Product Design
SmileyClean is a mobile application platform that allows users to select from various well-known locally produced organic hair/body cosmetics while eliminating plastic waste and providing an efficient bottle exchange service. I was in charge of user research, interview scripting and conducting, and synthesizing results. I designed user personas and journeys and conducted user testing. I was also responsible for the complete visual design of the mobile app.
SmileyClean is a mobile application platform that allows users to select from various well-known locally produced organic hair/body cosmetics while eliminating plastic waste and providing an efficient bottle exchange service.
I was in charge of user research, interview scripting and conducting, and synthesizing results. I designed user personas and journeys and conducted user testing. I was also responsible for the complete visual design of the mobile app.
All interviewees are concerned about the environment and would like to reduce their footprint by minimizing plastic consumption.
All of the people interviewed would love to contribute more toward reducing their environmental impact and found recycling problematic and confusing.
Most interviewees spend time educating themselves about the new practices and improving upon that information.
All personas will be ready to adjust their purchasing behaviors to reduce waste. They will be ready to make an extra step to solve the problem.
We learned that convenience is a significant factor in everyday purchasing behaviors for most interviewed people. Other factors considered included quality, ingredients, and where/how a product is made.
Only some of the interviewed people were not ready to adjust their behavior to reduce plastic use.
All personas will find plastic in cosmetics problematic as it creates too much waste, which is not easily recyclable and ends up in the landfill.
Most of the people tried to reduce their environmental impact by buying locally produced products or bigger packages.
Only some of the interviewed people did not have a concern with plastic or find no acceptable alternatives.
All personas will be willing to try bottle exchange service for their shampoos, conditioners, and body washes to reduce waste.
Majority of the people we interviewed would be happy to try a service as long as it is convenient. Most of the people preferred on-location exchange instead of delivery, as well as everyone would prefer an on-demand service.
Only some of the interviewed people were not ready to try the service.
People are willing to do an extra step to help save the planet and reduce plastic waste. A reusable, unbreakable bottle exchange service is a way to solve the problem of excess plastic use.
People value quality ingredients and want products that deliver results. Offering well-known quality organic products as part of the service is essential to the success of the service.
People prefer on-demand service that provides exchange opportunities in convenient store locations in the immediate neighborhood or in their places of work or study.
For decades, companies have used a material that lasts forever — plastic — to make things that we use for a short bit of time, sometimes just a few minutes, and then toss. By 2017, the beauty industry has produced 76.8 billion packaging units. While many of these packages are marked recyclable, only 8.4 percent get recycled each year. Shampoos, conditioners, and body washes are used daily in large quantities and produce a significant part of that waste. There are no safe and convenient alternatives on the market that would offer customers their favorite hair and body cosmetics in an environmentally-friendly way.
The solution to reducing the use of plastic containers in cosmetics is to offer a service that would allow customers to exchange their bottles conveniently. The app-based on-demand service would enable customers to choose between well-established brands known for their quality natural and organic ingredients. The well-established network of neighborhood locations would allow customers to select a distribution location close to their daily routes. The bottle exchange service will provide an invaluable opportunity to eliminate plastic waste from large container cosmetics and reduce the environmental impact each of us has.
Onboarding process determining the number of people in the household and the suggested bottle size. Sliders and animated bottle sizes are used to present the choice of the customer visually.
The sliding indicator is a nice touch and gives a visual idea of what is selected. The animated bottle is a nice touch. Users liked the idea of suggesting sizes.
A grid of boxes is used to showcase a variety of offered products. A larger image and detailed description are also used on the second slide. Rounded corners are used throughout.
Rounded boxes are appealing but need to be bigger to contain more information. The information button is too small. The larger image and detailed information are important for selection.
A detailed map shows the nearby pickup locations sorted by type of business. Colors are used to show different business types. Sorting by type of business is also available.
The category selection is not necessary. The favorite store option is convenient. Interactive navigation would be important for the success of the application.
Testing participants had concerns regarding the necessity of this screen. Many felt uncomfortable sharing the size of their household. Therefore, this part of the on-boarding was abandoned, and the user flow now begins with choosing the size of the bottle.
Participants found confusing the “SELECT” button. They also wanted to see an to add to cart option and view their cart before proceeding to payment. The info button was also too small to tap easily. Based on this feedback, a cart option was added and more information on the products was added to the main product selection page.
Testing participants wanted more secure payment options in addition to credit cards. They also wanted an option to save their information for future use. In result, PayPal and Apple Pay were added as an option, and a checkbox to save information for future use was implemented.
Participants wanted an option to access their orders at a later time as well as a way to have a touchless transaction. Therefore, access to a list of all charges was added, and the QR code is also visible in the purchase receipt.
I am a visual storyteller who believes good design is accessible and touches upon feelings. A memorable experience is a key to success for every product. Understanding the user's point of view leads to a solution that supports their needs.
