Beauty & Personal Care
Shark Beauty LED Face Mask
Remote control UI design that transformed a failing concept into a best-in-class user experience. Launched to strong reception and led to ongoing partnership on future products.
Client
Shark Beauty
Timeline
2023–2025
Service & Offer
Sector
Platform
Shark Beauty had developed innovative under-eye cooling technology for an LED face mask. They designed a first concept for the remote control, but in-home usability testing showed it wasn't working. Users were frustrated. Leadership didn't know why. They brought me in to diagnose the problem and figure out how to fix it.
Challenge
The first remote concept exposed every option to users. The thinking was clear: more control is better. But testing revealed the opposite. Users felt overwhelmed by choices. They didn't understand the different modes or how to get started. They wanted guidance, not a full menu.
The Approach
I conducted a UX evaluation of the initial concept and presented findings to leadership. Users needed a personalized, goals-based approach. Instead of asking "what mode do you want," the interface should ask "what's your beauty goal" and guide them there.
I held a collaborative workshop with Shark's team to reimagine the flow around this insight. We sketched concepts together, then my team of 2 designers refined them into prototypes. We tested those concepts in in-home usability testing, iterated based on feedback, and kept pushing until the experience resonated.
The strategic difference was fundamental: we moved from a product-centric view ("here are all our LED options") to a user-centric view ("here's how to achieve your goals"). This required Shark's team to think differently about how they positioned their own product.
Key Design Decisions
Goals-based navigation
The interface guides users by beauty outcome, not technical features. This simplified the decision-making process.
Quick-start personalization
Users return to their last routine, building habit through effortless access. This addresses the core insight from our research: consistency drives results.
Milestone-based engagement
Session tracking with celebratory milestones encourages frequent use without feeling forced. Habit formation was built into the flow, not bolted on.
Simplified cooling integration
The under-eye cooling feature was initially confusing. We pulled it out as a button users could access anytime, making its role clear without cluttering the main flow.
Contextual guidance
The quickstart and usage guides help users understand different modes, fit, and cleaning. Onboarding removes friction.
Outcome
The remote launched to strong reception in the UK fall 2024 and the US shortly after. Professional reviews and user feedback specifically praised the intuitive design. Users loved that it didn't require an app. The tracking feature proved especially valuable, with data showing higher retention and more consistent usage.
More importantly, the work landed with the team. Shark brought us back to guide design on extensions of the product and future devices. They wanted that outside-the-box thinking on other design challenges.
“Really like that the mask doesn't run via an app. I get fed up of every beauty device having an app, especially when I want phone-free time to relax.”
Customer Review
“This one is beautifully designed. There's multiple LED therapy routines... which are pretty easy to change using the remote control.”
Customer Review
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