What's in a Gel?
Cross-functional partnership
and founder advisory
CHALLENGE
During the development of a styling gel, the brand requested more hold. The instruction appeared clear, but “hold” was being used to describe several different parts of the product experience.
The founder was describing the finished style and how long it remained controlled. Product users experienced hold through cast formation, the way the cast broke, and what happened to the hair afterward. The chemist needed a specific formulation target.
Without alignment, the formula could technically deliver more hold while moving further away from the experience the brand wanted.
OUR WORK
Kulima tested the prototypes firsthand, evaluating application, cast formation, cast break, post-break control, finish, and shine. The ingredient composition was also reviewed, with specific feedback tied to the intended performance.
The evaluation revealed that the request for “more hold” could easily push the formula toward rigidity—the opposite of the flexible, workable experience the brand wanted. The actual requirements were to:
-Create a noticeable cast during drying
-Allow the cast to break during styling
-Maintain control after the cast was broken
-Produce more shine in the finished result
This changed the direction of the next formulation round. Instead of formulating toward a general increase in firmness, the chemists had specific targets for cast behavior, lasting control, and finish. The founder and internal team also had the same criteria for evaluating the next prototype. Kulima’s work protected the intended user experience while ensuring the next iteration addressed the actual performance issue rather than intensifying the wrong attribute.
OUTCOME
Kulima created a shared standard for product performance across the founder, internal team, and chemist, replacing subjective feedback with direction everyone could interpret and act on. This gave the brand a consistent way to evaluate each prototype, communicate revisions, and determine whether the formula was moving toward the intended product experience. By resolving the misalignment early, Kulima reduced the risk of unnecessary formulation rounds, conflicting feedback, and development decisions based on personal interpretation.
