Freckl (Femtech)
Big sister’s advice for understanding your pimples, loving your dimples, and monitoring your symptoms.



Think
Designing with science, empathy, and responsibility
Skin health is often treated as a surface-level problem when in reality, it’s deeply connected to nutrition, hormonal fluctuations, and overall well-being. For menstruators, this complexity is amplified by hormonal cycles, social pressure, and a long-standing gender data gap in health research. Existing solutions address fragments of the problem: period tracking, skincare routines, or nutrition advice — but rarely the intersection of all three.
Understanding the challenge:
→ Young menstruators are facing reduced confidence, stigma, and information overload.
→ Medical treatments that are often aggressive, expensive, or inaccessible.
→ Existing period-tracking apps have low engagement and poor long-term retention.
→ A need for accuracy, safety, and non-stigmatising language in health information.


Make
Turning research into an engaging, supportive experience
How can we design an accessible, safe, and motivating tool that supports skin health without overwhelming users or replacing medical advice?
By designing a solution integrating:
→ UX with heart using simple and gentle language and nudges inspired by the “big sister advice” culture, making complex information relatable and approachable.
→ Systems thinking connecting menstrual phases, skin symptoms, dietary habits, content, partnerships, and a community of users into one ecosystem.
→ Behaviour-led design through gamification, engaging progress visualisation, and socialisation.
Connect
Aligning users, experts, and systems
Freckl was shaped through continuous collaboration with real people and expert voices. The project involved workshops and research sessions with menstruators aged 16–25 to validate needs, language, and behaviours, alongside guidance from experts in behavioural science, Femtech, nutrition, and healthcare to ensure safety and credibility. From the outset, the concept was designed to collaborate — not compete — with existing period trackers, Femtech tools, and content platforms, positioning Freckl as part of a broader, supportive ecosystem.


Outcome
Capabilities
Multichannel Experience Strategy spanning app, social media, content, and partnerships with existing Femtech platforms.
Product & Service Design for a mobile app concept supporting tracking, learning, and habit-building over time.
Brand Storytelling & Messaging, science-backed information translated into digestible, stigma-free micro-content.
Brand Strategy & Positioning, from the Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition, and OKRs definition, to funding scenarios to ensure long-term feasibility.