Combining AI with beauty commerce
For this startup, Yuty, which has an existing website and plans for an app and widget in place, humanising the patented AI behind the interface was a key component of my proof-of-concept designs. I created a number of designs upon request to drive investor funding.
Lo-fi wireframing • Hi-fi wireframing • Prototyping • Proof-of-concept designs
Problem
The subset of beauty consumers who feel alienated because of their skin tone, unique needs, or moral values have difficulty finding products that meet their diverse needs.
Goal
Design an interface powered by a patented AI with the ability to perform facial scanning and characteristic matching, to help users 'find their perfect match' in beauty products.
Constraints
Limited user research.
Prior to my start with the project, minimal focus groups were conducted. A number of the fundamental tenets of the product came from the founder's own anecdotal experiences in the beauty industry.
My solution: I created user personas using the available knowledge that was visible from previous iterations of the Yuty website, and also polled individuals in my personal life to gather potential target users. I combined the experiences of the founder into notes for future amalgamation.
Shifting goalposts.
As a startup seeking additional venture capital funding, the objective of the design work requested tended to vary wildly. Sometimes, design was needed in order to provide an effective pitch for investors. Other times, real designs that were foundational for future development was desired.
My solution: I prepared a presentation to discuss project management for the founder; unfortunately, the funding seemed to run low before I had an opportunity to pitch these ideas.
No design system.
When I came onto the project, despite there having been an existing website, there was no pattern library left behind by the agency that created version one of yuty.me.
My solution: I helped the founder and other team members understand the importance of a design language, and formed the foundations of a UI pattern library.
Yuty Widget
The Yuty widget was a proof-of-concept design that showed the potential of the patented AI as a tool for international beauty retailers. Shopping online makes it difficult for customers to identify whether a product is an ideal fit. For example, when a shopper wants to buy a lipstick, they are concerned about the shade. Going one step further, customers may also need to ensure the product meets their health needs, such as allergies. Customers with ethical concerns or religious concerns may want to ensure products do not contain animal products. With the widget, customers can do a much more comprehensive quiz that includes a facial scan to ensure that a potential product meets their needs.
Yuty Widget: Desktop Proof-of-Concept
Yuty Widget: Mobile Proof-of-Concept
Style of the Website
In order to support investor funding pitches, the founder wanted a more minimalistic style to replace the original style of the website. Collaborating with Evy Leferink, Head Creative, we simplified the existing UI of the pages and considered how to create a sleek, upscale look.
Redesigned sections included: Homepage - Shoppers, Homepage - Business, Discover Your Match, Elastic Search functionality, Headers and Footers, and About.
Redesigned Homepage: For Business / For Shoppers
New Header • All States
Redesigned 'Discover Your Match' page
Elastic Search High-Fidelity Prototype
