Faceit Skin Cosmetics
Environmentally Sustainable Skincare
Summary
This project is from a course called "Internet Business Applications" and reflects the coursework I have learned throughout the Spring 2020 semester. In this group project, I played a major role in the ideation process of conceptualizing Faceit Skin Cosmetics and designing digital marketing campaigns.
Motivation
I was inspired to create a line of skincare that benefited both the skin and the environment. From a young age, I struggled to find products that were gentle enough on my sensitive skin but also provided effective benefits for my skin concerns. After trying numerous products, I noticed that product formulas that incorporated high concentrations of natural ingredients were the most effective. However, there were few brands that offered such a range of ingredients and fewer that were mindful about the sustainability of their packaging. Therefore, I conceptualized Faceit to connect my passion for skincare and environmental sustainability.
User Experience and
Market Research
UX Research Goals:
Understand how participants define and implement sustainable practices in their lives
Actions/values participants believe businesses should implement to become more sustainable
Current pain-points or issues participants have in regards to their skincare routine
Research Methodology:
Survey: Consisted of 13 questions separate into two categories focused on the surveyor's opinion on either sustainability or skincare
Interviews: Conducted in-person interviews with five potential target users to gather detailed qualitative data about the respondent's motivations and pain-points about skincare and its correlation with environmental sustainability
Key Survey Data - Sustainability
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People are willing to pay more for high quality sustainable products
However, people are not as concerned with purchasing organic products
There is not a strong association with the two ideas of organic and sustainable
The top three words associated with “Sustainability” and how surveyors define it all related to the environment
Consumers’ preference towards sustainable packaging over local ingredients
Surveyors could be more knowledgeable about materials used in packaging than the ingredients in their products
Key Survey Data - Skincare
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75% of surveyors have a skincare routine
A majority of users find expense and too many options the most difficult aspect of buying skincare products.
The most important aspect when purchasing a product is the ingredients followed by name brand and price.
Lastly, the main point of struggle for surveyors was that their skin care routines are too time consuming
Interview Findings
All participants were chosen because of their affinity to sustainability and their passion for pushing companies to implement more environmentally friendly practices in their business operations and products.
Emphasis on obtaining/using sustainable materials for products and its packaging
All associated the word “Environment” with sustainability
Unaware about all the different skincare products available
Difficultly choosing products because intimiated by the overwhelming amount of products on the market
Wish current skincare routine was more convenient and took less time
Target Users:
Sustainable Environmentalists & Simplistic Minimalists
User Personas
Website Design
Visit Our Website!
The color scheme of our website consists of colors inspired by nature and simplicity. We wanted to target both males and females with a neutral palette that clearly connects with our brand’s passion of environmental sustainability
Blog
A key element of our website, our blog represents and promotes our brand image and personality. Blog post highlight a range of topics that aim to inform viewers about what environmental sustainability is, the challenges we face both as a business and as a consumer to truly implement sustainable practices, and how viewers can implement these changes into their daily routines to better both themselves and the planet.
Goals/Topics
Informing viewers about what makes our products environmentally sustainable
Featuring brands that range from furniture, hair care, and technology that implement business practices that align with our views on environmental sustainability
Educating consumers on how they can make realistic changes in their lives to better the environment
Products
Tea Treetment
(Cleanser)
Vita Elixir
(Serum)
Plumpkin
(Toner)
Hydrabotanics
(Sheet Mask)
Aqua Air
(Moisturizer)
Calming Clay
(Clay Mask)
I wanted to create a collection of essential skincare products that are designed to work together to create the most efficient yet effective regime. While there are products that claim to have multiple uses and benefits, I wanted these products to each have their own special qualities and also work in harmony with each other. In regards to effective skin care, I believe that a product should focus on high concentrations of key ingredients that target specific issues rather than having one miracle product that tries to target every issue with small amounts of multiple ingredients. Realistically, products are the most effective when applied properly and routinely. While the user will still experience benefits from all the products separately, this collection is designed to simplify a users skincare routine to provide effective yet efficient results for healthier skin.
Sourcing
My team and I spent a long time debating about what ways we could source our ingredients ethically for both the environment and socially. Many of our products competitors, such as “Farmacy” and “Youth to the People” are brands that are focused on natural ingredients and environmentally friendly products and even packaging. These companies even source their ingredients from local farms. However, our group came up with the idea of sourcing our ingredients locally but from hydroponic farms. These farms consume much less water and space and can be designed to grow any type of ingredient. These ingredients would also still be considered organic and non-GMO because no pesticides and modified crops would be used. While it is very important to support local farms, we believed that the crops that these farms produced should go to farmers markets and other outlets where these ingredients can be sold for food consumption. Rather than take away a potential food source, we wanted to create our own way to sustain a steady supply of ingredients that is still environmentally friendly.
Digital Marketing
Social Media Marketing Goals
Increase Brand Awareness
Introduce Products
Promote Sustainability
Marketing Channels
Facebook
Instagram
These are our target audiences' most used platforms and these channels support and allow us to emphasize visual content. After establishing these key channels, we can branch out to others such as Twitter to interact with customers and LinkedIn to establish our professional presence as a company.
Instagram and Facebook
Reflection
This project allowed me to connect my passion for skincare and marketing to conceptualize an e-commerce business and design marketing campaign content. While I have previously conducted surveys and interviews, utilizing these methodologies for UX research was new and exciting because I wanted to get feedback from potential users about their current opinions in regards to the environment and skincare. Additionally, I was able to utilize my marketing skills to create mock-ups of Instagram and Facebook posts and ads. From this project, I have solidified my interests in skincare but I also developed an even greater passion for conducting research and creating marketing content that aims to provide solutions that empathize with customers’ needs and goals. While I aim to work in the cosmetics industry, I realized that regardless of the industry, I want to promote ground-breaking products and services that provide benefits for both people and the planet.
About Me
My name is Kayla Vergara and I am a recent graduate from the University of San Francisco with majors in Marketing and Entrepreneurship & Innovations. I am the 2020 School of Management's Valedictorian and also the recipient of the Dean's Medal of Excellence Award and Dean's Service Award.
I am currently looking for full-time digital marketing opportunities in San Francisco. This project reflects my skills as a digital marketer and my passion for skincare! Please feel free to contact me via LinkedIn or at [email protected].