New Skin - A skincare habit-building app for long-term skin awareness
NewSkin
A skincare habit-building app for long-term skin awareness
Tools
Figma, FigJam Timeline Eight weeks, Fall 2025
My Role
This was a solo project where led the end-to-end design, from product positioning, market & user research to defining the core experience and delivering low- & high-fidelity prototypes.
NewSkin is a habit-building skincare companion for skincare-conscious adults focused on supporting consistent daily routines and fostering long-term skin awareness through continuous tracking instead of one-time diagnosis.
Context & Problem
From my personal skincare experience to a design opportunity
I have always cared deeply about my skin and wanted to understand how to build a sustainable skincare routine, track my skin condition over time, and make informed adjustments to improve it.
However, most skincare apps on the market focus on instant skin analysis or diagnostic results, I could not find a product that truly supported systematic, long-term skin tracking. As a result, I often relied on manual notes and scattered videos & photos, which made it difficult to see patterns, evaluate effectiveness, or maintain consistency.
Goals
Support users in building sustainable skincare habits;
Help users develop a clearer understanding of their skin over time and make more intentional care decisions;
Enable efficient, long-term skin tracking and meaningful comparison.
This gap in existing products motivated me to design NewSkin — a tool that prioritizes habit formation, reflection, and meaningful change over time. Some photos & videos I took to document my skin condition.
Competitor Analysis
To understand the current market landscape, I reviewed 10+ existing products and selected 3 representative examples that approach skincare analysis and habit building in distinct ways. Here’re my findings.
Competitor 1
You Look Great Today
What works:
AI-based photo analysis combined with clear, visualized reports. Well-structured information lowers the barrier for first-time users.
What doesn’t:
Excessive ads and product recommendations disrupt the user experience and reduce trust.
Emphasis on single-session results over long-term tracking discourages habit formation.
Competitor 3
Haut.AI (SkinGPT)
What works:
Personalized AI interfaces deliver tailored skin insights.
Conversational AI assistants help users ask questions about their skin and get context-aware guidance.
Visual simulations of product effects help users explore potential outcomes and build confidence in their routines.
Competitor 2 Basic Beauty
What works:
Lightweight onboarding flow friendly to beginners
Gentle visual style that lowers psychological burden
What doesn’t:
Limited personalization and analytical depth
Cannot support long-term skin tracking or meaningful comparisons
Key Insights
E xisting products prioritize diagnostic results rather than long term change.
Skincare management is a long term behavior, yet most apps fail to support habit formation.
Overly professional or commercialized experiences reduce long term engagement.
U
ser Research & Takea
To validate these findings, I conducted informal interviews with three target users.
Jessica, 25
“I care a lot about skincare, but after using products for a while, I never know if they actually work. Skin tests tell me I’m ‘not doing well’ right now, but they don’t help me see changes.”
Key Takeaways:
Mary, 35
U sers care more about trends and progression than single test results
Excessive medical framing increases anxiety and lowers usage frequency
Daily tracking must be extremely lightweight to become a habit
“Many skincare apps look professional, but the information is overwhelming. Sometimes I just want to record what I did today, not be reminded of a list of problems.”
Evelynn, 21
“I try to track my skin, but I often forget. If recording were faster and I could review changes later, I’d be more willing to keep using it.”
HMW Statement:
How might we create a skincare companion that feels supportive and low pressure while encouraging long term engagement and learning?
Persona & User Journey Map
Based on my research, I synthesized two representative user personas and mapped their journeys to guide the subsequent design decisions.
Person 1: Monica Johnson
Skincare Beginner
Age: 18 Years
Toronto, Canada
Skincare Experience: 0–1 year
Profession: College Student
About
Monica is new to skincare and often feels uncertain about her skin type and daily routine. She is curious but easily overwhelmed by professional terminology and complex steps. Her biggest concern is doing something “wrong,” which can lead to hesitation or giving up altogether.
Core Goal
To build a simple, stress-free skincare habit and gradually understand her skin.
Motivations
Learn basic skincare knowledge without feeling judged
Feel reassured that she is “doing it right”
See small improvements to stay motivated
Develop a habit that fits naturally into daily life
Frustrations
Unsure where to start or what steps are necessary
Overly professional language increases anxiety
Too many inputs or steps discourage consistent use
Missing a few days of tracking makes her want to quit
Needs & Expectations
C lear, step-by-step guidance
Lightweight daily logging with low mental effor t
Gentle, non-judgmental feedback
Encouragement rather than warnings or negative scores
Journey Map for Monica Johnson
Phases
Assess Skin Status & Create Care Plan
Understand her current skin status and feel confident starting with a simple, “safe” plan.
Download the app + set a primary goa Take baseline photos
Generate a “Safe Start” routine Set check-in cadence + reminders
Execute Daily
Skincare Plan
Complete daily skincare tasks efficiently without friction or cognitive overload.
C heck off daily steps (quick)
Log a photo + key context (optional)
Snooze / pause backfill when needed
Rewards & Habit
Formation
Stay motivated through visible progress and gentle, positive reinforcement.
V iew effort-based streaks + milestones
Receive encouraging feedback from Miro
Optional low-pressure community check-in
Complete Cycle & Review Report
Understand whether the current approach works and know how to proceed next.
C ompare before/after photos + view summary
Identify what helped vs. what didn t
Adjust one variable / clone plan for next cycle
Person 2: Yun Lin
Experienced Skincare Tracker
Age: 28 Years
Bei ing, China
Skincare Experience: 4-5 year
Profession: Photographer
About
Yun has actively managed her skincare routine since her early teens. She is highly aware of her skin condition and regularly experiments with products and daily routines. She values efficiency, structure, and evidence.
Journey Map for Yun Lin
Phases
Assess Skin Status & Create Care Plan
Set up a structured tracking framework to verify what truly works.
Set a primary goal + choose tracking depth
Take baseline photos Build/import a routine template
Set cycle length (and success criteria)
Core Goal
To verify which skincare habits and products truly work for her skin over time.
Motivations
Track skin condition changes across different period s
Compare routines, products, and environmental factors
Build reliable evidence instead of relying on intuition
Maintain consistency even during busy or irregular schedules
Frustrations
Skin records are often scattered across multiple apps or note s
Most apps focus on single test results rather than long-term trends
Difficult to compare photos and data in a standardized way
Professional” tools feel heavy and time-consuming for daily use
Needs & Expectations
Fast, structured daily logging with minimal frictio n
Clear visual comparisons across days, weeks, or months
Trustworthy, easy-to-understand summaries without excessive medical jargon
Exportable or reviewable records for personal reflection (and optional consultation)
Execute Daily
Skincare Plan
Log daily routines efficiently while capturing enough detail for meaningful comparisons.
One-tap routine checklist + quick photo
Log key context factors
Add quick notes for new products/irritation
Snooze / backfill when needed
Rewards & Habit Formation
Maintain consistency through visible evidence, not generic gamification.
Track consistency + insight milestones
View trend signals with confidence cues
Optional lightweight community check-in
Complete Cycle & Review Report
Review results with standardized comparisons and exportable summaries to guide the next iteration.
C ompare standardized before/ after photos
Review trends across the cycle Export/share a summary repor t
Decide next cycle: keep or adjust one variable
E ven “short” assessments can feel overwhelming if too many terms appear at once
Fear of doing things wrong / being judged
Too many concepts introduced too early
K eep onboarding focused on one short-term goa
Provide a “Safe Start” template (3–4 steps only)
Emphasize baseline & learning (not evaluation)
Explain terms only when needed
Forgetting to check n
Daily schedule interruptions
Breaking a streak feels discouraging
Rewards feel generic or impersona Motivation fluctuates
G race days and pause states
Smart reminders with snooze options
Allow same-day backfill without penalty
Hard to identify priorities for the next cycle
Unclear “next step” leads to drop-off
What to do next” summary
One-tap cycle cloning + small adjustment
Clear rationale for suggested changes
Keep summaries scannable
pportunities
Setup can be time-consumin g
Hard to standardize photos across days
Worry that apps focus on onetime results rather than longitudinal evidence
P rovide fast setup via templates
Smart defaults + auto-fill
Photo capture guidance for standardization
Let users choose tracking depth upfront
Logging becomes burdensome if too many fields are required
nconsistent photo conditions reduce comparability
Busy schedule causes gaps in data
K eep daily flow lightweight; make advanced fields optiona
One-tap backfill + “pause mode” for travel/busy weeks
Consistency aids reminders with snooze + flexible cadence
G eneric streaks feel shallow / not tied to real progress
Sparse or inconsistent data makes insights feel unreliable
R eward evidence-building
Show insight confidence
Encourage reflection rather than scoring
Hard to attribute causality (many variables change at once)
Reports can be overwhelming
Recommendations” without rationale reduce trust
What to do next” summary + 1-variable adjustment suggestion
Explain rationale & limitations
One-tap clone cycle + adjust routine/product/context focus
Exportable reports for personal reflection
Value Propositions & Brainstorming
Pain points
1 Users lack an accessible, trustworthy companion to answer skincare questions and provide emotional supports.
2 Users struggle to follow through with skincare plans and build consistent tracking habits.
3
Users’ skin records are often scattered and hard to compare, making it difficult to identify patterns and decide what to do next.
Wireframes & Low-fidelity
Value Proposition
AI Skin Companion: enable efficient, lowpressure Q&A and emotional support through personalized AI guidance
Routine & Plan: recommend personalized skincare plans and support long-term habit formation through guided tracking
Cycle Review & Insights: Convert daily logs into simple, comparable cycle summaries with clear highlights and next step suggestions for easy adjustments.
Prototypes
Visual Language & AI Companion Design
01 Design Philosophy
"Miro is designed to be a supportive companion, not just a diagnostic tool."
Balancing the Tone: While the interface utilizes Soft Blues to evoke cleanliness and professional trust, Miro’s gentle presence prevents the experience from feeling "clinical." This balance reduces psychological pressure and fosters long-term user consistency.
The Mirror Metaphor: S ince NewSkin revolves around self-observation, I chose a mirror as the core metaphor. A mirror is more than a utility; it is a symbol of self-worth and confidence the true heart of any skincare journey.
E motional Support: The goal was to create an AI that supports users emotionally, especially during moments of uncertainty or when they miss a day in their routine.
Focus: Validating the mirror metaphor and establishing a recognizable silhouette.
Key Insight: While the mirror shape was immediately associated with skincare, the form required more personality to feel like a "companion" rather than a static icon.
03 Final Miro System: An Emotion Matrix
nthusiastic: Used for welcoming or celebration the completion of a goal.
frustration or acts as a firm reminder for missed routines.
ent: Appears when the user is logging their skin diary or recording their daily observations.
ydrated: Used for water intake reminders or to confirm the application of moisturizing products.
Focus: T esting warmth and approachability through a full-body mascot.
Iteration: The full-body version felt too "cartoonish". Excessive decorative elements risked looking childish, which could diminish the user's trust in the AI’s professional capabilities.
layful: Adds a layer of delight when sharing skincare tips or unlocking achievements.
Feature #1: Onboarding Questionnaire
Personalizes skincare routines by collecting users’ conditions and goals during onboarding questionnaire.
Builds emotional connection through a friendly mirror-shaped AI companion that greets and guides users.
Provides objective skin condition reports based on AI face analysis to encourage long-term tracking and reflection.
Feature #2: Routine Builder & Habit Tracking
Recommends skincare plan templates based on baseline results and user goals.
Allows both beginners and advanced users to choose between Simple and Detailed tracking modes with different logging frequency and depth.
Automatically generates a “Safe Start” routine checklist (cleanse, moisturize, sunscreen) and enables users to add, remove, and reorder steps.
Supports habit formation through low-pressure mechanisms such as adjustable reminders, flexible review cycles (7/14/28 days), and skip or postpone options to encourage long-term adherence.
Final Design
Feature #3: Home + Stars Reward System
Brings together daily skincare steps, Quick Check-in, and progress overview into a single home screen to help users quickly understand what to do today and track their progress.
Uses Stars and gentle check-ins to reinforce consistent skincare habits without relying on appearance-focused incentives.
Uses a milestone system to clarify next goals and provide visible progress and achievements that support long-term engagement.
Supports social impact redemption through the Impact Shop with transparent and trustworthy reward tracking.
Feature #4: Quick Check-in
Enables quick daily logging by letting users select skin conditions and influencing factors through simple tags.
Incorporates emotional and subjective states with mood scales, status tags, and notes to capture both skin changes and related life context.
Confirms routine execution within the check-in flow by allowing users to mark completed morning and evening steps.
Supports photo comparison with positive feedback to encourage low-pressure visual tracking and consistency.
Feature #3: Chat with AI, Routine & Profile
Enables low-barrier interaction with AI (Miro) to turn user goals and concerns into an actionable skincare plan.
Applies AI recommendations directly to executable routines, turning guidance into immediate, actionable steps.
Supports habit formation through calendar-based tracking, streaks, and flexible morning/evening routines with reminders.
Centralizes user preferences and progress data in the Profile page, allowing control over tracking modes, goals, AI tone, and privacy settings.
Feature #4: My Plan and report
Provides selectable skincare plans and cycles, allowing users to view, compare, and switch plans with one click to reduce decision friction.
Connects plans to user needs through a Plan Match Score, helping users understand why a plan is recommended and what outcomes to expect.
Converts plans into executable morning and evening routines with one-click setup and optional adjustments through Ask Miro.
Supports personalization through product management by allowing users to scan, import, and categorize products with ingredient insights.
Visualizes progress and enables reflection through photo comparison and change tags, generating end-of-cycle insights and next-step suggestions.
