INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT
A makeup store experience with a focus on transparency, community, education and empowerment.
MY ROLE
Research, Strategy, Service Design, 3D Design, Visual Design
TOOLKIT
Cinema4D, Sketch, Stylus, Photoshop, Illustrator
WHAT IS COLOURPOP?
An online makeup brand that provides a variety of high-quality makeup products at a low price.
PROBLEM
There isn't an easily accessible place for their customers to explore their products in person.
Fans of the brand want to see Colourpop in person, but are limited to racks at ULTA or pop-ups at events like Coachella that most Colourpop fans will never be able to attend.
OPPORTUNITY
The Colourpop brand is unique from it's competitors and stands out in the beauty industry.
While competitor brands like Morphe have recently taken the leap from being a solely online store to opening their own stand-alone stores, they have failed to differentiate themselves from stores like ULTA and Sephora.
SOLUTION
An in-person retail space for makeup enthusiasts to redefine creative exploration.
The beauty industry is always changing, but what will never change is the value of the personal in-store experience.
Snapshots of the Colourpop store experience. Keep scrolling down for more details on these features.
WHO THIS SERVES
Makeup enthusiasts looking to feel free to explore makeup in their own way.
CLICK IMAGES TO LEARN MORE
RESEARCH
UNDERSTANDING BRAND EXPERIENCE
Brand experience bridges the gap between brands & people to make connections possible. From my research, I identified 4 key principles for a good brand experience and used them to inform all of the decisions I made for the Colourpop store.
BE HUMAN/SHOW UNIQUENESS | Tell your brand's story and be vulnerable
By showcasing what makes a brand unique, they can stand out to their customers and also differentiate themselves from their competition. Don’t focus on being “better” than anyone else’s products/services, focus on what makes the brand unique and that will always be more authentic.
BUILD TRUST & LOYALTY | Provide proof on promises
A key to making strong connections with consumers is providing proof on the promises that the brand makes. People like doing business with brands they know, like and trust. Brands have to prove to their consumers they are trustworthy to gain their loyalty.
PERSONALIZE & INDIVIDUALIZE | Focus on consumer needs
Brands need to speak to the individual needs of their consumers and make the customer the star of the show. Brands connecting to their consumer is becoming more important than the products brands are selling.
INVITE CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT | Emphasis on Experience over product
Audiences aren’t just passive participants, they represent a collaborative community. They prefer to take an active role in curation, creation, & ownership of content during a brand experience.
INDEPENDENT STUDY RESEARCH
| BRAND EXPERIENCE
THE SOLUTION
DESIGN CONCEPT
Colourpop is where makeup enthusiasts redefine creative exploration.
Immerse consumers in the Colourpop world and allow them to explore makeup in their own way. The Colourpop store is an interactive community playground that is welcoming, educational, and inspiring.
KEY FEATURES
THE LAB
An interactive playground for customers to explore the makeup manufacturing process and create a Super Shock Shadow from scratch.
THE POPSHOP
A workshop space that provides daily workshops to empower makeup lovers with the tools & skills they need to hone their craft.
IN-STORE EXPERIENCES
Unique experiences that Colourpop can utilize to stand out from competitors and celebrate the Colourpop community.
PERSONALIZE & INDIVIDUALIZE
| Focus on consumer needs
THE PROCESS
UNDERSTANDING THE
RETAIL REVOLUTION
STRATEGY
Changing consumer values and expectations are causing a retail revolution.
Consumers today want an emotional connection, entertainment, and instant gratification from the brands they buy from. This is very different from the past when all customers expected was convenience, quality products, and a good price. Brands connecting to their consumer has become more important than the products brands are selling. This fact is forcing some online stores to move offline and into brick & mortar stores.
I wrote an article about my thoughts on why there is a retail revloution, you can read it on Medium. See button below.
DISCOVERY
UNDERSTANDING THE BRAND & AUDIENCE
We conducted a brand exploratory to understand Colourpop's brand and audience on a deeper level. This exploratory helped us to pinpoint how to speak to the needs of the consumers and make the store experience unique to Colourpop.
PERSONALIZE & INDIVIDUALIZE
| Focus on consumer needs
CURRENT STATE
COLOURPOP'S CURRENT STATE
As an online company, Colourpop is only appealing to the functional values of their consumers.
CONSUMER VALUE PYRAMID
Products and services deliver fundamental elements of value that address four kinds of needs: functional, emotional, life changing & social impact. In general, the more elements provided the greater customers’ loyalty and the higher the company’s sustained revenue growth.
BENEFITS FOR BUSINESS
By opening a store, they will be providing more values to their consumers which will lead to better brand loyalty and trust from their consumers.
