PART 1 : PRODUCT CATEGORY COMPETITIVE AUDIT

In order to make an informed recommendation to my client, I started with conducting an audit of the visual languages of top performers in the beauty and technology product markets. The brands I evaluated were identified in collaboration with the client so that we were directionally aligned before beginning the effort.

For each brand I created a visual collage that included representative product photography, texture, typography, or any other key visual elements. At the top of each collage I also included a summarized color palette that defines each brand.

rhode

Rhode is a minimalist, Hailey Bieber-founded skincare and beauty brand launched in 2022, focusing on "glazed" skin, hydration, and barrier repair. It gained rapid cult status with a curated, affordable line (often under $30) featuring peptides, niacinamide, and shea butter. Known for a "clean girl" aesthetic, the brand was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for $1B in May 2025.

RHODE EVALUATION

Color Palette

Soft Neutrals: Warm beige, creamy whites, and muted, dusty pinks.exclamation These colors convey a sense of naturalness, simplicity, and approachable luxury.
Pops of color: Occasional accents in sage green or soft peach add visual interest and a touch of freshness.

Photography

Natural light: Product and lifestyle images are bathed in soft, natural-looking light, emphasizing the focus on healthy, glowing skin.
Diverse models: Features a range of skin tones and ages to reflect a universal and inclusive approach to beauty.
Minimalist Compositions: The focus is on the product.

Overall

Minimalist: Rhode embraces a "less is more" approach, emphasizing quality, efficacy, and a focus on healthy skin.
Approachable: The soft, approachable color palette and natural imagery create a sense of warmth and trustworthiness.
Modern: The clean typography and overall aesthetic have a contemporary, fresh feel that appeals to a wide audience.

RARE BEAUTY

Rare Beauty, founded by Selena Gomez in 2020, is a highly successful, mission-driven cosmetics brand focused on breaking down unrealistic beauty standards and supporting mental health. Known for its lightweight, easy-to-use products like the bestselling Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, the brand emphasizes natural, authentic beauty over perfection.

RARE BEAUTY EVALUATION

Color Palette

Playful: Fuchsia pink takes center stage, representing confidence, self-expression, and individuality.
Nuanced shades add nuance and softness.
Supportive Neutrals: Black, white, and shades of beige provide balance and sophistication, allowing the pink to be the main attraction.

Imagery

Diverse and Inclusive: Features models of various ethnicities, skin tones, genders, and abilities, celebrating individuality and self-acceptance.
Authentic and Empowering: Photos showcase genuine expressions and real people feeling confident in their own skin.
Playful and Creative: Images often incorporate bold colors, graphic elements, and unexpected layouts, reflecting the brand's youthful and innovative spirit.

Overall

Empowering: The brand language aims to inspire confidence and self-love, encouraging individuals to embrace their uniqueness.
Inclusive: Visuals represent a diverse range of people, fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance.
Fun and Playful: The vibrant colors and playful imagery create a youthful and energetic feel, making the brand approachable and relatable.

SKIMS

SKIMS is a high-valuation (over $5 billion in 2025) American shapewear, loungewear, and clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, Emma Grede, and Jens Grede in 2019. It is renowned for focusing on body positivity, inclusivity, and technical innovation, offering a wide range of sizes (XXS-4X) and skin-tone shades.

SKIMS EVALUATION

Color Palette

Neutrals: The core of the Skims palette is built around nude tones that blend seamlessly with diverse skin tones. This reinforces the brand's commitment to inclusivity and celebrates the natural beauty of all bodies.
Accents: Occasionally, Skims incorporates pops of muted colors like dusty rose or sage green, adding a touch of visual interest without compromising the overall sophisticated feel.

Imagery

Diverse Models: Skims showcases a wide range of body types, ethnicities, and genders in its imagery.
Minimalist Backgrounds: The products are often photographed against clean and uncluttered backgrounds that draw the focus towards the garments and the models wearing them.
Soft and Natural Light: Skims primarily uses soft, natural lighting in its campaigns, creating a sense of warmth and emphasizing the natural beauty of the models and the products.

Overall

Sophisticated and Minimalist: The combination of neutral tones, and minimalist imagery creates a refined and sophisticated aesthetic.
Inclusive: By showcasing diverse models and celebrating the beauty of all body types.
Sensual and Comfortable: The focus on soft lighting and natural beauty creates an appealing and comfortable atmosphere, aligning with the brand's focus on functionality and feeling good in your own skin.

CECRED

Cécred, launched by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in February 2024, is a premium, Black-owned haircare brand focusing on scientifically backed, high-performance products for all hair types and textures. Combining traditional, generational rituals with advanced science, the line features a patent-pending bioactive keratin ferment to nourish, strengthen, and repair hair.

CECRED EVALUATION

Color Palette

Black and White: This core combination creates a sophisticated and timeless feel, emphasizing the brand's commitment to high-quality products.
Gold Accents: Subtle touches of gold add a hint of luxury and elevate the overall aesthetic.

Imagery

Minimalist Backdrops: Products are often presented against clean and uncluttered backgrounds, allowing the focus to be solely on the hair and the product itself.
High-Quality Hair: Images showcase healthy, styled hair that embodies the brand's promise of luxurious results.
Diverse Models: Cécred features models with various hair types and textures, subtly conveying inclusivity and the brand's ability to cater to different hair needs.

Overall

Modern and Luxurious: The combination of black and white, gold accents, and sleek typography creates a sophisticated and modern feel, aligned with the brand's positioning as a premium hair care line.
Aspirational: The imagery featuring healthy, styled hair positions Cécred as a brand that can help achieve desired hair goals, making it aspirational for potential customers.
Minimalist and Elegant: The focus on clean lines, high-quality visuals, and subtle branding elements creates a minimalist and elegant aesthetic.

APPLE

Apple Inc. is a global technology leader that has consistently redefined consumer electronics through its focus on innovation, design, and user experience. Founded on April 1, 1976, it has evolved from a garage start-up into one of the world's most valuable brands, recently reaching a market cap of approximately $4 trillion in late 2025.

APPLE EVALUATION

Color Palette

Minimalistic: The core palette is dominated by white representing purity and clean design, often paired with space gray, a dark neutral exuding sophistication and professionalism.
Accents: Occasional pops of color, like a vibrant blue to add visual interest and evoke specific associations depending on the context.

Imagery

Minimalist and Elegant: Product photography features clean backgrounds with minimal distractions.
Lifestyle Integration: Images often showcase people seamlessly integrating Apple products into their lives.
High Quality and Professional: The brand utilizes high-resolution photography and videography, emphasizing attention to detail and premium quality.

Overall

Minimalist: Simplicity reigns supreme, with clean lines, uncluttered visuals, and limited color palettes.
Premium and Aspirational: The focus on high-quality materials, sleek design, and professional imagery positions Apple as a premium brand associated with cutting-edge technology and innovation.
Warm and User-Friendly: Despite the minimalism, Apple's visuals often incorporate soft lighting and natural settings, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that emphasizes user-friendliness and accessibility.

Below is a comprehensive layout of the color palettes all of the competitive brands that were evaluated for this project. The objective of creating this graphic was to provide a birds eye view of the current product landscape to the client.

PART 2: DIRECTIONAL VISUAL LANGUAGE OPPORTUNITIES

After presenting the competitive product landscape evaulation to the client, I set to explore how we might combine what we learned and implement those learnings through the lens of the product my client was building. Below you will see some of the options I presented to the client that might align with their goals, and inspire opportunity for them to stand out in such a competitive field.

HOLI-INSPIRED

What is Holi?
Holi is the Hindu "Festival of Colors" and "Festival of Love," marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring, celebrating the victory of good over evil. Celebrated over two days in March (following the full moon, or Purnima, in Phalguna), it features lively, colorful street celebrations with powder (gulal) and water, bonfires (Holika Dahan) to banish evil, and the enjoyment of traditional foods and dancing.

The first direction I explored used Holi as a jumping off point. I was excited about the idea of combining the beautiful vibrant colors in alignment with the technological aspect of the product, with the organic nature of the powder that harkened to the organic nature of the beauty industry and their products.

I imaged the powder being a stimulating media, especially when applied to motion. And reducing the color palette to duotone create less visual chaos, but also created opportunities to develop a wide set of color option combinations as a system.