empowering consumers of menstrual products
Service Designer
5 weeks (May - Jun 2025)
Systems thinking
Rapid prototyping
CX design
4 Designers
CONTEXT
Menstruators rarely have the chance to explore period products that may better suit their changing bodies or needs. OWN reimagines how period products are purchased and used, aiming to create a more intentional and informative experience.
I designed an interactive system that helps users test multiple options, reflect on fit and comfort, and track preferences digitally.
overview.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How might we empower menstruators to purchase period products that are most suitable to their body and needs in an environmentally and financially sustainable way?
DESIGN RESPONSE
OWN enables customers to sample menstrual products at a discounted price and track their experiences with each product to inform future purchases. It also promotes sustainability by providing methods to donate unused or unwanted products.
KEY FEATURES
This service is composed of an in-store and in-app experience.
IN STORE
The OWN sampling station in the feminine care aisle is where customers assemble DIY sampling kits by tapping NFC-tagged bags on dispensers, selecting individually-priced products for trial at home.
Mock up of the sampling station
IN APP
An app enabling users to effortlessly sync their samples via NFC, track and rate their experiences with each product, and confidently determine the best fit before committing to full-size purchases.
A mobile app prototype
IMPACT
MY CONTRIBUTIONS
Prototyped the in-store retail customer experience, including cardboard prototyping & content design
Crafted service blueprints for the in-store and in-app experiences
Iterated on digital wireframes and provided design critique for team members
research.
THE PROBLEM SPACE
Menstruators struggle to find the right products that meet their personal needs. This difficulty is not due to a lack of options, but rather due to a lack of accessible, low-risk ways to try them.
Most of them were introduced to menstrual products at a young age and have stuck with the same brands and types for years—often without ever questioning if those options are the best fit for their changing bodies, values, or lifestyles. This lack of exploration can lead to discomfort, waste, and missed opportunities to discover more suitable, sustainable alternatives.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Current sampling programs are limited to exploring products within a single brand.
Some companies sell all-in-one packs that are marketed as on-the-go menstrual kits for women and first-time menstruators.
Limitation: lack of customization
Prioritizes convenience over fit
Small brands, like Nannocare, provide free trial packs and auto-enroll customers in a subscription plan.
Limitation: trial and subscriptions packs are multi-sized
Sizes that don't fit go unused
Popular brands, such as ubykotex, also run sampling programs.
Limitation: annual limit per household
Contained to a single brand
Samples are less varied than typical retail options
FINDINGS
By collecting data from a screener and survey, I identified pain points.
Screener: n = 38
82% of respondents bought menstrual products that they ended up not using or disliked. 26% of them discarded those products.
Survey: n = 6
"Trying new things is always a bit risky for me. I’ve been thinking about using a cup for three years, but I’ve always been worried about how it would feel and whether I might be allergic."
OPPORTUNITIES UNCOVERED BY RESEARCH
Research and journey mapping showed a pressing need for design that
makes product trials easier and more equitable,
reduces waste and financial risk for menstruators,
builds confidence in sustainable, reusable options,
Target users were defined attitudinally: adult menstruators who have considered trying new products and/or are in search of a better-fitting product
ideation.
METHOD
I used metaphorical design to develop possible solutions, drawing on familiar experiences like trying on clothes and makeup or customizing eyewear to reimagine what sampling period products could feel like.
These metaphors helped us anchor abstract needs—like confidence, personalization, and ease—into tangible service experiences.
Bodystorming helped us identify gaps and technical necessities
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Feasibility of implementing it within a retail context
Impactful on future decision-making
Degree of control and customization afforded to the user
DOWN-SELECTION
Ultimately, we chose to pursue the DIY sampling kit approach. Whether trying or finding a new product or reducing waste, this would allow customers to choose only what they need for their cycles.
Why?
Struck the strongest balance between practicality and empowerment
Seamlessly integrated into the physical retail aisle while supporting exploration, sustainability, and user agency
Our service has two critical parts: the in-store experience, accompanied by an app.
Goal of the in-store experience: customers can touch and feel open sample units and curate a set of individually packaged units in a DIY kit
Goal of the in-app experience: customers can reflect and track their experience with each product
I mapped a skeletal user-system diagram that later informed the more comprehensive service blueprint
designing the in-store experience.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Know your fit before you commit: a sampling station for personalized, low-risk period product discovery.
PROTOTYPING
I sketched and created a system diagram that showed the inputs and outputs and interactions between them.
CONCEPT TESTING
To evaluate the concept, I used the wizard-of-oz method with participants at a store.
I "played" the role of the wizard and controlled the dispensers such that they appeared autonomous and functional.
designing the in-app experience.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Own your flow: reflect and track your experience with each product to make more informed purchases in the future
SKETCHING
To develop the MVP for the app, I sketched and wireframed the core features first.
Ability to sync and load the sample bag made in retail stores
Track usage of each product and ability to save/like preferences to inform future purchases
Reflect on the quality of the product
Later, in next steps, I explored designs for a retail feature (Shop flow) and a donation feature (Donate flow).
CONCEPT TESTING
Through concept testing, our biggest win was learning that participants valued OWN's mission to empower menstruators. Additionally, their feedback informed iterations of key screens:
My Samples: an overview of what you've been trying out based on the synced contents of the kit you purchased
Reflect flow: evaluates the product across criteria
the end-to-end journey.
CONCEPT TESTING
I conducted lightweight concept testing for the 2-part service.
Concept testing with 3 users who match our target user profile
KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR NEXT ITERATION
In store
Use transparent dispensers: Let customers see the products inside to build confidence and trustworthiness.
Dispensing mechanism should minimize the risk of products falling out or being exposed.
In app
Create a flow for building your DIY sampling kit online for those who can't access offline methods.
For returning customers who may have used multiple products overtime, add a layer of organization: Your Preferences may not be enough
Actual prototype setup in the feminine care aisle at QFC
outcomes.
FINAL DESIGNS (FOR NOW)
AI-generated mock up of the in-store setup (left), incorporating the finalized content designs (right)
Syncing the DIY sample kit to the OWN app
1) My Samples 2) A preview of what the Shop feature 3) Add Notes
next steps.
BUSINESS STRATEGY
While there isn't business viability in this concept alone, I'm imagining potential avenues for growth.
SHIFT TARGET & CONDUCT USER RESEARCH
Target first-time menstruators who usually have limited opportunities to explore period products..
With first-time menstruators, customer retention may not be as high, but there would be a steady stream of new customers entering the funnel.
ADD SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
Implement a flexible period kit subscription or modular purchase flow that allows users to customized their monthly supply by mixing product types (e.g., tampons + liners + period underwear). In effect, the DIY sampling kit could hit two birds with one stone: provide opportunities to sample new products and to purchase on a need-by-need basis.
This originated from participant feedback.
The participant interpreted the maximum of 5 taps / 5 units to be the result of how long the average cycle is. Initially, she saw this service as a recurring monthly experience where she could choose single-unit products and mix and match according to her needs.
While this did not fit with the intended mental model of sampling, it sparked ideas to extend the longevity of the service.
A MARKETPLACE: SHOP FLOW
Open a retail marketplace where customers who previously purchased a DIY sampling kit can purchase multi-count packages at a discounted price.
Creating a marketplace solely for period products has its own risks due to competition with other retailers and regulatory measures, but in the ideal world, this marketplace would be free from the tampon tax.
APP DESIGN
I started to explore Donate and Shop flows.
A donation program by OWN where customers can donate their unused DIY sample units or previously purchased personal products: The status quo creates 200K tons of waste per year due to failed trial-and-error. It'd reroute products that are unfit for some to communities in period poverty.
