Wellness app: Hair love

Role: UX research / UI Designer

Time Line: 12 days

Setting: One UX/UI

Overview

Hair Love is an application created with the intention of helping people care for the health of their hair. By gathering in one place all the products that will benefit the care of anyone's hair, it assists users in selecting the right hair care products.

User research

Do you know how to take care of your hair? Are you happy with the current state of your hair? These were the key questions that guided my research into users interested in maintaining the health of their hair. To conduct this research, I distributed a survey to 53 people, conducted 6 interviews with individuals who care for their hair, and held 1 interview with a professional stylist. From the collected information, I was able to highlight the following insights:

Of the surveyed individuals, a significant portion conducted research to improve their hair health, as 57% of them do not feel satisfied with the current state of their hair.

Seventy-four percent of the respondents rely on the information on the main label when choosing a product for their hair. However, 64% of individuals are unaware of the ingredients that can harm the health of their hair. Among those who do know that certain ingredients can damage their hair, they cannot recall which ones they are or which products do not contain them.

Users find information about hair care to be very contradictory and incomplete.

Stylists recommend products free of sulfates, silicones, paraffins, waxes, oils, minerals, and certain types of alcohols.

To provide a good recommendation, an analysis of the hair is needed: hair density, weight, length, thickness, scalp type, previous pigments, and hair porosity.

People do not recognize that not everyone has the same hair type, which is why the recommended products do not work for them.

User persona

By analyzing the data from the surveys and interviews conducted, I developed the following user persona of a hair care user.

User journey

I created the user journey to understand the behavior of users who care for their hair when purchasing hair products.

Problem Statement

Upon observing the pain points of users concerned about their hair, I noticed that their main issue is that:

They have difficulty easily and clearly identifying which products are beneficial for their hair.

Hyphotesis & HMW

The hypothesis formulated to address this problem was:

By helping users identify the ingredients that are not good for their hair and recommending suitable products based on their hair type, I will enable them to become more aware of what benefits them and take better care of their hair in a simple way.

How could I help the user know that a product is good for them, taking into account their hair type and the recommendations of other users?

How can I ensure that users find information about which products are good when they are looking for them in the supermarket?

How can I ensure that users know which harmful ingredients a product contains or does not contain (without technical nomenclature)?

Ideation

I developed an app that allows users to scan market products, featuring a database of ingredients (without technical nomenclature). Users can rate the products and specify their hair type, making it easy to find them through a search function. The app also includes a section for recommended products tailored to the individual's hair care needs.

MoSCoW

I decided to use the MoSCoW method to prioritize the elements that the application should have in its initial version.

Sitemap

Once I defined what the application would contain, I created the sitemap to organize the information hierarchically.

User flow

The user flow of a new user in the application was carried out, who should be able to create an account to find product recommendations for their hair.

Medium fidelity wireframes

For the development of the application, a low-fidelity prototype was initially created on paper, followed by a medium-fidelity version. Usability tests were conducted with potential users, revealing that on the main home screen, users required more information about the product. This feedback was incorporated into the next iteration, which involved creating a high-fidelity prototype.

Ui design

Once the usability testing for the application was completed to address any issues, I began designing the final version of the app. For the Hair Love application proposal, I developed the branding design, including the color scheme and typography to be used in the style guide. The color palette was inspired by warm tones and reminiscent of the hues commonly seen in hair.

The application was primarily developed with Android in mind for the initial release. In creating the iconography for the app, I utilized specialized resources, but to maintain a cohesive graphic style, I also designed several icons myself.

While many hair care products are increasingly including information about the key ingredients they lack, this is not universally applied. Most users, when purchasing products, do not have a reliable guide to help them choose the right product for their needs. Therefore, I believe that users interested in maintaining the health of their hair will be able to find suitable recommendations. They will also have easy access to information about the ingredients in the recommended products, along with a quick guide to where they can purchase them.

Usability testing

In the usability tests for the app, the first question asked to determine whether users were optimal candidates for the test was whether they had an interest in caring for and maintaining the health of their hair. Once this filter was applied, the test was fully completed by 10 participants. They were given the freedom to explore the prototype with the following instruction: "Enter the app, complete the test to determine your hair type, and navigate to find the information on the 'Renpure' shampoo." Users were allowed to finish the task at any point. Afterward, they were asked four questions: two in the form of a ranking and two open-ended. The results and key insights are as follows:

217.5 s

Avg. time spent exploring the app

On a scale of 1 to 10, how useful do you think the app would be in helping you choose your next hair care product?

Not useful at all

Very useful

On a scale of 1 to 10, how easy was it for you to navigate and find useful information within the app?

Very difficult

Very easy

If you could change anything in the app, what would it be?

"More guidance to help identify my hair type (oily, etc.), and adding more information at the end about what makes those products ideal for me."

"Allow users to choose another option if they didn't select the correct one the first time (for example, regarding hair type)"

"In my opinion, it's well-structured."

"Personally, I experienced that I neither have wavy nor curly hair; I’m somewhere in between. Initially, I selected wavy, but then I wanted to switch to curly and was not allowed to change my choice."

Would you consider using this app to choose products for your hair care? Why?

"Yes, because I'm never sure which products are suitable for my hair type."

"Yes, because it shows me information that I hadn't considered about my hair type."

"Yes, it is useful and easy to use for choosing the right products according to each person's needs."

"Yes. Because it's simple. I like when the app guides you and provides easy-to-understand options. I also appreciated that it doesn’t have lengthy texts or explanations."

Outcomes & Lessons

Designing the Hair Love app was an enriching experience, albeit challenging. Going through every phase of creation and designing user-friendly interfaces was an adventure full of insights. Here are some of the key takeaways:

User-Centric Approach: User feedback was crucial throughout the process. Many mentioned needing more guidance in identifying their hair type. This taught us that offering clear options and the ability to modify selections can make a significant difference in the user experience.
Simplicity and Clarity: Users loved how simple the app is to use. They preferred concise information that helped them make quick decisions without feeling overwhelmed by lengthy texts or complicated explanations.
Educational Value: Many users appreciated the new knowledge they gained about their hair. This showed us that, in addition to recommending products, it's essential to educate users on hair care.
Future Testing and Improvements: The positive feedback from the final usability test highlights the potential impact of the app. However, it's clear that more testing is needed to refine features and ensure they truly meet user needs.
Financial Viability Considerations: While we are eager to secure funding to continue designing, it's vital to conduct a thorough analysis of financial aspects before moving forward. This will help us ensure that the app is not only effective but also sustainable in the long run.

In summary, the Hair Love app underscores the importance of aligning product features with actual user needs, ensuring clarity and ease of use. Additionally, it reminds us of the importance of being open to continuous improvement through testing and financial planning.