaningful

Confidence increases when users understand how decisions are made and feel empowered to guide the experience, rather than relying on opaque recommendations.

Thank you!

Brookwell

UI/UX

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Brookwell

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