What
Case study of my work experience with a hollistic skincare brand where I worked as the Product Designer.
Contribution
I enhanced customer retention by 20%, improved NPS by 25%, decreased churn by 10%, and led a new product line launch during my time at the company.
Leadership
Upon our transition to Scrum, I earned PSPO certification and took on dual responsibilities as Product Designer and Product Owner, effectively aligning user needs with business goals and driving cross-team collaboration.
Overview of the company
Mystique Earth is a brand that offers holistic skincare and haircare products. Specialising in crafting natural personal care products, they reflect the rich tribal and indigenous recipes of central India.
I began working with Mystique Earth while pursuing my MSc. Established in 2018, the company had, by 2022, built a strong brand identity and diversified its product lines, with products available on major Indian e-commerce platforms such as Nykaa, Amazon, and its official website. I addressed several key challenges that arose as the business grew.
Challenges
Unfamiliarity with Central India's Culture: The unique cultural essence of our brand was not fully grasped by users, limiting their appreciation of the brand's uniqueness.
Market Saturation: In the crowded Indian market for skincare and haircare products made from natural ingredients, users struggled to understand the scientific benefits offered by our products.
Packaging Design: While our product branding and packaging received high praise, the similarity in appearance among various products led to user confusion and difficulty in differentiation.
Consumer Skepticism: Introducing a new luxury skincare brand faced skepticism from consumers who were uncertain about the cost-to-benefit ratio and overall trustworthiness of the products.
My approach
How I increased customer retention:
I collaborated with the product team and stakeholders to understand problems. Within my first few weeks, I planned and conducted customer interviews, focusing on understanding their end-to-end purchasing experience and decision-making process. I crafted targeted questions and created empathy maps to uncover their core needs.
Once I had better insight into what the core needs of our customers were, I could also prioritise our teams' solutions.
Next, along with my team, I reframed our Product Vision and Company Vision
I re-defined our brand's Unique Value Proposition:
UVP along with the product vision and company mission helped me clearly form our identity in the competitive market, which became the basis of all our future actions.
Product Roadmap:
Along with my team, I prepared a goal-based product roadmap, which helped us ensure that the product development was aligned with the strategic objectives. It provided us with a clear vision of what the product aims to achieve and how it contributes to the wider business goals.
We could also adjust our approach and focus on different initiatives as long as they contributed to the defined goals. This allowed us flexibility in prioritisation and implementation.
Product Roadmap milestones:
Product roadmap milestones are specific, measurable objectives that signify the product's evolution over time. Adhering to these "checkpoints" for us to assess progress towards our product vision.
For Example, checking behavioural vocabulary we used, improvement of triggers and call to actions etc.
Achievements and Impact
Boosted customer retention by 20% through collaboration with the product team and stakeholders. I championed user needs and incorporated product vision to reinforce the brand's identity as a conscious and holistic skincare company rooted in promoting the tribal and cultural heritage of central India.
Increased NPS by 25% and contributed to a 10% decrease in customer churn through user focused qualitative and quantitative research, leveraging customer feedback and website analytics. Through awareness of end customers and the market I refined social media strategy, enhancing social proof on online sales channels and increased trust in the brand.
Increased product adoption of skin care products by 20% through the launch of a new product line of samples. Led the product launch and facilitated the delivery team by developing backlogs, enabling customers to experience the new luxury beauty brand at a reduced cost.
Retrospective
This role proved to be highly rewarding, working with a collaborative team, offering valuable insights into time management and the nuances of the product management cycle. While it involved limited direct web design or UI/UX work, the experience allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of critical considerations such as business objectives and marketing strategies. These insights have equipped me to approach product design more holistically, ultimately leading to improved opportunities for innovative and effective solutions.
