Glow On
As someone who values both beautiful design and everyday convenience, I set out to create GlowOn—a mobile-first beauty salon app that makes self-care effortless. The idea came from a simple insight: many salons still rely on outdated booking methods like phone calls and social media DMs, which often lead to missed appointments and a frustrating client experience.
I envisioned something smoother, smarter, and more user-friendly. Something that would help users manage beauty appointments and recurring services with ease—right from their phones.
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Overview
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client
Personal Project -
My Role
Research, UX Design, UI Design, Branding, User Testing, Prototyping -
Duration
100 hours
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The Problem
During my research, I discovered a recurring pain point: users wanted more control over their salon experiences. They were tired of back-and-forth messages, unclear service options, and inconsistent booking confirmations.
Salons, on the other hand, were missing out on loyal clients due to these inefficiencies. There was a clear gap in the market—no mobile app offered salon-specific subscriptions and streamlined scheduling in one place.
The Opportunity
What if users could: Browse services, pick a stylist, and book in minutes? Subscribe to their favorite treatments on a regular basis? Enjoy special deals, loyalty perks, and instant confirmations?
What if users could: Browse services, pick a stylist, and book in minutes? Subscribe to their favorite treatments on a regular basis? Enjoy special deals, loyalty perks, and instant confirmations?
Research
Methodologies
- Compartive
- Cualitative
User Interviews
To validate the idea, I interviewed 5 users who regularly book salon services
Affinity Map
- A centralized place for bookings, payments, and promotions
- Digital payments with access to receipts
- Simple, stress-free scheduling
- Strong communication, reminders, and plan management
- A desire for friendly, eco-conscious salon environments
Key user needs and pain points through participant insights.
Using affinity mapping, I surfaced the most common user needs:
Competitor Analysis
Conducted a competitor analysis of platforms like Booksy, Vagaro, and Ottalaus Salon.
During my competitive analysis, I discovered that while Ottalaus Salon embraces a subscription-based model and focuses on client retention, it completely lacks a mobile app—limiting accessibility and convenience for modern users.
On the other hand, platforms like Booksy and Vagaro offer a wide range of features, but they're designed for broad service industries, not specifically tailored to beauty salons or the unique value of subscription plans.
This revealed a clear market gap—there was no mobile app offering salon-specific services combined with built-in subscription options from the client's perspective.
User Persona
Design
User Flow
- Account creation and login
- Booking an appointment
- Managing a subscription plan
With these insights in mind, I mapped out the user flow covering three key journeys:
From entry to confirmation, I designed every step to feel intuitive, clean, and trustworthy.
Wireframe Low Fidelity
I started with low-fidelity wireframes to shape the overall structure and tested early concepts to refine navigation and layout.
Branding
High Fidelity and Prototype
I brought the GlowOn experience to life through high-fidelity wireframes that visualize every key moment of the user journey. From the welcoming onboarding screens that set a friendly, polished tone, to the service booking flow where users can effortlessly explore and select their preferred treatments, each step was carefully crafted for simplicity and clarity.
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Testing
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Participants
5 Users -
Method
Remote moderated sessions -
Test Duration
About 15 minutes per user
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What Went Well
- Users found the app intuitive and visually calming
- The calendar booking flow was a clear favorite
- Subscription value messaging was strong
- The design felt clean and modern
Pain Points
- Some users thought the subscription was complete before payment
- A few didn't notice the subscription tab
- Users wanted clearer comparisons between similar service plans
Iterations
Promotes subscription plans with clear value messaging.
Updated the message to better align with the actual booking flow.
Added an icon to improve clarity and help users understand the process more easily.
Reassures users with a clear email confirmation.
Builds trust by aligning with their need for documentation, and includes icons to enhance clarity and visual guidance.
Final Project and protoype
- Balancing simplicity with detailed service information
- Users seek confirmation and transparency.
- A simple email or status icon goes a long way in building trust.
- Balance is key.
- Simplicity shouldn't come at the cost of information—especially when users are comparing services or plans.
- I would add more service detail and plan comparison tools upfront.
GlowOn successfully meets user needs for easy salon bookings and flexible subscription plans. Usability tests confirmed the app is intuitive, visually appealing, and functionally smooth with minor areas for improvement.
Challenge Faced:
Lessons Learned:
What I'd Do Differently:
What I'm Most Proud Of: I'm proud of creating an app that's both functional and delightful. GlowOn delivers beauty and convenience in just a few taps—exactly what users were asking for. Hearing testers say things like “It's so clean and easy!” confirmed that I was on the right path.