The beauty industry has a great potential for UX designers from innovative products and application methods to social media and augmented reality. It embodies beauty and functionality, combining UX, branding, social media, and new technologies. Understanding how people care about beauty and using makeup while delivering UX-oriented products will distinguish beauty brands soon.
Testing and sampling
In the cosmetics industry's purchasing process, users at the beginning of the journey prefer to test samples of several products with similar properties such as anti-wrinkle creams. After trying several of them, they choose the product that best meets their requirements - both in terms of effect and price range. Giving them this possibility increases the probability that the customer will be faithful to the brand and product for years. Therefore, the user needs to have the opportunity to test several products with similar properties, because the additional exposure of the possibility to order a sample positively affects the conversion of returning users.
In the digital version of the AVON catalog, instead of the scented "rub to smell" pages we all know, there is a possibility to order a perfume sample.
Online assistant
Many buyers who order a cosmetic product online happen to have a product that looks different from the catalog, has a different color, or causes a different effect from the intended one - e.g., lengthening and thickening eyelashes do not meet expectations. This, in turn, causes frustration and can potentially harm the brand.
That is why cosmetic giants invest in virtual assistants helping to try on makeup. LANCÔME
Virtual Mirror uses the technology of face mapping with the camera in the user's phone. This function helps to choose the color of pink, check the mascara's effectiveness, try out different shades, and finally help make a purchase decision.
Product page
The Content of the product page of the cosmetic should also be properly arranged.
Photographs portraying the scale of the product, showing the cream's formula or the matte finish of the lipstick on the lips, play a key role in presenting the product. If it has a unique way of application - often the case both with care products and in the makeup category - a video showing its unique selling point should appear on the product page.
With increasing awareness of chemical additives and their impact on health, customers want to know what they are buying. Therefore, it is good practice to separate a section containing the product's full composition in the description.
Product cards rich in video content are the key to increasing conversion and customer satisfaction and applications that, as in the case of the Sephora mentioned above, allow to "try" lipstick or mascara.
Beauty fans create a strongly committed community on internet forums and in social media. In matters of cosmetics, nobody can advise a beauty fan more than another beauty fan.
User-Generated Content is valuable because it shows users' testimonials on Instagram, Facebook, etc. The fact is that people look for inspirations and recommendations on social media. Exposure of UGC and opinions on the product pages adds authenticity to the product and leads to increased conversion.
In the beauty industry, appearance matters, the user likes and appreciates beauty, and pays attention to the website's aesthetics. They are more willing to buy in friendly, pretty stores. However, it is still the product that is supposed to be playing the most crucial role here and attracting attention. The design of the website, apart from high aesthetics, should not be imposed and limited to a minimum - especially with product pages filled with Content. The slogan less is more should be the motto for the design of such a site. Clean and bright layouts with medium contrast work best. Unfortunately, there is rather no place for dark mode.
Unboxing - the final experience
The last step in the user's journey is the moment when he gets the package - unboxing. And here, we should provide the user with a great experience and take care of the unboxing experience's high aesthetics.
Unboxing experience has a good influence on the brand image and the future purchase decisions of customers. It also creates an opportunity to generate another UGC - package picture. Adding free samples to the parcel gives the customer a chance to test the novelties and subsequent purchases. A well-designed aesthetic box can be used for a very long time or reused according to the spirit of zero waste, which is becoming more and more popular in the beauty industry.
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This is my original article issued in the Applover Agency's trendbook. (you can see the whole trendbook here :https://applover.com/blog/ux-ui-trendbook-for-2020-2021) I work at L'Oreal as an UX Manager, hence the topic of my article. The whole text is based on my observations and research, so I would like to know your feedback about it. Both as designers and/or ecommerce users. Let me know what do you guys think about it? Maybe you have some insights that I didn't include in my work?
Cheers!
Przemek
Great article! I'm a fan of buying cosmetics (and samples online). I choose this option for many reasons:
ReplyDelete- Some of the cosmetics I use are only available in online stores,
- I can read the entire composition, opinions of other users and compare the prices and ingredients of various cosmetics,
- I avoid going to shopping centers and the risk that consultant in a cosmetics store will advise me on a product that is new on the market, but may not be suitable for my skin.
I also appreciate various applications and customer panels, thanks to which I receive information about new products from the series I like or promotions for my favorite cosmetics. 🌸
Zuza, thanks for the feedback :)
DeleteIt is because of the pandemic that my field is under a real siege and I have a lot of work ...;) We try to transfer the drugstore experience to online and we are introducing many new tools such as "virtual try on" "skin consultAI" For Lancome and Vichy.
Tell me, on which sites do you buy most cosmetics? and What makes you choose them?
I often buy from Skin79 because they have great cosmetics that are perfect for my skin. If you could tell me on which pages with virtual try on on technology, I'd love to test it!
DeleteCheck lancome.pl or Vichy.pl where you can virtually consult your skin type on try on new mascara :) it's really cool tool!
DeleteSome time ago I’ve made a report about Avon website to pass ‘ICK’. I remember that it had some defects and it wasn’t perfectly designed. I agree that there is a high potential for UX designers in the beauty industry as it simply has to go side by side. To be honest there is no other way of buying perfumes than being able to smell them. When I was young, my mom was a consultant in Avon and I remember that feeling when there was a new catalog in our house and I’ve always gone through them to smell all perfumes. It’s nice to hear(read) that in the online catalog I can find those “rub to smell” places but in online variant.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is no other way to buy perfumes than smell them, you have right. And that's why so many Avon consultants don't want to use online catalog.
DeleteThis online catalog tool is totally separate product - not really related with actual Avon website :)
Good article!
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to UX design in the beauty industry,as you mentioned the world's giants are doing best but about the Lancome virtual assistant - I've never heard of it! And I will check it with pleasure, because I can't never choose the perfect foundation, even in a stationary store!There are ladies who will always help you choose something, but the light is always artificial and after going outside I usually have an orange skin tone, so i'm disappointed every time.
However, when it comes to samples of creams that can be ordered online, the advantage is that you can find out everything, the ingredients, how they work on and read the opinions. But when you want to try a anti-wrinkle cream for example, you would have to order 10 such samples, because one has a capacity of about 5 ml, unless we want a larger one, usually you need to pay for it. But if a cream is good, the price is also proportionally higher. However, if we only want order sample beacuse we are not sure, 5 ml cream is only for one use. And after such use, you never know about if is good for your skin or not, because if you want to check some cream you need to use it like one or two weeks too see the differences. So in my opinion if you want check some cream you need to buy the smalest size of it and try by two or three weeks. :)
With this virtual try on you can apply foundation on selfie, add some lipstick and mascara, it can be funny tho ;) And you don't have to talk with this all store consultants :D
DeleteStarting to read this publication, I had a divided opinion and I didn't want to leave a comment as not to offend anyone, since I'm a person of conservative views on many aspects, regard to cosmetics as well. Since in modern society, unfortunately, it's given huge importance from both women and men side... But it's good that I read the article to the end and realized that it's more about UX technologies in the field of cosmetics. These tachologies are rapidly developing in many different areas and in some of them I have used them. I can say that the final effect after receiving the goods was not always what was expected. So some things are still better to checkup/ try / test on yourself and only then buy. But these technologies have great potential and they are developing, who knows how it'll look in 5-10 years.
ReplyDeletehey Yurii, can you please be more specific? I think I don't get your point ;) What UX and conservative view have in common? I would be happy to discuss it. :)
DeleteSuch an interesting article! I buy cosmetics online for a very long time. First of all I am looking for opinions from people like Maxineczka or Michelle Phan about the product. After watching tutorials I decide to buy the product or not. Personally, I prefer doing cosmetics myself (of course not all of them), there are lots of shops where we can order ingredients for the cosmetic and prepare them ourselves. (zrobsobiekrem.pl, ecospa.pl)
ReplyDeleteThe research is the key! :) What cosmetics do you like to make? And which you prefer to buy? I personally like to prepare my own beard oil.
DeleteGreat article! Really remarkable! Especially that this topic conected with UX/UI Design interests me very much. Cosmetics is not my strong point, but I know that for many men’s and women’s it is an important element in their life. I am rather a person who buys cosmetics stationary, unfortunately some of them - an important base for make-up - I am not able to choose via the Internet. However, when I have selected ones which I also tested, I am able to buy them online.
ReplyDeleteApplications that allows you to choose cosmetics for your shopping cart are also important. Then we can check them in the stationary store and buy them if they are necessary. Samples are good idea to order to verify whether a given cosmetic suits us.
Your profesion must be very interesting ;) I would be happy to talk to you about it! ;)
thank you! yes, it is quite a narrow field, very specific. Especially since I don't use most of these products. I will continue to work on improving the experience, maybe someday you will buy cosmetics online;)
DeleteIt was such nice article to read! Combination between beauty and UX could give fascinating results and possibilities. The fact that somebody put the effort into coming up with te idea how to give customers "rub to smell" experience/similar page layout in the digital version, makes me smile a little. I do buy cosmetics online and recently I'm even thinking about ordering some perfume samples to try.
ReplyDeleteI have to say this article is very interesting. I'm a fan of buying cosmetics in shop because I can test them there. But reading about everything you wrote made me question if i really need to go to the shops now. It is amazing how everything is developing online, even in cosmetics industry. I've seen clothes sites that use your photo to choose clothes and "try them on", and I have to say that I never heard that there is something like testing howe makeup looks online. It was very interesting to read and thank you for expanding my horizon in this case. :D
ReplyDeleteAs an e-commerce user I have to agree that website aesthetics play crucial role in my choice and decision to buy certain item. As for the samples, I think it's a brilliant idea to attract customers and gain their trust for future purchasing. I myself am not interested in the beauty industry, but I believe that the principle of clear and bright design works not only in this field, but also for example in the clothing industry. I myself prefer to order clothes from aesthetic stores’ websites that offer good quality products. Design is the key here😉
ReplyDeleteI’m not a big fan of beauty industry or makeup shopping, because I just have no experience in it. So to answer your question I was forced to ask my girlfriend slash makeup fan slash shopping addicted ;), about it. For 30 minutes I have listened about all makeup novelties and popular brands, and then suddenly I heard something interesting - it was about AI “try on system” on the KIKO a web site, it was fun to try different types of makeup, lipsticks and eyeshadow, I’m not sure that it was a right thing for a guy to do, but at the technology point of view it was interesting how brands resort to the newest technology to meet customers’ needs. I really think that it is important thing for all brands to be up to date and try new features.
ReplyDeleteWell neither do I;) I don't use most of these products and at the beginning it was hard for me to be a user. But it makes this job even more fun. The industry has high budgets, which allows us to experiment with AI and other new technologies.
DeleteIn my opinion, the appearance of a website is the key to buying products, especially in the beauty industry. I buy a lot of cosmetics online and I can't imagine not doing it. I think that the website appearance and interaction with it is very important and thanks to that we decide to buy the producta in this particular store. UX is very important thing today but many people ignore it.
ReplyDeleteVery well written article, congrats Przemek!
ReplyDeleteCosmetic brands have a very good idea in cooperation with Youtubers. It help to inter act with users. By sending them PR parcels, they allow to reach much more potential customers (users viewing makeup and lifestyle Youtubers often have a long-term relationship with them and built trust).
Great example of brand that has interesting way of marketing is Soraya. Each new collection is sent with for example oranges and lemons, Soraya Citrus collection all ecologically packed. The Soraya PLANTE collection was shipped with lavender, herbs. One makeup artist with collaboration with Soraya did this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAngoDxguh9/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAheE3jgUMn/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAfvg_SgOal/
That's effect wow! It's might give you some idea :)
My friend from my previous job is responsible for Soraya marketing. She will be happy when I give her your feedback :) Influencer marketing is responsible for one of the main sources of traffic, I'm glad you paid attention to it :) Do you know other Insta-brands? :)
ReplyDeleteNice article. It is amazing how much the development of media technology has an impact on all industries. Even for the cosmetics industry. The Online assistant part is impressive. It sounds a bit like science fiction technology.
ReplyDeleteAs for the unboxing itself. For some time now, I have not been a fan of expensive, complicated and effective packaging. Of course, it is pleasant to unpack the product in a specially designed box, with a few gadgets and books inside. It all affects the perception of the product itself. It makes it seem more polished and the company takes better care of customers. However, 90% of such packaging ends up in the trash immediately. Plastic and other environmentally unfriendly materials are often used there. I think companies should look for some new solutions that will please the customer while unpacking the product rather than these.
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ReplyDelete