gjosa

L'Oréal hired us to develop an MVP app for 10-20 pilot beauty salons in the US and France. The app serves as a hub for information, device management, data tracking, and customer support. It also promotes brand values and environmental impact, while providing an easy-to-use interface for a pleasurable experience. The app is primarily designed for the iPad, as it is already being used by the targeted pilot salons.

In 2018, L'Oréal partnered with Swiss company Gjosa to create a new showerhead that reduces water consumption in beauty salons by up to 80%. This device infuses haircare products directly into the stream and provides salon owners with a cost-effective way to save on water and heating costs. Stylists can offer their customers a unique, time-saving experience while promoting eco-friendly practices.

Learn more about the device and L'Oréal's sustainable beauty mission here.

Problem

Beauty salons are wasting valuable resources, including water, energy, and product packaging. This not only impacts their spending but also their brand image, as they are not seen as sustainable businesses. This is particularly important for hair salons, which are known for using large amounts of water during hair washing, which can lead to water waste.

Challenge

Tight 4-week deadline limited my research to L'Oreal's provided data. The iPad's 10-inch screen and hardware limitations made it difficult to include sufficient information on the dashboard while ensuring its visual appeal and user-friendliness.

My role

I was responsible for product design, feature ideation (such as social media sharing and automatic product reordering), user experience, animation and data visualization. L'Oreal provided the research data, content, brand assets and illustrations.

Our team

1 Product designer (me), 1 Product manager, 2 engineers

Process

We ran 1-week design sprints with weekly progress update client meetings to showcase new mockups and gather valuable feedback.

High-fidelity mockups

Key screens showcasing user-friendly interfaces designed to drive engagement and promote eco-friendly practices.

Results

Our partnership with L'Oreal, based on sustainable innovation, showed a new way to wash and care for one's hair — one that saves water while improving upon luxury and efficiency through advanced technology.

The project was revealed at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2021. In 2021, it hit 

the Times's 'The best 100 inventions of 2021'

The pilot has been successfully launched in the US and France. A global rollout is planned through 2023, and the new system is expected to be in 10,000 salons in the next few years. Additionally, an at-home shower device will be launched at a later date.