Personal project
2025
Scent Shuffle
Overview
Engaging a New Generation of Luxury Customers
Molton Brown wanted to explore new ways to connect with younger consumers without losing the premium experience that defines its brand. Our team designed Scent Shuffle, a mobile-first gamified experience that transforms fragrance discovery into an interactive journey through play, rewards, and exploration.
As the UX Researcher and UX Designer, I contributed to user research, competitive analysis, concept development, wireframing, and high-fidelity prototyping. Together, we created a concept that balanced engaging game mechanics with the elegance expected from a luxury fragrance brand.
The Challenge
Competitive Context
Molton Brown wanted to expand its reach to a younger audience without compromising its premium brand identity. While competitors were using interactive experiences to drive engagement, Molton Brown's digital experience relied primarily on traditional product browsing.
Our challenge was to explore how gamification could make fragrance discovery more engaging, encourage product exploration, and attract new customers—all while preserving the elegance and exclusivity expected from a luxury brand.
Goals
Designing for Business & User Value
Project Goals
Attract a younger audience through an engaging digital experience. Reinforce Molton Brown's premium brand identity. Encourage fragrance discovery through interactive gameplay. Increase engagement and repeat participation with meaningful rewards.
User Goals
Discover new fragrances in an enjoyable way. Learn about products through interaction instead of passive browsing. Feel rewarded for completing challenges. Navigate the experience effortlessly on mobile.
Research & Insights
Understanding the Opportunity
Before exploring solutions, our team researched Molton Brown's existing audience, competitor experiences, and current engagement strategies. We combined competitive analysis, market research, and peer feedback to better understand how younger consumers discover luxury brands and what motivates them to interact with digital experiences.
Rather than validating a predetermined solution, our goal was to identify opportunities where gamification could create value without compromising Molton Brown's premium identity.
Key Insights
01
Younger users expect interaction
Static browsing felt passive, while interactive experiences encouraged curiosity and exploration. Create an engaging experience that encourages discovery through play rather than traditional browsing.
02
Gamification increases engagement.
Competitor research revealed that progression, rewards, and simple game mechanics encourage repeat interaction when they support a meaningful experience. Use lightweight game mechanics that reinforce product discovery instead of distracting from it.
03
Premium brands require thoughtful restraint.
Participants wanted a playful experience without sacrificing the elegance and sophistication associated with luxury products. Balance interactive gameplay with refined visuals, motion, and typography.
04
Discovery should feel rewarding.
Users were more motivated when gameplay introduced products naturally and rewarded exploration. Use milestone rewards and product reveals to encourage continued engagement.
My Approach
Turning Research into an Engaging Experience
To design an experience that resonated with younger audiences while remaining true to Molton Brown's premium identity, our team followed a collaborative, user-centered design process. We began by researching user expectations, analyzing competitor experiences, and identifying opportunities where gamification could enhance product discovery. These insights guided our concept development, wireframing, and high-fidelity prototyping, allowing us to iteratively refine the experience through team critiques and peer feedback.
Throughout the project, our focus remained on creating an experience that balanced playful interaction with luxury branding, ensuring every design decision supported both user engagement and the brand's business objectives.
Process
Research
Conducted competitive analysis and market research to understand user expectations, industry trends, and opportunities for gamification in luxury retail.
Define
Synthesized research findings into key insights and established design goals that balanced user engagement with Molton Brown's premium brand identity.
Design
Synthesized research findings into key insights and established design goals that balanced user engagement with Molton Brown's premium brand identity.
Refine
Gathered feedback through peer critiques and iterative design reviews, using those insights to simplify gameplay, improve usability, and strengthen the overall experience.
Design Solutions
Bringing the Experience to Life
Guided by our research insights, we designed a mobile-first experience that transformed fragrance discovery into an interactive journey. Every feature was intentionally crafted to increase engagement while preserving Molton Brown's premium brand identity. Rather than adding game mechanics for entertainment alone, each interaction encouraged users to explore products in a way that felt intuitive, rewarding, and aligned with the luxury experience.
Interactive Fragrance Discovery
To make product exploration more engaging, we introduced a scent-matching game that invited users to discover fragrances through play instead of traditional browsing. This interaction encouraged curiosity while naturally introducing users to Molton Brown's product collection.
Premium Visual Identity
The interface balanced playful interactions with a refined visual language inspired by Molton Brown's existing brand. Elegant typography, warm neutral colors, and minimal interface elements ensured the experience felt sophisticated while remaining approachable.
Rewarding User Engagement
To encourage continued participation, we incorporated a simple reward system that celebrated progress and motivated users to keep exploring. Rewards were designed to reinforce product discovery rather than distract from it, creating a meaningful connection between gameplay and the brand.
Iteration & Refinement
Improving the Experience Through Feedback
Design is an iterative process, and Scent Shuffle evolved significantly through team critiques and peer feedback. Early concepts explored more complex game mechanics, but testing revealed that users were spending too much time understanding how to play instead of enjoying the experience.
By simplifying the interaction and focusing on intuitive drag-and-sort gameplay, we created an experience that felt more approachable while still encouraging product discovery. These refinements allowed the game to remain engaging without competing with Molton Brown's premium brand experience.
Key Improvements
01
Simplified Gameplay
Initial concepts introduced multiple steps and interactions that increased cognitive load. Through feedback, we streamlined the experience into a single, intuitive interaction that users could understand immediately.
02
Clearer User Flow
Navigation and screen progression were refined to help users move naturally from gameplay to fragrance recommendations without unnecessary friction.
03
Stronger Visual Hierarchy
We adjusted typography, spacing, and interface elements to better emphasize important actions while maintaining a clean, premium aesthetic.friction.
Final Solution
Reflection & Next Steps
Scent Shuffle reinforced that successful gamification is about creating meaningful interactions rather than adding game mechanics for the sake of entertainment. Throughout the project, our team learned that engagement comes from designing experiences that feel intuitive, rewarding, and aligned with user expectations.
Working within a collaborative, two-week design sprint also strengthened my ability to prioritize ideas, iterate quickly, and make design decisions based on research and team feedback. Balancing playful interactions with Molton Brown's premium brand identity challenged me to think critically about how design can support both business objectives and user needs.
Looking Ahead
If we continued developing Scent Shuffle, the next phase would focus on validating the concept with real users and expanding the experience based on their feedback. Future enhancements could include:
Conducting moderated usability testing to evaluate the gameplay experience.
Personalizing fragrance recommendations based on user preferences and gameplay results.
Integrating the experience with Molton Brown's loyalty program and e-commerce platform.
Measuring engagement metrics to understand how gamification influences product discovery and purchase intent.
