Body Care for Modern Lifestyles
Overcoming User Barriers with Innovative Design
Project Overview
Led a cross-functional team to develop a spray lotion that addressed user barriers like time constraints and ease of use, targeting non-users in a saturated body care market.
Applied Agile methodologies to lead a cross-functional team, iterating rapidly based on in-house user testing and external impacts like rising costs, ensuring the product remained aligned with both user needs and market dynamics.
The Challenge
How do we make body hydration quick, easy, and appealing to time-pressed individuals?
The Outcome
My role
Product Manager
Innovation Team Leader
Tools
Surveys | User Testing | Agile Methodologies | Cross-Functional Team Coordination
Team
1 Product Manager | 6 Team Members (Packaging, R&D, Regulatory, Supply, Planning, Manufacturing)
Objective
In a saturated market, our goal was to identify growth opportunities by understanding the needs and pain points of both users and non-users of body lotions.
Market Context
The mature body lotion market had limited innovation, requiring disruptive solutions to stand out against strong competition.
Non User Key insights
Through extensive market research and targeted user survey of 687 respondents, we identified top barriers for non-users:
47%
Lack of time
Difficulty fitting lotion use into routines.
42%
Slow absorption
Cannot get dressed immediately
33%
Application Hassle
Process feels too time-consuming.
26%
Prolonged Absorption
Long wait for full absorption.
Key barriers identified among non-users, with verbatims illustrating common frustrations.
Concept ideation & testing
Leveraging suncare market insights, we developed «Hydrate & Go,» a spray lotion designed for quick application and non-greasy hydration. Concept testing with 496 women showed high purchase intent, especially for its practicality and fast absorption.
The data presented in these graphics is for illustrative purposes only and is based on proprietary research. It should not be reproduced or shared without prior written consent.
Additional Notes
The name «Hydrate & Go» is a fictional placeholder used for illustrative purposes in this portfolio. It is not associated with any real product or brand and is not a registered trademark. The original product name is protected by trademark, and this alternative name is used to maintain confidentiality.
Prototype Development
With the concept validated, we developed the prototype to align with user needs and business objectives, focusing on these key requirements:
Fast Absorption and non-greasy finish
Formulate a quick-drying, non-greasy texture to address long wait times.
Long-Lasting Hydration
Ensure the formula delivered 24-hour moisturization without compromising texture.
Scalability and Cost Efficiency
Focused on manufacturing processes that balanced costs with quality.
Development Process
Formula Development: Collaborated closely with R&D in an iterative process to create a fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula that delivers 24-hour hydration while maintaining sprayability. Leveraged user testing to refine the formulation, ensuring it met consumer expectations for texture and performance.
Packaging Design: Implemented bag-on-valve technology for 360º sprayability, enhancing usability and convenience. Rapid prototyping cycles were used to iterate on packaging designs, guided by user feedback to optimize both functionality and integration into daily routines.
Manufacturing & Feasibility: Addressed production scaling challenges by outsourcing packaging components while maintaining quality control. Adapted flexibly to rising costs and market dynamics by balancing cost efficiency with product quality, ensuring the product aligned with consumer price sensitivity.
Agile in action
Applied Agile principles at every stage of the development process, enabling rapid iterations based on user testing and external market changes. Key practices included weekly stand-ups to quickly address roadblocks, biweekly sprint planning for task prioritization, and regular retrospectives to refine our approach. This iterative framework allowed us to swiftly adapt to both internal feedback and external factors like cost fluctuations, ensuring continuous alignment with user needs and market dynamics.
Product Testing
- Methodology: Conducted In-Home Usage Tests (IHUT) with 394 participants over one week to gather real-life feedback on product performance and user satisfaction.
- Key Findings: Participants highly valued the lotion’s fast absorption and non-greasy texture, leading to a 13% increase in purchase intent. Qualitative feedback highlighted the product’s ease of integration into daily routines.
- Usage Potential: Nearly 50% of users said the spray lotion effectively addressed their barriers to using traditional lotions.
Confirming the Business Opportunity
Testing validated the concept and highlighted a significant growth opportunity among non-users, with nearly 50% showing intent to use the spray lotion. Targeting over 7 million potential users in the 25-55 age range could unlock new revenue streams and increase market share. This strategy positioned the «Hydrate & Go» spray as a key differentiator in a competitive, mature market, leveraging its unique convenience to address unmet consumer needs and drive sustainable growth.
Conclusion
This project underscored the importance of aligning consumer insights with business strategy in a competitive market. As Product Manager, I led a cross-functional team to develop a solution that met user needs while unlocking growth opportunities. Our success was rooted in fostering a collaborative, data-driven culture. As a result, we achieved a 0.2% increase in market penetration, growing the brand’s share from 2% to 2.2%—demonstrating our ability to turn market challenges into innovation and drive substantial business value in a mature landscape.