Pra.L
Companion application for a home skin care line
Pra.L is the branding name of a home skin care line of LG Electronics. The devices and companion app are designed to help the skin caring at home easily. The devices are developed using the Derma LED and ultrasonic vibrations which are approved by FDA.
Timeline
3Q 2016 – 1Q 2017
Status
Shipped
Skills
Product design
Interactive prototyping
My role
Design Lead
I was the lead designer for the mobile app connected to Pra.L devices. Working with researchers, I conducted in-depth interviews and research to understand real skincare routines, key decision factors, and barriers to maintaining regular self-care. Based on these insights, I helped define the UX concept and user flows, and led the UI and interaction design.
Team
PM, Engineering, Design (1 Senior Designer)
overview
“What is Pra.L?”
At-home beauty devices with a companion app
Several years ago, LG entered the home skin care device market with the Pra.L. A new application was needed to guide users on how to use the devices effectively and how to manage their skin care routine while being easy to use.
Basically there are four appliances having different functions, brush cleanser, galvanic, booster, derma LED mask and tight-up lifter. Each appliance is connected to the mobile App which helps users to control appliance when they use them. Also via App, user can manage their skin routine and get useful information about the skin care.
Prcess
Discover-Define-Develop-Deliver
Discover and define the problem
In collaboration with researchers, we conducted research, interviews with professionals, and a creative workshop to clarify the problems.
Research & Analyze
Short-lived consistency in skincare device usage.
We identified important cues that shaped the experience design. Skincare generally follows a structured sequence, and even when people use at-home devices, they want an experience that feels similar to a professional clinic. Based on this, we divided the skincare journey into three steps: Diagnosis, Care, and Curation, each aligned with the device’s core functions.
Interview with experts
Continuous maintenance is essential for effective skin care.
Our research team conducted interviews with experts including a dermatologist, a skin care specialist, and a professional beauty blogger. Through these discussions, we identified valuable keywords and essential requirements for effective self skin care, which helped guide our design direction
Develop the solution
We learned that skin care typically follows a clear sequence of steps, and that users want at home care to feel similar to a clinic experience.
“Habit-forming for sustained engagement”
The ultimate goal of the application is defined as “Habit-forming for sustained engagement”. For this, we analyzed the necessary and important points for each step.
Deliver
Step 1. Diagnose your skin
The first step is ‘Diagnosis’. The diagnosis result of the user’s skin is measured by the device would be sent to the App so the user can check their skin condition and be recommended for the proper skin care.
Step 2. Care your skin
The Second step is ‘Care’. The concept of this step is to let users make good habbit for their skin. Specfically helping to maintain your skin care consistently by making a history and managing the schedule and to-dos. Also providing a reminder.
Step 3. Curate your skin
The last step is ‘Curate’. In this step, It shows the analysis of overall your skin-care routine and gives some advice and recommendaions to improve the skin better. Also in business perspective, It gives a good deal of cosmetic products or skin clinics that affiliated to LG.
Rollout and Impact
Launched in Sep, 2017
LG introduced Pra.L as its home beauty device line, debuting a four-device lineup.
4 Countries launched
Pra.L expanded to Hong Kong on May 4, 2018, featuring devices such as the Derma LED Mask, Galvanic Ion Booster, and Total Lift Up Care, extending the line beyond the initial Korea release. In August 2019, LG debuted Pra.L in Singapore and promoted the lineup through media and influencer activities to build category awareness.
Best-seller in Singapore
LG reported the Derma LED Mask as a best-seller in Singapore after hitting stores (as described in LG’s newsroom story).
1 award
The Pra.L LED skincare set received Red Dot Design Award recognition, validating the product’s design quality and cohesion.