Vibes-first nail art,
Vibes-first nail art,
powered by aesthetic intelligence
powered by aesthetic intelligence
Telling meaningful stories through nail art. A design inquiry into aesthetic intelligence and AI.
Telling meaningful stories through nail art. A design inquiry into aesthetic intelligence and AI.
Role
Timeline
Ongoing exploration
Team
Solo
Type
Speculative Design / AI Research
Role
Timeline
Ongoing exploration
Team
Solo
Type
Speculative Design / AI Research
Role
Timeline
Ongoing exploration
Team
Solo
Type
Speculative Design / AI Research
Challenge
Samantha loves having her nails done, but when she’s looking for inspiration online she gets overwhelmed by ideas and ends up just having the same old colours / designs. She feels that she’s being boring but is reluctant to try new ideas incase she’s unhappy with them. How might we empower Samantha to become more experimental and thoughtful with her nail design choice.
Process
The process became more of an experiment to understand: 1. Can you systemise design through feeling, supported by cultural and contextual knowledge? 2. Is this something people actually want or need? 3. Does it actually help people make decisions?
Solution
A transparent, "vibes-first" selection flow. Instead of asking "What design do you want?", the interface asks, "How do you want to feel?". To ensure human-centred transparency, the UI explicitly surfaces the cultural intelligence behind each look and mandates visible creator attribution on every design card. My ambition is to see if AI can help guide and influence us creatively without taking away from the original creators, nail artists and beauty journalists.
Impact
Early interviews with nail lovers and technicians showed real interest in this approach. They also exposed a genuine lack of understanding and appreciation for the skill and technique behind even a “simple” manicure. That points to further opportunity in this space, both in how decisions are made and in how the work is valued.
Challenge
Samantha loves having her nails done, but when she’s looking for inspiration online she gets overwhelmed by ideas and ends up just having the same old colours / designs. She feels that she’s being boring but is reluctant to try new ideas incase she’s unhappy with them. How might we empower Samantha to become more experimental and thoughtful with her nail design choice.
Process
The process became more of an experiment to understand: 1. Can you systemise design through feeling, supported by cultural and contextual knowledge? 2. Is this something people actually want or need? 3. Does it actually help people make decisions?
Solution
A transparent, "vibes-first" selection flow. Instead of asking "What design do you want?", the interface asks, "How do you want to feel?". To ensure human-centred transparency, the UI explicitly surfaces the cultural intelligence behind each look and mandates visible creator attribution on every design card. My ambition is to see if AI can help guide and influence us creatively without taking away from the original creators, nail artists and beauty journalists.
Impact
Early interviews with nail lovers and technicians showed real interest in this approach. They also exposed a genuine lack of understanding and appreciation for the skill and technique behind even a “simple” manicure. That points to further opportunity in this space, both in how decisions are made and in how the work is valued.
Challenge
Samantha loves having her nails done, but when she’s looking for inspiration online she gets overwhelmed by ideas and ends up just having the same old colours / designs. She feels that she’s being boring but is reluctant to try new ideas incase she’s unhappy with them. How might we empower Samantha to become more experimental and thoughtful with her nail design choice.
Process
The process became more of an experiment to understand: 1. Can you systemise design through feeling, supported by cultural and contextual knowledge? 2. Is this something people actually want or need? 3. Does it actually help people make decisions?
Solution
A transparent, "vibes-first" selection flow. Instead of asking "What design do you want?", the interface asks, "How do you want to feel?". To ensure human-centred transparency, the UI explicitly surfaces the cultural intelligence behind each look and mandates visible creator attribution on every design card. My ambition is to see if AI can help guide and influence us creatively without taking away from the original creators, nail artists and beauty journalists.
Impact
Early interviews with nail lovers and technicians showed real interest in this approach. They also exposed a genuine lack of understanding and appreciation for the skill and technique behind even a “simple” manicure. That points to further opportunity in this space, both in how decisions are made and in how the work is valued.