NaturalU Case Study
Problem
Black women lack proper education about natural hair care while facing social pressure to alter their appearance.
Natural hair care suffers from inadequate education about proper techniques and persistent societal pressure to alter natural textures. These forces create cycles of hair damage and diminished self-acceptance, particularly affecting Black communities where chemical treatments have historically been promoted over natural styles.
Solution
NaturalU creates an educational community platform for Black women to embrace their natural hair.
NaturalU is a platform designed to foster open education and conversations about natural hair. Users can share videos, ask questions, and learn from each other, whether they're professionals or beginners. The app addresses the social stigma surrounding natural hair, promoting a community of inclusivity and open dialogue. It empowers users to confidently embrace and celebrate their natural hair and normalizes diverse hair types.
My Role
I served as the sole UI/UX designer for this project; therefore, I handled the research and design
Solution in Action
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Hair Type Education Hub
Addresses the education gap by providing detailed, accessible information about specific hair types
Community Knowledge Exchange
Creates a supportive space where users can ask questions and receive advice from both professionals and peers
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Visual Learning Discovery
Enables visual learning and representation through diverse hair examples, normalizing different hair types
Research
Before designing, I aimed to understand how Black women feel about their natural hair and if their experiences mirrored my own. Key findings from primary research published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology included:
- Frustration and embarrassment with natural hair.
- Limited knowledge from healthcare professionals on natural hair types, especially in scalp care.
These insights emphasized the need for open dialogue and better education on natural hair.
74%
Black women felt frustrated by their hair
47%
Black women felt embarrassed by their hair
68%
Black women felt that their doctors did not have a good understanding of their hair
41%
Black women report chemically straightening their hair between the ages of 1-15
Persona
I developed Nia , a persona based on my research, to represent the challenges many Black women face with their natural hair . Insights from the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology revealed frustration and embarrassment, and a lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals about diverse hair types.
- Empathizing with user pain points.
- Prioritizing features for overwhelmed users.
- Focusing on educational and interactive components.
This approach ensured the design addressed real user needs and aligned with my research.
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Ideate
Sketches
Using the persona of Nia, my research focuses on addressing the frustration and embarrassment many Black women feel about their natural hair, along with the limited knowledge of diverse hair types among healthcare professionals.
For the NaturalU app, I’m designing features to:
- Enable users to ask questions for personalized advice.
- Provide videos with practical tips and techniques.
- Offer informative content on diverse hair types to boost confidence.
These educational and interactive features aim to empower users, turning frustration into confidence.
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User Flow
With a clear understanding of the features needed to tackle frustration and embarrassment around natural hair and enhance education, I visualized the key tasks and decisions for users like Nia. By identifying specific scenarios she may face, I crafted a user flow to focus on essential tasks that promote learning and empower users in their hair care journey.
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Design
Style Guide and UI Components
After defining key screens and features, I focused on branding and building UI components for NaturalU to reflect ambition, independence, confidence, fun, and comfort.
I chose deep violet (#6E30FF) as the primary color for its connection to independence and self-reflection, encouraging users to embrace their natural hair with confidence. As a secondary color, vibrant pink-red (#E6004D) evokes energy and boldness, fostering an interactive and empowering experience.
For typography, I selected Nunito for its rounded, sans-serif design, which conveys a warm and friendly tone, enhancing clarity and reflecting the app's supportive personality.
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High Fidelity Screens
After using research and ideation to guide my design decisions, I created a style guide and defined UI components, leading to the final high-fidelity screens for NaturalU. These screens include:
- Interactive Q&A Forum
- Video Tutorials
- Informational Articles
This ensures user engagement while addressing core needs identified in research, making the design user-centered and effective.
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What's Next
I'm proud of the progress on the NaturalU app and its potential to empower users to embrace their natural hair. My next steps include enhancing the hair discovery pages to make them more interactive and conducting usability testing with users to refine the experience.
Planned features:
- Personal hair journals to track hair journeys
- Supportive messages to motivate users
- Hair quizzes for personalized insights
- Gamification to encourage exploration and learning
The goal is to create a welcoming space where users feel confident, inspired, and proud of their natural crowns.
