Honour
Skincare Tailored for Men
Context
The global men's skincare products market size was estimated at $ 12.34 billion in 2020 whereas women’s skincare products market size was $ 86.49 billion in 2020.
Let’s keep in mind that a majority of that amount is geared towards male facial hair products.
Problem
Skincare for women is regularly discussed in society, but what about men?
There is a gap in male skincare that isn’t being addressed fast enough. Some men perceive skincare as being time consuming, expensive, inaccessible and unneeded. How do we make it socially acceptable and easy for them to access?
Solution
HONOUR, a platform catered to men to help them find a realistic skin care routine best fit for their skin type, budget and time, along with the products selected for purchase; Honour is a website that brings forth knowledge and education to what skincare is and its benefits.
Secondary Research
I began this research with an investigation of what tools are currently on the market and who might be the primary users. Stakeholder mapping identified both indirect and direct male skincare users with relevant experience.
What tools are available?
While conducting a competitive analysis, it was acknowledged that there are some skincare platforms that are geared toward men , there are no competitors making products with the focus of education behind skin care and their benefits. Most competitors are pushing their own brands for purchase.
This case study was completed by the Honour team, made up of designers, researchers and engineers, to bring this website to life and ready to use.
The work done with Honour consisted of understanding the scope of the project and the needs of the user through research and translating the new design into a cohesive interface.
Discovery Research
10 interviews & 15 survey responses
I transitioned into exploratory research to investigate users needs and wants. I facilitated 10 virtual interviews with users, men ranging in the ages of 18-50. I received 15 survey responses from men who were interested in the project but too busy to sit down for an interview.
Through this research I explored:
Products and routines each man had
Ways they communicate in regards to skincare
How they organize skincare into their daily lifestyles
How they manage purchasing products
Discovery Research
Through affinity diagraming and thematic analysis, I identified key themes and salient points.
There is a stigma that skincare only pertains to women.
A lack of education of skincare and its benefits to the male community.
Men rely on a quick and easy process.
Core users are men ages 25-30 who are curious/struggling with their skin and are looking for a beneficial skincare routine.
My immediate thoughts/questions following the discovery interviews were what can be done to support men and their skincare and how can we remove the fear and stigma behind skincare for men?
Insights
01
Men want a quick and efficient routine and products
It’s complicated, intimidating and challenging to go out into the real world and choose from hundreds of options.
Areas of concern that frequently arose in my interviews revolved around the stigma of skincare only pertaining to women and their needs.
Men spoke of the challenges they had searching and understanding products; As well as feeling comfortable to ask others for help.
Pain Points
01
Lack of knowledge of skincare benefits
Core Needs
User Types
Reflections
02
Men don’t want to spend too much money on products
02
The stigma that skincare only pertains to women
It was identified that these sets of users are ready for support.
03
Men want knowledge to each products benefits and to know what else is out there
03
Idea that skincare is always a lengthy/time consuming task
The target users for this product are men within the age range of 25-30. This person is a man who is curious and lacks knowledge to skincare but is eager to learn.
A primary concern of this user is the vast number of products available and not knowing what to use, which led to an increase of time spent trying to navigate their routine..
Design Process
In order to start the design process for Honours website, I set out to ideate, design, listen, test and implement.
I had to pivot many times throughout my research. My findings challenged my initial hypotheses, but I was able to build a more relevant product as a result.
As a result of my UX research, I moved away from a product concept and towards solving a more pressing pain point: male skincare education they can trust.