makesense Hackathon
A solution to protect the physical health of our babies.
The challenge: help parents and parents-to-be check the quality and composition of the hygiene and cosmetic products they use for their babies. Our answer: a mobile app with relevant information, practical solutions and a tool to choose healthier products.
Context
This project was part of a hackathon organised by the Environmental Health Foundation and the makesense incubator. Over two online sessions, we imagined and co-built solutions to protect young children from environmental pollutants.
In a team with two other students, we brainstormed following the makesense methodology, inspired by design thinking. Mentors, professionals and experts challenged and refined our project along the way.
🥇 Our solution won first prize at the hackathon.
“The jury really appreciated your approach, proposing a solution that is both fun and personalised. You did a great job of grasping the issues!”
Exploring the problem
The environmental health issue we tackled is the toxic substances found in cosmetic products used for young children.
A cosmetic product contains around 20 to 25 ingredients, while a product considered healthy has fewer than 10. Until six months old, a baby’s skin absorbs more substances and is more easily irritated, so the quality and composition of hygiene and cosmetic products really matter.
What?
The direct or indirect consequences of the problem: effects on babies’ health, such as cancers and skin diseases, and impact on the environment and biodiversity, through accumulated substances and animal testing.
Why?
The root causes are many and at several levels: laws slow to be adopted, and a lack of ethical awareness at some major cosmetic companies. The cause our solution could act on most is the lack of clear, transparent information for consumers.
Who?
The people directly or indirectly concerned, who can also be part of the solution:
- Parents and families
- Cosmetics companies (labs, manufacturers, major brands)
- Associations
- Health professionals
- Public authorities
Defining the scope
Success metrics
“The challenge will be solved if…”
- We reach 1 million downloads in the first year after launch
- The app becomes a long-term habit, with a healthy DAU/MAU ratio (20%)
Research
We ran a competitive analysis of three ventures (associations, startups, companies) that address, at least in part, a problem similar to ours.
Brainstorming
Blue post-its hold open questions to explore every possible solution. Yellow post-its hold as many ideas as possible to answer each one. One idea, one post-it.
Solve
After brainstorming, we agreed on the most realistic solution given our time and resources, both human and financial.
Solution concept
A mobile app with a personalised path set up during onboarding, to push targeted, relevant information without overwhelming parents:
- Practical solutions: DIY tutorials, workshops with local partners (Yokomi, les Petits Prodiges) and health professionals (ARS…)
- A product scanner to decide whether to buy or not
Users & main goal
Bring the right information about baby cosmetics to parents-to-be and young parents.
Value proposition
A playful, personalised approach to the service.
Storyboard
I sketched a quick storyboard of a parent’s interactions with our solution:
- Discover the app in a parents’ Facebook group, or during a prenatal appointment
- Onboard by choosing the topics that matter to them
- Read articles and watch DIY tutorials
- Find and attend local workshops (optional)
- Next time in a store, scan a product to see its exact composition
Wireframes
I designed low-fidelity wireframes to show what the app could look like and the features it offers.
The wireframes cover onboarding (1) with the product categories that come up most around baby cosmetics, articles (2) about the products parents care about, DIY tutorials (3) to learn the right gestures and make your own products, and workshops (4), also a chance to meet other parents and health professionals.
The app puts interactivity first: users can comment, share their opinion and pass things on to others.
Learnings
This was my first hackathon and I loved spending those mornings with my team and our mentors. I didn’t know much about the impact of pollutants on children’s health, but I was curious enough to take on the challenge. I learned a lot from kind, passionate people with very different backgrounds: students, entrepreneurs, parents, health professionals.
Winning first prize only made the experience better.
