Routine Expert

Product Design | Mobile App

The skincare industry is rapidly growing. With so many options and sources of guidance available to consumers, finding the right skincare routine can take a lot of time and money. Routine Expert is a single platform that provides guidance about which skincare products to use, when to use them, educational resources, and shopping.

As a Product Designer, I worked to create a mobile app that will help users find and implement their ideal daily skincare routine.

The Problem

Skincare is a growing industry, and new trends and product offerings are constantly popping up. With the concurrent growth of things like social media and eCommerce, users have access to more options and skincare information at their fingertips than ever before.

Because of the overwhelming variety of skincare product offerings and guidance available online, sifting through the information to find which skincare routine and products best suit a user’s needs can be time consuming and inefficient. And, purchasing the wrong product can be costly, not to mention potentially detrimental to users’ overall skincare goals.

The Solution

To help users better navigate creating an effective and informed skincare routine, this project proposes building a tool that will inform users exactly which products and product ingredients align with their skincare goals, budget, and schedule. Additionally, this tool will include educational resources and shopping elements to provide users with a single platform that encompasses all facets of a daily skincare routine.

The Product

Routine Expert first guides the user through a 10-question skincare quiz that provides feedback on the user’s skin type, skin concerns, daily schedule, budget, & demographic information related to skincare. After completing this quiz, the user receives a customized list of products, along with a recommended daily routine with product purchasing and subscription options. Users also receive educational articles tailored to their skin concerns, and have the ability to log progress and review products.

By incorporating all of these elements, Routine Expert will provide a one-stop-shop for building and maintaining their routine.

The Market Size

$130 Billion

Global skincare product market size

4.6%

Estimated Compound Annual Growth Rate (CGAR) 2022-2030

The Business Model

Routine Expert proposes linking with a known retail partner, such as Sephora, Blue Mercury, or Ulta Beauty to provide users with a suggested skincare routine, as well as expert tips and guidance. By partnering with a known beauty retailer, Routine Expert would have access to a specific product suite with accurate and trusted ingredient lists. This would also provide an easy setup for a shopping platform where users can purchase products or product subscriptions.

The benefit to the partner organization would be engaging customers through a new eCommerce channel, having access to user data and feedback for product offering improvements, and the potential to generate repeat customer business through the implementation of a product subscription program. Routine Expert would gain revenue through commission fees of in-app purchases and subscription sign-ups.

The Competition

During the product research phase of developing Routine Expert, five competitor apps were reviewed by a sample user group for feedback: Skin Bliss, Think Dirty, Feelin’ My Skin, Mimo Glow, and TroveSkin.

Each of the competitor apps reviewed fell into one of two categories: product analysis apps and routine tracking apps. Skin Bliss and Think Dirty were both primarily product analysis apps, where users could gain insights on how ingredients in different products may affect their skin or health outcomes, while Feelin’ My Skin, Mimo Glow, and TroveSkin were focused primarily around user routine tracking to gauge positive or negative skincare outcomes.

The competitive analysis findings indicate that there is room in the market for an app that combines the best of the above features - actionable, scientifically-rooted ingredient insights and product recommendations paired with user skincare routine tracking. There are also opportunities to provide in-app product purchasing methods with custom tailored routine recommendations & tracking options - no competitor app reviewed provided all of this information in one single source.

Feelin' My Skin

Mimo Glow

Skin Bliss

Think Dirty

TroveSkin

Conclusion: Better/Different

Routine Expert provides a very low lift for users in terms of onboarding and accessing product insights. Users are not required to add products or complex ingredient lists to the product database, and there is no financial barrier to entry.

While routine progress logging is encouraged and very easy to complete, it is also not required for the user to engage with the tool. The recognized product suite, expert guidance, and educational resources further enhance Routine Expert’s user experience.

Based on our research findings and current product development, we would recommend further user testing to enhance and refine the existing app design. We would also want to pitch the product to partner companies to find which retail organization would be the best fit for the tool, and gain further funding for development and implementation. Doing so would allow Routine Expert to come to life, and provide a credible and customized platform for skincare guidance and education that enables each user to become their own skincare “expert.”