Guide Beauty

Key successes

• Co-created a launch strategy, starting a new era in cosmetics designed for inclusive and accessible beauty
• Developed innovative applicator designs to create tools that could perform as an extension of the user’s hand
• Launched with three core products and packaging for mascara, brows, and eyeliner.

Overview: A Parkinson’s diagnosis sparks innovation in makeup application

Cosmetics are a $500-billion-dollar global industry, yet most products we use today still look and work the same as they did 50 years ago. The majority of advancements in the category have improved the ingredients used in makeup products, but not the tools used to apply them. As a result, traditional tools remain unforgiving and difficult for most people to use.

During her three decades as a professional makeup artist and educator, Terri Bryant had often heard these frustrations from her clients. But it wasn’t until she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease that she experienced these challenges first-hand. She set out on a mission to create a new approach to cosmetics that would enable anyone to apply makeup with professional ease and confidence, regardless of their physical condition or makeup skillset.

And that’s where we came in.

Approach: Participatory play and ergonomic study inspire new solutions

We collaborated with Terri and her Guide Beauty team to create a launch strategy focused on three key makeup applications; those that are notoriously tricky to get right: mascara, eyeliner, and eyebrows. The process was exploratory and co-creative – involving users in brainstorming activities, experimenting with both existing products and our prototypes to understand ergonomic and design preferences. The team incorporated those findings into applicator designs to create tools that could perform as an extension of the user’s hand.

Once the team had proven ergonomic solutions, the Guide Beauty team formulated complementary formulas that further enhanced the tools performance. The combination of novel applicator design plus ideal formulation put the finishing touches on a brand-new approach to makeup.

Solution: Revolutionary products with novel design features that enable increased control and stability

Helping Guide Beauty establish its brand from initial product ideation to market launch, we created a fresh line of beauty tools that use the principles of universal design to make it easier for anyone to create any beauty look, natural or dramatic. The products feature integrated stability points that offer users more control and ergonomic forms that are easier to hold and open.

Guide Beauty launched with three core products and packaging for mascara, brows, and eyeliner. The applicators share three novel design features that enable increased control and stability, lending to more precise makeup application:

• Designs that increase stability with integrated resting features and encourage a more balanced arm posture.
• Easier to hold handles for a more relaxed grip to maximise subtle gestures.
• Approachable applicator tips that reduce fear of accidental pokes and provide more visibility.

And while the products were focused on innovation and usability, we understood the importance of beauty to the overall brand experience. As such, we created an artistic, glamorous and confident identity that tapped into the essence of why we all love makeup.

Impact: Refined beauty tools and a groundbreaking launch

Guide Beauty launched in February 2020, starting a new era in cosmetics designed for inclusive and accessible beauty. The brand received rave reviews from key editors, influencers and consumers from day one at launch, and has been featured in notable publications including Allure, InStyle, and The New York Times. Us Magazine named them as one of the best beauty product launches of 2020, alongside new releases from popular brands like Lancôme, Chanel, and Fenty Beauty. In 2021, Guide Beauty won in the iF DESIGN AWARD User Experience category.