Author: Minh Ngoc Bui (UX Designer)

Project Background

According to Google Search Trends, searches for self-care-related terms increased by 250% between 2019 and 2020. In that context, the demand for skincare is thriving dramatically. Skincare, according to men and women of all ages, is a crucial component of choosing a healthy lifestyle, and many of them think that self-care activities affect their general well-being. Skincare's growth can be attributed to the distinct position it holds among several trends, including rising interest in regimens and routines as powerful tools for self-care and empowerment, and most notably, the capacity of new technology to make the unusually complex choices that customers face when interacting with skincare brands simpler.

The Problem

Taking care of the skin is not an easy task. It’s a long and constant process that requires a commitment to make sure each individual maintains skin problems and not allow them to flare back up again. Moreover, cultivating the best skincare routine is no easy task. It's difficult to know what skincare products to buy, how often to apply them, and even what sequence to use them in.

Hypothesis & Assumptions

• Genders of all ages used to or currently have problems with their skin due to objective reasons like environmental factors, climatic conditions, and the pandemic’s consequences.
• Due to the Paradox of Choice in the realm of skincare, when there are many skincare alternatives available, individuals may feel overwhelmed and even anxious. Besides, figuring out which skincare routine is ideal for their skin can be difficult for almost people due to product jargon, product ingredient information, and the lack of even basic skincare-related knowledge.

Research Goals

I'm interested in finding out more about people's self-care practices and emotional motivations that relate to their usage of skincare products. This will assist in identifying any knowledge gaps that restrict them from creating & maintaining a skincare routine.

Research Objectives

1. Dig deep into the skincare industry (current trends, market’s target audience)
2. Understand people’s thoughts and feelings about their skincare journey (their motivations to find out a suitable regimen; what implicit factors block that progress? Do they have any problems purchasing authentic skincare products?)
3. Understand what are their requirements when it comes to finding a proper skincare routine?
4. Explore direct and indirect competitors in the market, find the gap that current products in the market are not meeting users’ needs, and from that offer a chance for Haki to resolve that.

Research Questions

1. How do users start off and maintain their skincare journey? What factors affect their final decision on the products used? Do they have any problems following and maintaining their skincare routine?
2. What source of information do users use when they learn about the whole skincare thing? (Including product jargon, ingredient information, skincare rules, etc.)
3. How do objective reasons like the environment and the pandemic affect the users’ skincare routine?
4. During the journey, do they have any problems with the purchasing process? (Unreliable sellers, Price issues, etc.)