As stated in our subject notes ‘In many respects prototyping is a key element of the media making process, as all previous stages are validated by the encounter with reality generated in this stage.’

Throughout this stage I created 3 prototypes for my ethical and natural skincare brand ‘The Glow Code’:

Prototype one –

‘The Peach Passion Scrub’

A fruity blend of passion fruit, peach and coconut. 

For this scrub I used raw sugar, coconut oil and a mix of grounded passion fruit and peach lose leaf tea. 

I bought all of these ingredients from the organic health food store that I work at. All ingredients were bought in bulk, eliminating packaging and they are all organic, locally made and ethical. 

Prototype two –

‘The Citrus Got Real Scrub’

A sweet blend of home grown lemon, lime and mint. 

For this scrub I used a mix of white sugar, coconut oil, lemon, lime and mint. The sugar and coconut oil is from the same store, bought in bulk without packaging and is fully organic, locally made and ethical. The lemon, lime and mint is all hand picked from my garden at home, which is the most ideal way to source anything.

The packing for both of these scrubs are jars that I have washed and reused from my kitchen at home and the labels are hand made.

Prototype three –

‘The Habitual Toning Spray’

A hydrating facial mist that should become habit morning and night. 

The ingredients for this one is apple cider vinegar and witch hazel with a tiny bit of water. 

Unfortunately I couldn’t find witch hazel in bulk so I had to purchase in plastic from the chemist, however it is still a natural ingredient. The apple cider vinegar was bought in bulk from the organic store as well. 

The spray bottle I used for this product is glass however it includes a plastic nose and lid. I was thinking of using old Kombucha bottle which would have been more sustainable but I wanted this toner to be in spray form so I chose function over sustainability.

I used my retro label maker to create these labels as I wanted to give them a homemade look.

The research I conducted prior to making these prototypes included:

• An Instagram story questionnaire
• Instagram posts asking for feedback
• Online research on sights such as Pinterest

The research I conducted after making and testing my prototypes included:

• Testing on myself
• Asking my friend to test on herself.

As a result of the feedback I received I have decided that when I enter the ‘making’ phase I’m going to add more oil to the scrubs and add some loose leaf tea to garnish them. As for the toners, I’m going to fill the rest of the bottles with the ratio that we both liked. 

Moving forward I want to focus on consistency with my Instagram posts so that my audience stays engaged. Sitting down at the start of the week and planning my posts would be handy considering it’s hard to come up with inspiration for a post on the spot.

Words by Erin Waugh

Feature image by Nicola Jane Creative