I worked in a team to conduct design research on handlebar mustaches and other facial hair. We interviewed many men with different facial hair styles, as well as men who don't grow facial hair. We also spoke to stylists at barber shops and employees at stores that sell facial hair grooming products. And we spoke to the maker of a popular mustache wax to see how our research could help his business.
This 2x2 framework describes the men with facial hair we spoke to in terms of the motivation behind the first time they grew facial hair and how much their facial hair has become a part of their identity over time. The icons are graphic representations of the facial hair of the men we spoke to. This framework helped us develop insights about the facial hair growing process, and eventually led to concepts for products to help alleviate relevant pain points.
