Ascent
Your AI grooming assistant, simplified.
Ascent helps men take control of their self-care with personalised product recommendations and routine guidance, all in a clean and intuitive app.
Ascent
Your AI grooming assistant, simplified.
Ascent helps men take control of their self-care with personalised product recommendations and routine guidance, all in a clean and intuitive app.
Ascent - Your AI grooming assistant
Project overview
Project overview
Duration
10 weeks (Part-time)
Team
Solo Project
focus
Mobile iOS + Brand Identity + Marketing Website
Role
UX Designer - Research, Ideation, Design, Prototyping, Testing
Ascent
Your AI grooming assistant, simplified.
Ascent helps men take control of their self-care with personalised product recommendations and routine guidance — all in one clean, intuitive app.
Duration
10 weeks (Part-time)
Team
Solo Project
focus
Mobile iOS + Brand Identity + Marketing Website
Role
UX Designer (Research, Ideation, Design, Prototyping, Testing)
Project overview
Objective
To simplify men’s grooming by removing confusion and friction—offering personalisation, trusted recommendations, and habit-building tools for a confident, user-first experience that’s easy to maintain.
Motivation
Ascent was inspired by my older brother, who often asks for help choosing grooming products. I noticed many men rely on female friends or partners for advice because most online content is geared toward women. It became clear that men still face real challenges in finding, choosing, and sticking to the right grooming routine.
Design Approach
I followed the design thinking approach to truly understand user needs and create personalised solutions. This user-centred process helped me uncover real pain points and design an experience that feels tailored, simple, and empowering.
research
To achieve this, I needed to deeply understand the challenges men face with grooming. - so I conducted Secondary Research and Primary Research.
What Makes Ascent Different?
After conducting primary and secondary research, I identified Ascent’s unique selling point: a platform that not only recommends products for men but also educates and supports them in building a personalised grooming routine with confidence.
Design Challenge
Through my research, I found that product selection is a major barrier for men trying to build a grooming routine. With endless choices and little clarity on what works for their specific needs, many feel overwhelmed and disengaged.
How might we help men better understand and simplify product selection so that they can confidently choose the right grooming products and easily integrate them into their routines?
HOW MIGHT WE
Meet Jean
To bring these challenges to life, I created a persona that represents the struggles and motivations of men navigating grooming product decisions.
Building and Refining the Experience
After two rounds of user testing, I developed three versions of the prototype (V1–V3). Each iteration refined the user flow based on feedback, with Version 3 becoming the final design before applying colours and branding. The focus remained on creating a simple, intuitive experience aligned with Jean’s needs and habits.
Secondary research
Web search
Competitor Analysis
Grooming Market Booming
The global men's grooming products market is experiencing rapid growth:
Short-Term: Expected to grow from $61.62 billion in 2024 to $64.63 billion in 2025, a 5% increase.
Long-Term: Projected to reach $85.53 billion by 2032, a 38% increase.
The Growing Market, but Growing Confusion!
Competitor analysis
While exploring the grooming market, I noticed a pattern among brands like Papatui, Lookfantastic, and Bulldog. Their focus was clear — selling products. But what was missing was just as important: guidance. Few offered men the support they needed on how and when to use these products. Many brands also leaned heavily toward female audiences, leaving a clear gap — and an opportunity.
Primary research
User Interviews
Participants
Five male participants — Gen Z and Millennial users at different stages of their grooming journey.
Age Range
18–35 years old
Methodology
1:1 Interviews to explore goals, motivations, and frustrations.
Task Selection
I focused on two primary task flows for the user, based on Jean’s persona:
Creating a Personalised Routine
Helping Jean easily build a grooming routine tailored to his lifestyle and needs.
Task Flow 1
Using the Chat and Scan Features
Allowing Jean to ask for support when needed and scan products to check if they are suitable for his profile.
Task Flow 2
Creating a Personalised Routine
Helping Jean easily build a grooming routine tailored to his lifestyle and needs.
Task Flow 1
Using the Chat and Scan Features
Allowing Jean to ask for support when needed and scan products to check if they are suitable for his profile.
Task Flow 2
Creating a Personalised Routine
Helping Jean easily build a grooming routine tailored to his lifestyle and needs.
Task Flow 1
Using the Chat and Scan Features
Allowing Jean to ask for support when needed and scan products to check if they are suitable for his profile.
Task Flow 2
Creating a Personalised Routine
Helping Jean easily build a grooming routine tailored to his lifestyle and needs.
Task Flow 1
Using the Chat and Scan Features
Allowing Jean to ask for support when needed and scan products to check if they are suitable for his profile.
Task Flow 2
High Fidelity
The new social experience for you and your friends. Sign up to learn more.
View Prototype
Marketing Website
A responsive digital experience that brings the brand to life — on any screen. Built with both desktop and mobile users in mind, the website adapts seamlessly across devices to ensure a consistent and intuitive journey.
This Short Video Helped Tell Our Story
I extracted visual and brand inspiration from this moodboard, focusing on creating an experience that feels refined, smart, modern, empowering, and neat — aligning with Ascent’s core brand values.
MOODBOARD
Wordmark Variations
To work seamlessly across different backgrounds and brand touchpoints, the Ascent wordmark was designed in multiple colour variations.
I explored combinations that ensure strong contrast, readability, and visual harmony with the brand’s overall identity.
Brand Name & Wordmark
Ascent symbolises growth and upward movement reflecting the app’s goal to help men elevate their grooming routines with confidence.
Primary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #FFFFFF
Text #143055
Contrast
14.55
Super
Secondary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #DDE6FA
Text #143055
Contrast
11.62
Very Good
Tertiary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #A0E1E1
Text #143055
Contrast
9.94
Very Good
Accessibility
When it comes to accessibility, I focused on maintaining strong text-to-background contrast, achieving "Very Good" to "Super" ratings to ensure readability and an inclusive experience.
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
Colour Pallete
When deep navy speaks, confidence listens. It’s bold and refined.
UI LIBRARY
BRAND
Guidelines
To bring consistency and clarity to the Ascent experience, I created a dedicated UI library that showcases the core visual elements behind the brand.
This includes an accessible and cohesive system of components, a curated colour palette, and a thoughtfully chosen typeface that reflects Ascent’s identity.
More UI Essentials
Typography, Grid, Readlines & Icons
Project overview
Duration
10 weeks (Part-time)
Team
Solo Project
focus
Mobile iOS + Brand Identity + Marketing Website
Role
UX Designer (Research, Ideation, Design, Prototyping, Testing)
Motivation
Ascent was inspired by my older brother, who often asks for help choosing grooming products. I noticed many men rely on female friends or partners for advice because most online content is geared toward women. It became clear that men still face real challenges in finding, choosing, and sticking to the right grooming routine.
Motivation
Ascent was inspired by my older brother, who often asks for help choosing grooming products. I noticed that many men rely on female friends or partners for advice, as most online content is geared toward women. It became clear that men still face real challenges when it comes to finding, choosing, and sticking to the right grooming routine for their needs.
Motivation
Ascent was inspired by my older brother, who often asks for help choosing grooming products. I noticed many men rely on female friends or partners for advice because most online content is geared toward women. It became clear that men still face real challenges in finding, choosing, and sticking to the right grooming routine.
Objective
To simplify men’s grooming by removing confusion and friction through personalisation, trusted recommendations, and easy-to-maintain routines that help build lasting habits.
Design Approach
I followed the design thinking approach to truly understand user needs and create personalised solutions. This user-centred process helped me uncover real pain points and design an experience that feels tailored, simple, and empowering.
research
To achieve this, I needed to deeply understand the challenges men face with grooming. - so I conducted Secondary Research (Web Search and Competitor Analysis) and Primary Research (User Interviews).
Secondary research
The Growing Market,
but Growing Confusion!
Grooming Market Booming
The global men's grooming products market is experiencing rapid growth:
Competitor analysis
While exploring the grooming market, I noticed a pattern among brands like Papatui, Lookfantastic, and Bulldog. Their focus was clear — selling products. But what was missing was just as important: guidance. Few offered men the support they needed on how and when to use these products. Many brands also leaned heavily toward female audiences, leaving a clear gap — and an opportunity.
Primary research
Participants
Five male participants — Gen Z and Millennial users at different stages of their grooming journey.
Age Range
18–35 years old
Methodology
1:1 Interviews to explore motivations, behaviours and Key Pain Points.
[ 01 ]
"Personal appearance is important to me, especially in a professional setting. Looking well-groomed shows that I take care of myself and people perceive me differently when I put effort into my appearance." - F.B
mOTIVATION
[ 02 ]
"My main concern would be whether the recommendations are actually personalised or just general suggestions." - M.M
Behaviours
[ 03 ]
"I usually spend around an hour researching before buying something. It would be nice if I could get the key details upfront instead of having to search so much." - M.M
pain points
[ 01 ]
"Personal appearance is important to me, especially in a professional setting. Looking well-groomed shows that I take care of myself and people perceive me differently when I put effort into my appearance." - F.B
mOTIVATION
[ 02 ]
"My main concern would be whether the recommendations are actually personalised or just general suggestions." - M.M
Behaviours
[ 03 ]
"I usually spend around an hour researching before buying something. It would be nice if I could get the key details upfront instead of having to search so much." - M.M
pain points
After Conducting
After Conducting
Primary and Secondary Research…
Primary and Secondary Research…
Organising Insights: Affinity Mapping
Synthesising findings to uncover user needs and design opportunities
Selected Theme
- Product Selection
Helping men confidently research and trust products to easily start and maintain a consistent routine.
What Makes Ascent Different?
A platform that not only recommends products for men but also educates and supports them in building a personalised grooming routine with confidence.
How Might we
How Might we
How might we help men better understand and simplify product selection so that they can confidently choose the right grooming products and easily integrate them into their routines?
How might we help men better understand and simplify product selection so that they can confidently choose the right grooming products and easily integrate them into their routines?
Meet Alex
To bring these challenges to life, I created a persona that represents the struggles and motivations of men navigating grooming product decisions.
Task Selection
I focused on two primary task flows for the user, based on Alex’s persona:
1
task Flow
Creating a Personalised Routine
Helping Alex easily build a grooming routine tailored to his lifestyle and needs.
1
task Flow
2
2
task Flow
Using the Chat and Scan Features
Allowing Alex to ask for support when needed and scan products to check if they are suitable for his profile.
2
task Flow
Building and Refining the Experience
After two rounds of user testing, I developed three versions of the prototype (V1–V3). Each iteration refined the user flow based on feedback, with Version 3 becoming the final design before applying colours and branding. The focus remained on creating a simple, intuitive experience aligned with Alex’s needs and habits.
UI LIBRARY
BRAND
Guidelines
To bring consistency and clarity to the Ascent experience, I created a dedicated UI library that showcases the core visual elements behind the brand.
This includes an accessible and cohesive system of components, a curated colour palette, and a thoughtfully chosen typeface that reflects Ascent’s identity.
UI LIBRARY
BRAND
BRAND
Guidelines
Guidelines
To bring consistency and clarity to the Ascent experience, I created a dedicated UI library that showcases the core visual elements behind the brand.
This includes an accessible and cohesive system of components, a curated colour palette, and a thoughtfully chosen typeface that reflects Ascent’s identity.
MOODBOARD
MOODBOARD
I extracted visual and brand inspiration from this moodboard, focusing on creating an experience that feels refined, smart, modern, empowering, and neat. Aligning with Ascent’s core brand values.
Wordmark Variations
To work seamlessly across different backgrounds and brand touchpoints, the Ascent wordmark was designed in multiple colour variations.
I explored combinations that ensure strong contrast, readability, and visual harmony with the brand’s overall identity.
Brand Name & Wordmark
Ascent symbolises growth and upward movement reflecting the app’s goal to help men elevate their grooming routines with confidence.
Accessibility
When it comes to accessibility, I focused on maintaining strong text-to-background contrast, achieving "Very Good" to "Super" ratings to ensure readability and an inclusive experience.
Primary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #FFFFFF
Text #143055
Contrast
14.55
Super
Secondary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #DDE6FA
Text #143055
Contrast
11.62
Very Good
Tertiary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #A0E1E1
Text #143055
Contrast
9.94
Very Good
Primary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #FFFFFF
Text #143055
Contrast
14.55
Super
Secondary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #DDE6FA
Text #143055
Contrast
11.62
Very Good
Tertiary
Ascent is an AI-powered grooming assistant designed to help men take control of their self-care. By offering tailored routines and trusted product recommendations, Ascent removes the guesswork and overwhelm often found in grooming.
Background #A0E1E1
Text #143055
Contrast
9.94
Very Good
Colour Pallete
When deep navy speaks, confidence listens. It’s bold and refined.
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
primary
DFE6FB
A3BFF2
25518B
123155
Secondary
A0E2E2
320704
Tertiary
FFFFFF
FFFFFF
B9BBCF
FFA500
171719
More UI Essentials
Typography, Grid, Readlines & Icons
High Fidelity
The new social experience for you and your friends. Sign up to learn more.
Marketing Website
A responsive digital experience that brings the brand to life — on any screen. Built with both desktop and mobile users in mind, the website adapts seamlessly across devices to ensure a consistent and intuitive journey.
This Short Video Helped Tell Our Story
This Short Video
Helped Tell Our Story
Key Takeaways:
1
Consistency builds trust
A cohesive visual system and tone across the app and marketing site helped establish credibility and user confidence from the start.
2
Accessibility is not optional
Prioritising accessible colours, contrast, and typography made the experience more inclusive and improved overall usability.
3
Think Early, Prototype Smarter
Testing with low- and mid-fidelity prototypes helped me validate ideas quickly and refine the experience based on real feedback.
4
Details define the experience
From microcopy to button states, the little touches added clarity and personality — building a product users want to come back to.
1
Consistency builds trust
A cohesive visual system and tone across the app and marketing site helped establish credibility and user confidence from the start.
2
Accessibility is not optional
Prioritising accessible colours, contrast, and typography made the experience more inclusive and improved overall usability.
3
Think Early, Prototype Smarter
Testing with low- and mid-fidelity prototypes helped me validate ideas quickly and refine the experience based on real feedback.
4
Details define the experience
From microcopy to button states, the little touches added clarity and personality — building a product users want to come back to.
Demo Day: Sharing Ascent with the World
Demo Day: Sharing Ascent with the World
Presenting Ascent live gave me the chance to share the vision behind the app—helping men build confident grooming routines with less guesswork.
Presenting Ascent live gave me the chance to share the vision behind the app—helping men build confident grooming routines with less guesswork.
I showcased the core features, explained the design thinking behind key decisions, and gathered real-time reactions from the audience.
What I Learned:
Immediate feedback helped validate design choices.
Users loved the product-swap flexibility and routine guidance.
Clear visuals and confident messaging made a strong impression.
Demo Day: Sharing Ascent with the World
Presenting Ascent live gave me the chance to share the vision behind the app—helping men build confident grooming routines with less guesswork.
I showcased the core features, explained the design thinking behind key decisions, and gathered real-time reactions from the audience.
What I Learned:
Immediate feedback helped validate design choices.
Users loved the product-swap flexibility and routine guidance.
Clear visuals and confident messaging made a strong impression.
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©2025 Mayara Mendes
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