Mobile App Beauty & Wellness B2C

Esthetique

Designing a premium beauty and wellness booking mobile app that transforms how users discover and schedule salon and spa services through visual storytelling.

Role

Lead UI/UX Designer

Timeline

4-6 weeks

Platform

iOS & Android Mobile App

Tools

Figma, Principle, Marvel

Overview

Elevating Beauty Service Discovery

Esthetique is a mobile application designed to revolutionize how users discover, book, and experience beauty and wellness services. Unlike traditional booking apps that focus solely on functionality, Esthetique emphasizes visual discovery and premium aesthetics to match the luxury of the services it represents.

Design Challenge

Create a mobile app that:

  • Makes service discovery visual and inspiring (not just functional)
  • Builds trust through transparency (pricing, reviews, portfolios)
  • Simplifies complex booking flows (multiple services, providers, times)
  • Feels premium and luxurious to match target market
  • Accommodates both regular users and first-time bookers
32
High-Fidelity Screens
15+
Service Categories
4.6/5
Design Testing Score

Research

Understanding Beauty Service Consumers

Research Methods

User Interviews

22 women aged 25-45 who regularly book beauty services

Competitive Analysis

Analyzed Fresha, StyleSeat, Booksy, and Treatwell

Behavioral Study

Observed how users browse and book appointments

Target Audience

Primary: Urban women aged 25-45, middle to upper-income, who value self-care and are comfortable with mobile technology. They seek quality, reliability, and aesthetic experiences.

Secondary: Men interested in grooming services, gift-givers looking for wellness experiences.

Key Insights

01

Visual Inspiration Drives Discovery

78% of users browsed beauty services like they browse Instagram—they wanted to see beautiful portfolio images before reading service descriptions. Visual discovery was more important than search.

02

Provider Portfolio Essential

Users needed to see a provider's previous work before booking. Portfolio photos, before/afters, and style examples were more influential than ratings alone in decision-making.

03

Booking Anxiety Real

First-time bookers experienced anxiety about service selection, pricing uncertainty, and cancellation policies. Transparency and clear expectations reduced barriers to booking.

04

Appointment Management Crucial

Regular users valued features for managing multiple bookings, rebooking with favorite providers, and receiving reminders. Loyalty features encouraged repeat business.

Define

User Personas

Sophia Martinez

Regular Beauty Consumer

Age: 32 | Occupation: Marketing Manager

Background: Books monthly salon appointments, values self-care routine

Goals
  • Find and book reliable beauty providers quickly
  • Maintain relationship with favorite stylists
  • Try new services with confidence
  • Manage all appointments in one place
Pain Points
  • Difficult to find new providers with similar style
  • Multiple apps for different salons
  • Uncertainty about service quality at new places
  • Forgetting appointments without good reminders
"I need to see their work before I trust them with my hair."

Emma Chen

Occasional User

Age: 27 | Occupation: Software Developer

Background: Books beauty services for special occasions

Goals
  • Easy discovery of services for specific events
  • Clear pricing and service descriptions
  • Read authentic reviews from similar users
  • Simple cancellation/rescheduling if needed
Pain Points
  • Overwhelmed by too many options
  • Unsure what services she actually needs
  • Worried about hidden costs
  • Anxiety about trying new places
"I just want to find someone reliable without spending hours researching."

Problem Statement

How might we create a visually inspiring beauty booking experience that builds trust through transparency, simplifies complex service selection, and caters to both regular users and first-time bookers—all while feeling premium and delightful?

Solution

Design Solution & Key Features

Core Features Designed (32 Screens)

📸 Visual-First Discovery

Design: Instagram-inspired feed showing provider portfolios with large, beautiful images. Users can browse by style, service type, or location

Impact: Makes discovery inspiring rather than transactional. Users spend more time exploring and save favorites

👤 Rich Provider Profiles

Design: Detailed profiles with portfolio galleries, service menus, pricing, reviews, and specialties. Before/after photos prominently featured

Impact: Builds trust and helps users find providers matching their aesthetic preferences

🎯 Guided Service Selection

Design: Multi-step booking flow with service recommendations, clear pricing breakdowns, and "Popular Choices" suggestions

Impact: Reduces decision paralysis for new users while allowing customization for regulars

📅 Smart Appointment Management

Design: Dashboard showing upcoming/past appointments, quick rebook options, and smart reminders. Integration with phone calendar

Impact: Encourages repeat bookings and reduces no-shows

⭐ Social Proof System

Design: Verified reviews with photos, rating breakdown by service type, and responses from providers

Impact: Authentic reviews with context help users make confident decisions

🎨 Premium Visual Design

Design: Elegant color palette (soft pinks, golds, whites), sophisticated typography, smooth animations, and high-quality imagery

Impact: App aesthetic matches premium services it represents, creating trust and desire

Design System

Created comprehensive mobile design system:

  • Color Palette: Soft rose gold (#E8B4B8) primary, champagne gold (#D4AF37) accents, clean whites and grays
  • Typography: Elegant serif for headings (sophistication), clean sans-serif for body (readability)
  • Components: 60+ mobile-specific components (cards, buttons, forms, modals, calendars)
  • Iconography: Custom icon set matching beauty/wellness theme
  • Imagery: High-quality photography guidelines ensuring consistent premium feel
  • Animations: Subtle transitions and micro-interactions adding polish

Key Screens Overview

Home Feed

Visual discovery feed with featured providers and trending services

Provider Profile

Portfolio gallery, services, reviews, and booking CTA

Booking Flow

Service selection, date/time picker, and confirmation

Testing & Results

Validation & Outcomes

Prototype Testing

Method: Interactive prototype testing with 15 target users (mix of regular and occasional beauty service users)

Tasks: Discover provider, view portfolio, book appointment, manage bookings

Task Success Rate Avg Time Satisfaction
Browse and discover providers 100% 1m 45s 4.8/5
View provider portfolio and services 100% 2m 10s 4.7/5
Complete booking flow 93% 3m 30s 4.5/5
Find and rebook favorite provider 100% 45s 4.9/5

Key Findings

Validated

Visual Discovery Approach

Finding: Users loved browsing portfolios, with 87% saying it felt "more inspiring than other booking apps"

Feedback: "It's like Instagram but for finding my perfect hairstylist!"

Validated

Premium Aesthetic

Finding: 100% of users mentioned the app "looked and felt premium," matching their expectations for quality services

Impact: Design elevated perceived value of services

Issue Found

Price Filter Confusion

Finding: Users struggled to understand price range slider without context

Solution: Added average price indicators and "Budget-friendly" / "Luxury" labels

Result: Filter usage increased 65%

32 Comprehensive Screens

Delivered complete mobile app design covering all user flows: onboarding, discovery, booking, management, and profile.

4.6/5 Testing Score

High satisfaction scores across all test tasks, with visual discovery and provider profiles being most praised features.

Investment-Ready Design

Professional, polished design system positioned for investor presentations and development handoff.

User Desire Created

93% of test users said they would download and use the app if it were available, with many asking for launch date.

Key Learnings

Aesthetics Matter in Beauty Apps

For beauty and wellness apps, visual design isn't just polish—it's essential to the value proposition. Users judge service quality partially by app quality.

Portfolio Beats Ratings

In creative/aesthetic services, showing work examples is more persuasive than star ratings. Visual proof builds more trust than text reviews.

Mobile-First Means Thumb-First

Primary actions needed to be within thumb reach, especially for one-handed browsing during commutes or waiting rooms—primary use contexts.

Next Steps

Designed roadmap for future enhancements:

  • AR Try-On: Virtual hair color and makeup try-on features
  • Social Features: Share looks, follow friends, get recommendations
  • Loyalty Program: Points, rewards, and VIP member benefits
  • Video Consultations: Pre-booking consultations with providers
  • Gift Cards: Purchase and send beauty service gift cards
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