Overview
Faces Beauty, a local brand by Chalhoub Group, is an omni-retailer offering a wide range of beauty products, with most of its clientele based in the UAE and KSA. A year prior, Faces underwent a complete rebranding and wanted to revamp their website and create a mobile app with an updated UX and more appealing UI. They enlisted our help for this specific purpose.
E-commerce (Website + Mobile App)
Research and Design (2019-2020) + maintenance and additional revisions
Role
During my tenure as a Junior UX/UI Designer at Chalhoub Group from 2019 to 2021, I supported my team by conducting UX research, including competitive audits and ethnography. Additionally, I contributed to UX/UI design by creating user flows, wireframes, and designs for the Faces Beauty project. Our objective was to develop a seamless omnichannel digital experience within the Faces ecosystem, establishing it as the ultimate shopping destination for beauty enthusiasts.
How can we establish Faces Beauty’s new rebrand and online presence as a favorite brand within its loyal clientele?
Research
Since direct customer interaction wasn't permitted, we conducted workshops and meetings with store employees to gather insights into Faces customers. We learned about their preferences, including desired brands, reasons for choosing Faces, and cultural norms affecting their purchasing decisions. Following this, we conducted ethnographic research at the Faces flagship store to observe customer behavior, interactions with employees, product analysis, and purchasing decisions. Additionally, we benchmarked Faces' existing website against other beauty e-commerce sites to assess UX/UI and service offerings.
Design
We began by upgrading existing flows from the previous Faces website and introducing new ones based on the data we collected. Addressing feedback from the Faces team, we ensured the digital interfaces were clearer and easier to use. My supervisor and I collaborated on creating all UX and UI elements for the two new Faces platforms, incorporating input from various stakeholders through multiple design rounds to ensure attention to detail.
Once finalized, we handed everything over to the development team to bring the products to life. Meanwhile, we explored potential new solutions for the project's second phase. As development progressed, we conducted usability testing over a period of about two months, given the project's high priority. With all fixes and bugs resolved, the product was finally launched at the end of 2020, in collaboration with the Faces team and Emakina TR (development company).
Please note that the designs my team and I created between 2019-2021 are the high-fidelity wireframes shown here. Many design elements were lost during development, and the current live website has been modified. I am not associated with the changes now live on the site.
Post-launch
After launching the website and app, we began exploring additional features while ensuring the UX remained practical, easy, and uncluttered. With Faces aiming for an omnichannel approach, we focused on experience-based solutions that could be implemented both in-store and online. This led us to introduce services such as product engraving, virtual try-on, sample offerings, gift cards, skincare analysis tools, and one-on-one sessions with beauty advisors. Additionally, we revamped the checkout experience, simplifying the flow by incorporating best practices from across the web to enhance the overall product quality.
Obstacles
This project brought together numerous stakeholders, which occasionally led to differing opinions and internal challenges around specific aspects of the website and app. Outsourcing development also introduced delays due to slower responsiveness from the external team, adding to the complexity. Despite these hurdles, we navigated the challenges with strategic compromises, ensuring the delivery of the best possible products.
Reflections
The launch of these new digital interfaces (website and app) significantly bolstered Faces’ presence in the Middle East, attracting new customers and retaining loyal ones through personalized services and exclusive offerings.
This project was a valuable learning experience, enhancing my skills through collaboration with diverse teams and developers. Working under pressure to deliver a top-tier product for senior stakeholders pushed me to think creatively and approach challenges with fresh perspectives, solidifying Faces’ position as a market leader.
Created with blood, sweat, love and tears.
© 2025 Michele Sabty. All Right Reserved.