elaine park

elaine park

elaine park

elaine park

OWN your flow: know your fit before you commit.

ROLE

Service Designer


SKILLS

Systems Thinking

UX Design

Rapid Prototyping

DURATION

5 weeks

May - Jun 2025

TEAM

3 Designers

CONTEXT

Course project for IMT565: Designing Information Experiences with Professor Jacob Wobbrock at the University of Washington

overview

research

ideation

design

outcomes

next steps

overview

research

ideation

design

outcomes

next steps

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?

SOLUTION

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 design is composed of an in-store and in-app experience.

AT YOUR LOCAL GROCERY OR DRUG 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.

ON YOUR PHONE

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.

IMPACT

Impact was measured qualitatively via feedback from our test participants.

"Filling out these questions allows me to introspect on this experience…it’s the first time in my life someone is asking me these questions, because period products are for my survival, not for my enjoyment and I didn’t think it could be something that could be improved. - Participant (during final concept testing)

"I would actually consider using this because I’m sometimes curious whether there’s better product.” - Participant (during final concept testing)

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.

Reusable products like menstrual cups and underwear offer long-term savings but only after an uncertain trial period. Customers often need to experiment to find the right fit or absorbency, which raises the stakes of each purchase.

Unlike makeup or clothing, menstrual products are rarely offered as sampled due to hygiene concerns and logistical challenges, forcing customers to buy full-size packs without knowing if the product will be comfortable, effective, or safe for their body.

A byproduct of this trial-and-error approach system is an excess of products that customers have purchased but abandoned, which contributes to the 200K tons of waste in plastic menstrual products per year. Meanwhile period poverty is a well-known global socioeconomic issue.

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: customization. Customers can't choose the brand or number of products in the kit. Additionally, these kits prioritize convenience over finding your best 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, resulting in waste of sizes that don't fit the customer.

Popular brands, such as ubykotex, also run sampling programs.

Limitation: annual limit of samples available to each household. Customers are also limited to exploring products within a single brand. Even then, within a single brand, the variety of products in a sampling program is greatly reduced from the typical range of options in retail stores.

BUILDING EMPATHY

I created a screener to recruit individuals for a follow-up survey, as well as the survey which asked for open-ended responses to questions about their current ways of purchasing period products, challenges, awareness of sampling programs, and need for a redesigned process.

Screener: n = 38

82% of respondents bought menstrual products that they ended up not using or disliked. Here's what they did with them:

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."

Identifying opportunities via data: no one donated or returned unused products. The second-largest majority added them to the landfill.

FINDINGS

The inability to try period products before purchasing is a financial and emotional burden on menstruators.

Participants feel forced to commit to full-size period product purchases without knowing if they'll be a good fit, leading to wasted money, discomfort, and product switching fatigue. This is especially problematic for reusable products like menstrual cups and period underwear, which cost more and lack trial sizing or return options.

P1 leaves disliked products at home, unused, but use it as a spare when they run out of their preferred “better” ones. (Survey)

The inability to try period products before purchasing is a financial and emotional burden on menstruators.

Participants feel forced to commit to full-size period product purchases without knowing if they'll be a good fit, leading to wasted money, discomfort, and product switching fatigue. This is especially problematic for reusable products like menstrual cups and period underwear, which cost more and lack trial sizing or return options.

P1 leaves disliked products at home, unused, but use it as a spare when they run out of their preferred “better” ones. (Survey)

The inability to try period products before purchasing is a financial and emotional burden on menstruators.

Participants feel forced to commit to full-size period product purchases without knowing if they'll be a good fit, leading to wasted money, discomfort, and product switching fatigue. This is especially problematic for reusable products like menstrual cups and period underwear, which cost more and lack trial sizing or return options.

P1 leaves disliked products at home, unused, but use it as a spare when they run out of their preferred “better” ones. (Survey)

Menstruators need a custom combination of products during a cycle due to fluctuating conditions, leading to either under-preparing or over-purchasing.

Depending on the day of a cycle, flow intensity, activity levels, and even travel plans, product needs change. Participants leverage multiple products during a single cycle. However products are packaged in single sizes and types, creating an excess. Like tissue paper, they’ll be used at some point, but there’s a greater upfront cost and unlike tissue paper, a product may not meet their needs across stages in life.

"What works for me usually changes throughout my cycle." - P6 (Survey)


"If it’s a heavy flow day, I’ll do a combo of tampon and period panties." - P5 (Survey)

Menstruators need a custom combination of products during a cycle due to fluctuating conditions, leading to either under-preparing or over-purchasing.

Depending on the day of a cycle, flow intensity, activity levels, and even travel plans, product needs change. Participants leverage multiple products during a single cycle. However products are packaged in single sizes and types, creating an excess. Like tissue paper, they’ll be used at some point, but there’s a greater upfront cost and unlike tissue paper, a product may not meet their needs across stages in life.

"What works for me usually changes throughout my cycle." - P6 (Survey)


"If it’s a heavy flow day, I’ll do a combo of tampon and period panties." - P5 (Survey)

Menstruators need a custom combination of products during a cycle due to fluctuating conditions, leading to either under-preparing or over-purchasing.

Depending on the day of a cycle, flow intensity, activity levels, and even travel plans, product needs change. Participants leverage multiple products during a single cycle. However products are packaged in single sizes and types, creating an excess. Like tissue paper, they’ll be used at some point, but there’s a greater upfront cost and unlike tissue paper, a product may not meet their needs across stages in life.

"What works for me usually changes throughout my cycle." - P6 (Survey)


"If it’s a heavy flow day, I’ll do a combo of tampon and period panties." - P5 (Survey)

Menstruators lack clear, standardized guidance for comparing options and brands based on personal needs (e.g., heavy flow, sensitivity, comfort, lifestyle).

Most participants rely on informal sources, including friends, Reddit, or personal experimentation, to discover new products and understand what works for them.

"I tried using a menstrual cup once but had a very hard and painful time removing it, so I avoided it afterward. Later, I found out that my vagina tilts backward, which helped me understand why it was difficult. If I know about it back then, I might actually enjoy using the cup like many others do. But I am scared to use it now." - Screener respondent

Menstruators lack clear, standardized guidance for comparing options and brands based on personal needs (e.g., heavy flow, sensitivity, comfort, lifestyle).

Most participants rely on informal sources, including friends, Reddit, or personal experimentation, to discover new products and understand what works for them.

"I tried using a menstrual cup once but had a very hard and painful time removing it, so I avoided it afterward. Later, I found out that my vagina tilts backward, which helped me understand why it was difficult. If I know about it back then, I might actually enjoy using the cup like many others do. But I am scared to use it now." - Screener respondent

Menstruators lack clear, standardized guidance for comparing options and brands based on personal needs (e.g., heavy flow, sensitivity, comfort, lifestyle).

Most participants rely on informal sources, including friends, Reddit, or personal experimentation, to discover new products and understand what works for them.

"I tried using a menstrual cup once but had a very hard and painful time removing it, so I avoided it afterward. Later, I found out that my vagina tilts backward, which helped me understand why it was difficult. If I know about it back then, I might actually enjoy using the cup like many others do. But I am scared to use it now." - Screener respondent

OPPORTUNITIES UNCOVERED BY RESEARCH

I created a journey map that highlighted the gaps at different stages of the experience, drawing attention to especially the negative emotions felt during one’s period, which is already a less-than-ideal experience.

Research 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,

ideation.

METHOD

I used metaphorical design to develop possible solutions, drawing on familiar experiences like trying on clothes, taking a test drive, 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.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Given the course’s emphasis on service design and our desire to create an experience that extends beyond the screen, we evaluated each idea using the following criteria:

  • 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 excess purchases, this would allow customers to choose what they want and need for their cycles.

It struck the strongest balance between practicality and empowerment. Unlike appointment-based or infrastructure-heavy options like test drives or fitting bathrooms, the DIY kit idea could be seamlessly integrated into the physical retail aisle while still supporting exploration, sustainability, and user agency.

Our service has two critical parts: the in-store experience, accompanied by an app

  1. Goal of the in-store experience: give the opportunity for customers to touch and feel open sample units and curate a set of individually packaged units in a DIY kit

  1. Goal of the in-app experience: give a tool for customers to reflect and track their experience with each product

I mapped a skeletal user-system diagram that later informed the more comprehensive service blueprint

Bodystorming helped us identify gaps and technical necessities

design.

at the store.

VALUE PROPOSITION

Know your fit before you commit: a sampling station for personalized, low-risk period product discovery.

SKETCHING

To prototype the experience, I sketched the necessary equipment and material and created a system diagram that showed the inputs and outputs and interactions between them.

Items to prototype

  • Large dispensers for pads, cups, underwear

  • Small dispensers for tampons

  • NFC-tagged kits for customers to collect sample units

  • Instructional signage and branding

  • Shelf talkers that communicate more detail and standardize the language describing products

Technical assumptions

  • Each dispenser is tagged with an NFC tag and reader

  • Customer must tap the kit to the dispenser to unlock and release a unit

  • Each kit has an NFC tag. This enables the kit to store data about its contents and to ensure units are locked in dispensers (theft prevention)

  • Kit sizes: S, M, L - each can hold up to 3, 6, or 9 units. Each is priced differently.

  • Checkout occurs like any other retail item: each kit has a store barcode

CONCEPT TESTING

We WoZ’d the experience at a real grocery store, in the feminine care aisle to evaluate the concept with 2 participants.

on the app.

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 wireframed and iterated on the core features first that are essential to accompanying the in-store experience.

  • 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 with more knowledge and ways to find the best-fit period product. Nonetheless their feedback motivated our 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 combined customer journey from accessing samples in the retail store to reflecting on them at home with the app.

Overall, there was positive perception of being able to link the sampling kit to the app, with the app being able itemize the products. It takes away the manual process.

Concept testing with 3 users who match our target user profile

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR NEXT ITERATION

At the 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 the 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

BUSINESS STRATEGY

Originally, OWN began as a sampling experience for those who wanted to try new products or find a better fit. However, charting a sustainable growth strategy prompted me to think of ways in which value could be realized overtime, not just upfront.

  1. SHIFT TARGET AUDIENCE

First-time menstruators usually have limited time to explore their options. Either they’re recommended a product or forced to use whatever is on hand in the household.

While customer retention may not be as high, there would be a steady stream of new customers entering the funnel.

  1. 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 mental model of sampling that we intended, it did spark a way to extend the longevity of the service.

  1. A MARKETPLACE: THE APP'S SHOP FLOW

The retail feature is a marketplace where customers who’ve previously purchased a DIY sampling kit can purchase regular-sized 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.

  • In conjunction with a donation program, this service would help address more systemic issues around access to basic feminine care and period poverty.

next steps.

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

I would conduct more research with first-time menstruators to test my assumptions.

If first-time menstruators are a feasible audience, I could see OWN becoming a more educational app as well, destigmatizing menstruation and giving adolescents more resources around how to care for it.

APP DESIGN

I’ve already started to explore the Shop and Donation flows.

OTHER ARTIFACTS

Lean Canvas

Service Blueprint

Customer Journey Maps