AHAS - Personal Skincare Application

AHAS – Personalized Skincare Application

UX Case Study | 2022

Role: UI/UX Designer – End-to-end design process, from research to prototype.

🧠 Background

In recent years, the skincare industry has experienced exponential growth, driven by the rising awareness of self-care, the popularity of wellness routines, and social media influence. However, this explosion in information has also led to widespread confusion, especially for beginners trying to build effective skincare routines.

🔍 The Problem

While users have access to a wealth of skincare information, much of it is conflicting, unverified, or overwhelming. As a result:

• Many individuals misuse products or abandon skincare routines.
• Users often resort to expensive dermatologist visits for issues that could be prevented.
• There's a lack of personalized, trustworthy digital skincare solutions.

💡 The Goal

Design a mobile application that:

• Helps users identify their skin type and concerns
• Offers expert-backed skincare advice
• Enables users to build and track a skincare routine
• Recommends suitable products based on individual needs

🧭 Design Process

1. Empathize

• Conducted market research to understand current digital skincare solutions.
• Performed a competitive analysis of apps like TroveSkin and Think Dirty.
• Interviewed 6 users across various skin types to discover frustrations and behaviors.

2. Define

• Built user personas to represent three core user types: skincare beginner, product enthusiast, and sensitive skin sufferer.
• Mapped out the user journey, from scanning skin to building a daily routine.
• Outlined key pain points: information overload, lack of trust, no progress tracking.

3. Ideate

• Created user flows to ensure minimal friction from onboarding to product discovery.
• Designed wireframes for testing multiple layouts and flows.
• Built a feature roadmap, prioritizing core features: skin scan, routine builder, expert tips, product recommendations.

4. Prototype & Test

• Designed a high-fidelity prototype with a soft, calm aesthetic to align with self-care branding.
• Conducted usability tests with 5 users, iterated based on feedback.

Key insights:

• • Users loved the AI skin scan but wanted clearer instructions.
  • The tracking feature increased motivation to stick with routines.

🖼️ Key Features

• AI Skin Analysis: Fast, real-time skin assessment through a selfie.
• Personalized Routine Builder: Creates a step-by-step skincare plan based on skin type and concerns.
• Daily Tracker: Encourages consistency and allows users to monitor improvements.
• Expert Tips & Guides: Educational content curated by professionals.
• Product Suggestions: Smart recommendations from trusted brands.

✨ Design Highlights

• Visual Style: Minimal, pastel palette to evoke calm and clarity.
• UI Design: Intuitive navigation, humanized icons, and a clean hierarchy.
• Accessibility: Large touch targets, clear typography, and helpful microcopy.

📈 Results & Impact

The app prototype received positive feedback during testing for its clarity, aesthetic, and usefulness.

• 94% of users said they would recommend it to friends struggling with skincare.
• 80% said it made skincare feel "less intimidating" and "more achievable."

👩‍🎨 Reflection

Designing AHAS reinforced the power of user-centered design—the best digital solutions stem from real human needs. If given more time, I would:

• Integrate a community feature for users to share progress
• Include multi-language support for broader accessibility
• Expand skin scan AI to detect specific conditions (e.g., rosacea, pigmentation)

📬 Designed by

Jun Nguyen

📧 [email protected]