Blue Lizard
Used existing environmental research to understand the pain points of users in sunny geographic locations in order to design UX/UI as part of a brand solve for a sunscreen brand.
TL;DR
Taking Blue Lizard, a popular choice in the “reef-safe” sunscreen sector, and making it a top option for travelers to Hawaii, a part of the U.S. which is closest to the equator.
My Role
Researcher and UX Designer
My Team
Rhiannon Newman, Art Director
Bailey Wood, Art Director
Kedi Hickman, Copywriter
Megan Strodel, Strategist
Grace Hyde, Creative Brand Manager
My Research Tools
Google Scholar, Mintel, MRI Simmons, Talkwalker, Roper, WARC
Project Deliverables
UX/UI for a sunscreen vending machines and hotel kiosks and an Accuweather x Blue Lizard partnership as part of a brand campaign.
See the full project breakdown below. ⬇️
The Problem
Hawaii has a Mount Olympus-esque sunscreen market, with its prohibition of two chemicals in most sunscreen blocking 80% of sunscreen brands from selling there. These regulations were placed in order to protect Hawaii’s marine life from the sunscreen chemicals.
The Solution
Spotify Spectrum, our AI plug-in to allow users to pick the right song based on their mood.
The Context
Tourism represents a significant portion of Hawaii’s income despite its key role in driving the environmental harm caused by certain sunscreen chemicals.
My Design Tools
Figma
Why Blue Lizard Is A Better Answer to Hawaii’s High Sunscreen Standards
Blue Lizard was created in Australia, a country which is close to the equator and experiences some of the highest UV indexes in the world. Additionally, the brand prides itself on being “reef-safe” and acknowledges that its products specifically meets Hawaii’s sunscreen regulations.
Sources:
Blue Lizard. (n.d.). About us. Blue Lizard Sunscreen. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://bluelizardsunscreen.com/pages/about-us
Blue Lizard. (n.d.). We love the reef: What is reef-safe sunscreen? Blue Lizard Sunscreen. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://bluelizardsunscreen.com/pages/we-love-the-reef-what-is-reef-safe-sunscreen
Blue Lizard Website Pages
The Ask
How can we make Blue Lizard a top purchasing consideration in Hawaii?
Research Findings
Our research objective was to understand how Hawaii’s sunscreen regulations influence users and visitors.
1
Hawaii’s sunscreen ban makes the sunscreen market that is located there particularly hard to get into.
Oxybenzone can kill 50% of coral larvae in less than 24 hours, even it’s at a concentration of >0.15 mg.
Field studies have linked the high concentrations of sunscreen chemicals to popular tourist destinations with coral reefs.
Example: Hanauma Bay in Oahu, Hawaii, had oxybenzone concentrations as high as 27,880 nanograms per liter (parts per trillion)
Note: For comparison, most oxybenzone concentration in coastal water falls between 100 parts per billion - 100 parts per trillion
An estimated amount of 25% of sunscreen that users wear is washed off in coastal waters in the first 20 minutes of submersion
Oxybenzone and octinoxate are the main active ingredients in an estimated 70 – 80% of sunscreens, making Hawaii’s sunscreen market particularly exclusive.
Sources:
C.A. Downs, Elizabeth Bishop, M. Silvia Diaz-Cruz, S. Abbas Haghshenas, Didier Stien, Alice M.S. Rodrigues, Cheryl M. Woodley, Adrià Sunyer-Caldú, Shadan Nasseri Doust, William Espero, Gene Ward, Aref Farhangmehr, S. Maryam Tabatabaee Samimi, Michael J. Risk, Philippe Lebaron, Joseph C. DiNardo. (2022). Oxybenzone contamination from sunscreen pollution and its ecological threat to Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A.. ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132880
Elizabeth Wood. (2018, February). IMPACTS OF SUNSCREENS ON CORAL REEFS. International Coral Reef Initiative. https://icriforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ICRI_Sunscreen_0.pdf
Raffa RB, Pergolizzi JV Jr., Taylor R Jr., Kitzen JM; for the NEMA Research Group. Sunscreen bans: Coral reefs and skin cancer. J Clin Pharm Ther.
2019;44:134‐139. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpt.12778
2
Blue Lizard users are typically middle or upper-middle class, value purposeful advertising, and seek good value, even for high-priced items.
Over 85% of Blue Lizard sunscreen within the last year tend to be between 18 - 24 years old and home renters despite the median household income falling between $75K or less or between $100K - $150K (*This applies to both male and female users)
96% of users who have used a Blue Lizard sunscreen product within the last year feel that much of advertising is way to annoying, yet 82% say that advertising helps them stay updated on which products they need or would like to have.
The two most common segmentations for automobile users tend to be those who view automobiles as a sign of prestige and can afford more expensive vehicles and those who prefer comforts and utilities in their vehicles.
Sources:
MRI-Simmons. (2023). Demographics. [Suntan and Sunscreen Products: Brand/Total Users Used in Last 12 Months_Blue Lizard]. https://mrisimmons.com
MRI-Simmons. (2023). Psychographics: Attitudes Towards Advertising. [Suntan and Sunscreen Products: Brand/Total Users Used in Last 12 Months_Blue Lizard]. https://mrisimmons.com
MRI-Simmons. (2023). Segmentations: Automotive: Attitudes Towards Advertising. [Suntan and Sunscreen Products: Brand/Total Users Used in Last 12 Months_Blue Lizard]. https://mrisimmons.com
3
Many sunscreen users are unaware of strict sunscreen regulations, which leads to fewer people searching for 'reef-safe' sunscreen.
A survey of adult residents of California and Florida conducted in 2019 showed that sunscreen-knowledge scores averaged 3.14 on a scale of 1 - 7. While 34% of respondents were aware about Hawaii’s sunscreen law passing in 2018, over 56% of respondents were unaware if the law banned oxybenzone and octinoxate specifically. 70% of sunscreen users were unsure if bringing sunscreen with those two chemicals specifically was permitted.
Note: Respondents to this survey were mostly white, female and college-educated.
A Roper poll conducted in 2020, which surveyed 2007 users, showed that only 12% of users across the U.S. searched for the ‘reef-safe’ or ‘reef-friendly’ label on sunscreen products. Users were much more likely to look for items marked ‘water resistant’ or ‘broad spectrum’ - 57% and 40% respectively.
Note: ‘Broad spectrum’ for sunscreen refers to products that can protect users from UVA to UVB rays.
Sources:
Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports Survey, Question 3. 31118279.00002. SSRS. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY: Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, 2020. Web. Mar-17-2020.
Glanz, K.; Kwong, P.L.; Avelis, J.; Cassel, K. Development of a Survey of Sunscreen Use and Attitudes among Adults in Two Coastal States, 2019. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 2677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052677
Important User Experience Considerations
The research collected revealed questions related to user experience for us to answer.
How can we create a campaign to make Blue Lizard stand out to users in terms of both concept and utility?
How can we create a tool to push Blue Lizard towards tourists despite how they travel while in Hawaii?
Where are the hotspots that tourists in Hawaii travel through most often?
Question
What can we create that shows tourists the importance of sunscreen application, fits Hawaii’s sunscreen restrictions and would be useful for a tourists’ vacation experience?
Our Solution
Blue Lizard - Don’t Get Cooked, our campaign to bring Blue Lizard to tourists traveling to Hawaii. In line with what users care about, the campaigns centers knowledge around protection from the sun and focuses less on environmental impact. Cooked Watch is the part of the campaign where users engage most with Blue Lizard sunscreen use as well as knowledge around how the sun cooks human skin (pun intended).
Copy written by Kedi Hickman
Designed by Bailey Wood
Blue Lizard Sunscreen Vending Machines & Hotel Kiosks
Designed the UX/UI for campaign access via kiosks located in airports and hotels, targeting tourists upon arrival and during their stay.
UX Screen Walkthrough for Blue Lizard Vending Machines & Hotel Kiosks
Mockup by Rhiannon Newman
UX/UI Walkthrough for Vending Machine
A user-focused walkthrough of each UX/UI screen, detailing the experience for users who choose both learning and shopping options.
User is introduced to Cooked Watch and given the option to either shop or learn.
2. User chooses to learn and is given the option to learn how sunburn affects various parts of the body and how to protect their dermal layer.
3. User chooses a part of the body, such as the head, and learns some information related to sunburn. They are also given the option to get some ‘advice’ from David Hasselhoff.
4. David Hasselhoff advises the user to ‘not get cooked’ by downloading the Accuweather app to get Blue Lizard UV index notifications, before being given the option to shop for sunscreen products
5. User is given a product suggestion for a sunscreen product from Blue Lizard and given the option to add it to their card
6. User is taken to a payment screen, where they can insert their card information
7. User is directed to pick their product from the bottom of the vending machine and to ‘not get cooked’
Accuweather x Blue Lizard Partnership
Accuweather, the most popular weather app in the U.S., partners with Blue Lizard to notify users in Hawaii when the UV index is high — a frequent occurrence. Tourists receive alerts and are encouraged to buy Blue Lizard sunscreen at nearby stores or from beachside stations.
User receives a special notification from an Accuweather x Blue Lizard partnership.
(*User must have the Accuweather app downloaded onto their phone first.)
2. User is given the option to opt-in for Blue Lizard Don’t Get Cooked notifications for weather updates.
3. User is informed on Hawaii’s UV index and advised on where to most quickly access sunscreen.
4. User is taken to the map page if they click to find the Blue Lizard Regeneration Station on beaches.
5. The Cooked Watch plug-in is left on the Accuweather mobile app homepage for the user to access again.
Why This Works
This campaign was planned around the tourists’ user journey through Hawaii, from the airport to the hotel to the beach.
With Accuweather, Blue Lizard had direct access to users who were surveying the weather every day and the sunscreen vending machines ensured that users had a way to purchase Blue Lizard sunscreen products even if the store wasn’t open.
(For context, the Iwilei Costco in Hawaii, the busiest Costco worldwide, opens around 10 a.m. during summer when the sun rises around 5:45 a.m.)
Project Reflection
I'm pleased with the quality of secondary research I conducted for this project. My understanding of typical Blue Lizard users, along with insights into Hawaii's sunscreen regulations and how visitors experience the islands, was valuable in shaping the UX/UI.
That said, I wish we could have focused more on indigenous Hawaiian communities. Many long-time residents of Hawaii have well-founded concerns about the impact of mainland visitors, from rising housing costs to environmental harm.
If given the opportunity, I would like to do something similar like this that prioritizes the concerns of the Hawaiian people.