Tatyana Nazarova Designer-Illustrator

I designed
6 different calculators
for A&L to enhance the customer experience:

1. DIY Calculator

2. "Which E-cigarette is Right for You?" Tool

3. Booster Calculator

4. Resistance Calculator

5. Quick Calculation Tool

6. Nicotine Strength Calculator

Project:

Arômes et Liquides
It is the leading French reference for electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, and DIY products.

Goals:

The goal was to simplify a complex process, reduce customer support requests, and encourage DIY adoption.

Solutions:

I designed a suite of six calculators to help customers mix their own e-liquids.

My Role & Collaboration:

Sole designer: handled research, UX flows, wireframes, UI design, testing.

Collaborated with developer (interactive features) and editor (content clarity).

Impact:

- Reduced the workload of the after-sales service center(≈-15% in 3 years)

- Boosted user engagement in self-mixing e-liquids.

- Increased sales of boosters and flavors

Problem

Customers wanted to create their own e-liquids but struggled with calculations (nicotine strength, base ratio, flavors). Many abandoned purchases or contacted support for help, creating friction for both users and the business.

Research & Insights

- 10h of user recordings: revealed that users often made multiple calculations in one session.

- 5 user interviews: showed strong demand for flexibility (adjusting results to match available ingredients).

- Competitor analysis (10 calculators): most tools were rigid, desktop-only, and didn’t support editing results.

Key insight: Users primarily calculate on mobile, want flexibility, and need quick access before purchase.

Goals

Business Goals:

1. Increase DIY product adoption

2. Reduce repetitive support inquiries

3. Boost sales of boosters/flavors

User Goals:

1. Calculate quickly on mobile

2. Adjust results to ingredient stock

3. Save multiple variations in one session

Unique Proposal

This is the only calculator that allows users to mix two different fragrances in their e-liquid.

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In the first version of the calculator, users were first asked to choose what they wanted to calculate: the base or the e-liquid.

---------------- HOW I WORKED ----------------

USAGE ANALYSIS
I reviewed 10 hours of video footage showing users interacting with the previous version of the calculator.

INTERVIEW SESSION
I conducted 5 interviews with vapers from different backgrounds to understand how they make their liquids and calculate the required volumes.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
I analyzed the calculators of our 5 main competitors to identify strengths and weaknesses.

PAIN POINTS

1. Users have to click multiple times to adjust the base amount.

2. Users switch between two screens to adjust calculation results, trying to match the available ingredient amounts.

3. Users often get confused between the E-Liquid and Base calculators.

------------- INSIGHTS AND RESULTS -------------

1.

Mobile usage:

Users primarily use the mobile version of the site for calculations.

Result:

I focused on enhancing the mobile calculator and exploring the development of an app.

2.

Multiple calculations:

Users often make several calculations in one session.

Result:

I implemented the ability for users to add and remove components at any stage of the calculation.

3.

Ingredient Adjustments:

Users want to modify results to better align with the quantities of ingredients they have.

Result:

I made the results on the final screen editable, allowing users to easily adjust inputs.

4.

Pre-Purchase Calculations:

Users perform calculations before making a purchase.

Result:

Added two product gallery sliders on the final screen: "You May Be Lacking..." and "You Might Need."

---------------- LO-FI PROTOTYPE----------------

MAIN SCENARIOS:
1. Calculating nicotine base liquid.
2. Calculating flavored e-liquid.
3. Calculating nicotine content in e-liquid.

---------------- HI-FI PROTOTYPE----------------

REJECTED CONCEPT
for the DIY Calculator

The initial version of the calculator included a game element, where the bottle would fill synchronously with data entry, and the overall visual design aimed to support the brand color.

This version was rejected by stakeholders due to the lack of a specialist to develop the animation and an excess of color.

Solution

1. Users can add/remove components at any stage.

2. Results screen is editable, so users can adapt calculations to their ingredient stock.

3. Final screen includes two product sliders:

“You may be lacking...” (ingredients needed)

“You might need...” (suggested add-ons)

4. Created a quick calculator version on product pages for faster decisions by advanced users.

On the product page, a short version of the DIY calculator has been integrated to assist experienced vapers.

Familiar with DIY e-liquids, they only need a small hint to make a decision, making the experience smoother.

Goals:

Increase the number of new users.

Solutions:

 Developed a calculator to help users select an electronic cigarette based on their smoking profile.

Outcomes: 

Sales of e-cigarette models designed for beginners have increased.

A beginner vaper often needs assistance in choosing the right nicotine level.

Impact

- Reduced support tickets: fewer repetitive “how do I calculate?” inquiries. (≈-15% in 3 years)

- Increased DIY sales: more customers felt confident to mix their own liquids. (based on the results of an online survey of over 50 people)

- Higher engagement: customers returned to use calculators multiple times per session.

- Increased sales of DIY product (≈25% in 6 years)

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Reflection

Products are constantly evolving, and so does the way users interact with them. It’s essential to keep a finger on the pulse of user behavior and be ready to adapt the service accordingly.

Next step: save recipes for returning customers, allowing them to build a “personal library.”

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