PureCorium
PureCorium is an app designed for analyzing skincare ingredients, empowering consumers to gain a deeper understanding of their products and ensuring transparency regarding the substances they apply to their skin. This application includes a feature that enables users to capture images of ingredient lists, providing detailed information about each component and its intended purpose.
The project is intended to explore the beauty industry and understand how consumers interact with cosmetics. I researched the beauty industry and its consumers to develop a solid brand and solution that caters to the targeted audience.
The work is presented at the OCAD University Graduation Exhibition (GRAD EX 106). The whole case study can be found here.
BRAND IDENTITY
UI/UX DESIGNThe Problem
Consumers are starting to invest their time and effort to learn what cosmetic ingredients they are applying to their bodies. Learning what ingredients to avoid helps minimize exposure to harmful chemicals and unpleasant experiences such as allergic reactions. However, finding the right resources and searching for ingredients can be challenging and time-consuming.
Solution
A personal care app that analyzes cosmetic ingredient lists through text, image, and camera. The app analyzes each ingredient and provides users with a thorough explanation of its properties and functions. Easy-to-use and easy-to-understand, PureCorium helps consumers make healthier choices when purchasing cosmetic products by educating them on the science of ingredients.
RESEARCH
What actions do consumers take to learn more about their products?
Consumers often go through product labels to steer clear of ingredients that may jeopardize their health or trigger skin issues, such as acne. These undesirable components include sulfates, parabens, preservatives, and others. To make informed decisions, consumers often turn to digital applications or social media platforms for product research before making a purchase.
While ingredient analysis applications prove valuable, users often experience heightened uneasiness due to the inclusion of hazard scales that measure the toxicity levels of ingredients. Although scoring methods can aid in avoiding the purchase of potentially harmful substances, they may also be prone to misinterpretation and present challenges in calculation.
There are several factors to consider when labeling an ingredient as either "bad" or "good," including concentration levels, the volume of relevant studies conducted, and diverse usage scenarios.
UNDERSTANDING
User Profiles
I first researched the cosmetic industry as a whole and how different countries were taking action in ensuring the safety of cosmetic products. Also looking at beauty trends such as purchasing clean and organic beauty products as they usually involve consumers reading cosmetic labels.
After researching the cosmetic industry, I had a better understanding of the audience that this app caters to. I created personas that describe the potential users, focusing on their background and journey that would lead them to this app.
User Needs
A better understanding of what they are applying
Improve their skin, achieve skin goals
A digital solution that can assist them on the go (shopping in-store)
All-in-one spot to find information on cosmetic ingredients
User Pain Points
Social media, the number of products on the market, and the amount of ingredients and their naming are overwhelming
Fear of reading information on toxic ingredients
BRAND IDENTITY
Brand Visual Voice
IDEATE
Prime Objectives
The app focuses on educating consumers, and informing them on the science of ingredients. The tone of the information should not force anyone to make any decisions or should not be perceived as professional medical advice. It is also important for it to be easy to understand.
With easy-to-use tools, the app will use ideal mobile methods that are convenient to use when shopping online or in-store.
Wireframes
DESIGN
Hi-Fidelity Screens
Creating an Account
The app will give a sense of personalization and connection. In the process of creating their account, they can select preferences and skin concerns that fit their situation. These preferences include sulfate-free, paraben-free, or fragrance-free. Skin concerns such as acne or inflammation.
Users seek for the community atmosphere to find advice and gain knowledge from reviews. Profiles will be visible to others, and displayed will be their skin types, concerns, and the products they’ve reviewed.
Ingredient Analyzer
The app will obtain an ingredient analyzer that uses text, images, or the mobile camera to analyze ingredient lists. Users can edit the analyzed text from the image to fix any errors.
Using the image option of analyzing. Users can crop the image to the ingredient list and edit the text.
Analyzed Results
The analyzed results screen will have a Quick Analysis feature where it quickly states if the product is considered as one or more of the popular labels consumers seek out, such as paraben-free, or sulfate-free. The screen will also include the list of analyzed ingredients, providing the user with the category, function, and description of the ingredients.
For the legend, I chose the following notes that seemed helpful to know when choosing a product:
Potential Allergen or Irritant
Top Controversial Ingredient
Beneficial Properties: Acne Preventative,
UV Protection, Humectant, Anti-Aging
Learn Ingredients
Focusing on educating consumers, PureCorium will provide users with the most talked about topics regarding cosmetic ingredients.
There are different categories of functions for ingredients. They can be surfactants, emollients, or stabilizers. It is important for beauty consumers to know what the ingredient is and why it is used in the product. These educational topics will be a place where users can come and find information in the app.
Browse and Discover
Users can use the search bar to search up products and brands to discover new products that can fit their needs and preferences.