Pajón
Pa-Hon
Hair, which shows our racial differences, has been a barrier. Media influence on hair texture had a negative impact on affirmation, commitment, and a sense of belonging for women.
Many women are exposed to chemicals and damaging styling treatments, contributing to their ongoing struggle for healthy hair due to societal beauty standards.
This app creates a supportive community for women facing similar challenges, transforming users into a family.
My Role: Product designer, researcher, UX writer
Platform: IOS native app
Tools: Figma, Figjam, Canva, Outter.ai
Timeline: 11 weeks
Problem Space:
Why I started this project & goal?
"Pajón" began as a simple idea inspired by the pressure to straighten my natural hair, often labeled "unprofessional." My Hispanic family used "pajón" (Afro) negatively, but with NYC's evolving trends, natural hair is now celebrated. Embracing my Afro, I proudly named the project "Pajón."
As I engaged more with women with textured hair, many shared their difficulties in caring for their hair and expressed a desire for a supportive community to help them on their natural hair journey. This feedback underscored the need for an app like Pajón, designed to provide education, support, and a sense of community for those embracing their natural hair.
Problem statement & Challenges
Problem
Women often turn to straightening their hair, due to not knowing what to do with their curly hair.
Women with textured hair have felt insecure due to societal beauty standards.
Women with textured hair have been rejected from jobs due to wearing their hair natural for interviews, causing women to damage their hair for straightening purposes.
Women with textured hair often times do not know proper ways to care for their hair.
Some women also struggle figuring out what hair products works for their hair type.
Proper care and styling of curly hair can be very time-consuming, involving multiple steps and significant effort.
Solution
Produce a platform where women can have a community and support one another.
Create a platform that will allow users to get recommendations by their hair type of influencers who are also apart of the curly hair community.
Allow users to stay connected with popular events that are made for people with curly hair.
Allow users to be challenged with tasks and challenges, to motivate them to care for their hair.
Influencers share their step by step routines, for a user who may have the same hair type so that they can follow and get similar results.
Users can also have access to great videos of wash and go’s and styling routines.
Users are able to save and go back to all their favorite videos and posts.
Secondary Research
Secondary research is important because it saves time and resources by utilizing existing data, providing valuable insights and context. It helps validate primary research findings and informs decision-making with a broader perspective
A 2019 Dove CROWN Research Study found that Black women are more likely to alter their natural hair to fit societal norms or expectations at work.
80%
The same survey indicated that women with textured hair struggle to find products that work well for their hair type, leading to a trial-and-error approach that can be both costly and frustrating.
72%
Additionally, these women felt they lacked adequate knowledge about how to care for their curls properly.
65%
Response of Qualitative & Quantitative Research
User Research
User research involves understanding the behaviors, needs, and motivations of users through observation and feedback collection. This process helps ensure that a product is user-centered and effectively meets the needs of its intended audience.
I conducted 2 types of testing, I did an online survey on instagram asking women with curly hair what they would want to see on an app designed for women with curly hair. I also conducted 4, 1 on 1 interviews with 4 women with curly hair who have struggled with confidence and has previously damaged their hair with straightening their hair.
Felt shame for wearing their natural hair at one point of their life?
Felt pressured to change their hair from its natural state?
Has used chemical straighteners and heat treatments ?
Have a hard time understanding what hair products work for you and which do not?
Affinity Mapping
Affinity mapping is a powerful tool for synthesizing information, uncovering hidden connections, and ensuring that design decisions are grounded in user needs and insights.
Theme: Trial and error
Insight: Women often spend a lot on expensive curly hair products that may not work for them. Many don't know their hair type, leading to ineffective purchases.
Behaviors
Motivations
Pain Points
User persona
To complete the project, I conducted four interviews about individuals' experiences with their natural hair, gathering detailed characteristics and insights. The main findings are directly based on the results of these interviews.
User flow
User flow is the path a user takes through a website or app to complete a task. It maps each step to help designers optimize the user experience. Here our user will be going through the designed task flow for Pajón.
Sketching
After completing a UI moodboard, I began sketching the task flow and envisioning the screen layouts. This process helped refine the user journey and ensure a cohesive design.
Onboarding (3x screens)
Influencer page
Login screen
Saved content screen
Home screen
Wireframing
After sketching I started moving everything onto Figma to start building these in low-fidelity wireframes.
Onboarding
Home screen
Signup
Influencer page
Survey’s
Saved content
Brand Identity
Why These Colors for Pajón?
I chose these specific colors for Pajón due to their vibrancy and their ability to enhance the UI mood board. They also seamlessly match the aesthetic of the slide deck, creating a harmonious and visually appealing presentation.
Voice and tone
I picked five words that describe how I want users to feel when using the app. Thinking about curly hair, the first word is "empowering," because the app helps users go beyond beauty standards and love their natural hair. "Bouncy" shows how curls move and spring back when touched.
"Vibrant" and "volume" both express liveliness and fullness, reflecting the app's aim to make women feel confident about wearing their hair naturally while taking good care of it.
The Final design
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The Final design • •
Home Screen
Home is where you’re constantly reminded that you’re supported and staying connected.
Onboarding
Inspiring quotes for motivation, and showing support.
signing up to get started on your hair journey.
Survey questions
Survey questions to give you personal recommendations.
Signup
Influencer page
Finding someone who you share the same hair type with and learning her routines for inspiration.
Saved content
User is able to save their content that they like and always go back to eat easily.
Key learnings & Reflection
Whenever losing motivation, to refer back to my secondary research to remind myself that what I'm creating has a meaningful impact on others.
Simplicity is key, most times it is good for a page to not be so overwhelming.
Always ensure your designs meet user needs by continually referencing your gathered research to confirm alignment with user requirements.