An app that aims to get rid of plant care fears and woes forever!
Evergarden streamlines the process of identifying and solving houseplant problems, with a variety of features to support everyone from budding green thumbs to veteran plant parents
Role
UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer
Toolkit
Figma, Figjam, Pencil + Paper
Date
August 2024
Responsibilities
User research & interviews
User flows & information architecture
Low and high fidelity prototyping
User interface mockups
Usability studies
Iterating on designs
Accounting for accessibility
THE PROBLEM
Plants are great - until they start dying. Trawling through countless websites trying diagnose ambiguous symptoms whilst on a time crunch can make anyone go crazy. Isn’t it easier to just throw the plant away and get a new one?
General User Sentiment
01
Hesitation and uncertainty on where to start
How do I begin to describe the problem?
Where do I look?
What sources can I trust?
02
Misdiagnosis due to
overwhelming or conflicting information
Why are different sources saying different things?
All the symptoms sound the same to me
How do I know if I have deduced the issue correctly?
03
Time poor and disposable plant culture
I don’t have time to sift through all this information
I don’t want to devote so much time or energy
I can always chuck it out and start again
THE SOLUTION
Design a mobile app that enables users to quickly and easily make informed decisions about what is wrong with their plant. Include features for efficiently implementing and tracking treatment progress as well as general plant care.
Addressing User Needs
01
Auto diagnose camera feature that quickly provides clear result options
02
Step by step guided process with large visual references
03
Key information displayed succinctly with options to expand into more detail
04
Ability to save plants to set reminders and keep track of care or growth
05
In-app forum and access useful articles for further learning
MOCK UP
The key features of Evergarden
01 Welcome!
Sign up and log in options are quick and simple
Overall feel of the app is introduced via the playful animation, soft colour palette and graphics
02 Diagnose & Treat
“Auto-diagnose” is differentiated by a unique green tone, guiding users to this main function
Progress bar along the top visually communicates and guides users along the process
Percentage match indicators and key phrases helps users make an informed choice
Results are easily digestible at a glance and can be expanded for further details
03 Care
Save plants and filter them by health for quick access
Learn more about your plant and their key facts
Care for your plant by setting up reminders
Keep track of your plant by adding photos and notes
04 Learn
Community Forum lets users connect with like minded individuals
Articles and guides for further learning to hone one’s skills
THE PROBLEM
Plants are great - until they start dying. Trawling through countless websites trying diagnose ambiguous symptoms whilst on a time crunch can make anyone go crazy. Isn’t it easier to just throw the plant away and get a new one?
General user sentiment
Hesitation & uncertainty on where to start
01
-
How do I begin to describe the problem?
-
Where do I look?
-
What sources can I trust?
Misdiagnosis due to overwhelming or conflicting information
02
-
Why are different sources saying different things?
-
All the symptoms sound the same to me
-
How do I know if I have deduced the issue correctly?
Time poor & disposable plant culture
03
-
I don’t have time to sift through all this information
-
I don’t want to devote so much time or energy
-
I can always chuck it out and start again
THE SOLUTION
Design a mobile app that enables users to quickly and easily make informed decisions about what is wrong with their plant. Include features for efficiently implementing and tracking treatment progress as well as general plant care.
Addressing user needs
01
Auto diagnose camera feature that quickly provides clear result options
02
Step by step guided process with large visual references
03
Key information displayed succinctly with options to expand into more detail
04
Ability to save plants to set reminders and keep track of care or growth
05
In-app forum and access useful articles for further learning
THE PROBLEM
Plants are great - until they start dying. Trawling through countless websites trying diagnose ambiguous symptoms whilst on a time crunch can make anyone go crazy. Isn’t it easier to just throw the plant away and get a new one?
General User Sentiment
01) Hesitation and uncertainty on where to start
-
How do I begin to describe the problem?
-
Where do I look?
-
What sources can I trust?
02) Misdiagnosis due to overwhelming or conflicting information
-
Why are different sources saying different things?
-
All the symptoms sound the same to me
-
How do I know if I have deduced the issue correctly?
03) Time poor and disposable plant culture
-
I don’t have time to sift through all this information
-
I don’t want to devote so much time or energy
-
I can always chuck it out and start again
THE SOLUTION
Design a mobile app that enables users to quickly and easily make informed decisions about what is wrong with their plant. Include features for efficiently implementing and tracking treatment progress as well as general plant care.
Addressing User Needs
Auto diagnose camera feature that quickly provides clear result options
01
Step by step guided process with large visual references
02
Key information displayed succinctly with options to expand into more detail
03
Ability to save plants to set reminders and keep track of care or growth
04
In-app forum and access useful articles for further learning
05
RESEARCH
Understanding the user
The key features of Evergarden
MOCK UP
01 Welcome!
Sign up and Log in options are quick and simple
Overall feel of the app is introduced via the playful animation, soft colour palette and graphics
02 Diagnose & Treat
“Auto-diagnose” is differentiated by a unique green tone, guiding users to this main function
Progress bar along the top visually communicates and guides users along the process
Percentage match indicators and key phrases helps users make an informed choice
Results are easily digestible at a glance and can be expanded for further details
03 Care
Save plants and filter them by health for quick access
Learn more about your plant and their key facts
Care for your plant by setting up reminders
Keep track of your plant by adding photos and notes
04 Learn
Community Forum lets users connect with like minded individuals
Articles and Guides for further learning to hone one’s skills
MOCK UP
Key features
01 Welcome!
Sign up and log in options are quick and simple
Overall feel of the app is introduced via the playful animation, soft colour palette and graphics
02 Diagnose & Treat
“Auto-diagnose” is differentiated by a unique green tone, guiding users to this main function
Progress bar along the top visually communicates and guides users along the process
Percentage match indicators and key phrases helps users make an informed choice
Results are easily digestible at a glance and can be expanded for further details
04 Learn
Community forum lets users connect with like minded individuals
Articles and guides for further learning to hone one’s skills
03 Care
Save plants and filter them by health for quick access
Learn more about your plant and their key facts
Care for your plant by setting up reminders
Keep track of your plant by adding photos and notes
Houseplants have surged in popularity in recent years, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.
Data Bridge Market Research projects the global indoor plant market will reach $28.84 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.87%.
Especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic, a desire for connection with nature has prompted individuals to put on their gardening gloves.
I conducted a series of user interviews and carried out a competitive audit to develop a greater understanding of the target audience and their potential pain points, thoughts and experiences.
01
Understand users and their motivations
02
Identify frustrations with caring for plants
03
Identify features that would be useful for plant care
04
Get an idea of current products in markets and identify gaps
05
Validate the need for the Evergarden app
Research Goals
Understanding the user
RESEARCH
Understanding the user
RESEARCH
In response to this growth, a number of plant care services have been established. However, interestingly, a large majority of the participants in the user interviews I conducted have remarked that they do not currently use such apps.
COMPETITIVE AUDIT
Conducting a competitive analysis into current popular plant care apps revealed these key insights that could be the underlying reason of why:
-
Overwhelming amount of information that is dense and difficult to read
-
Doesn’t filter disease that makes the most sense for specific plants
-
Only providing one result
-
Not accessible (country specific, different units of measurement etc.)
-
Disease detection is not accurate and generally broad and vague
-
Lots of jargon without explanation or references
-
Vague answers with no clear resolution path
Houseplants have surged in popularity in recent years, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.
Data Bridge Market Research projects the global indoor plant market will reach $28.84 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.87%.
Especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic, a desire for connection with nature has prompted individuals to put on their gardening gloves.
I conducted a series of user interviews and carried out a competitive audit to develop a greater understanding of the target audience and their potential pain points, thoughts and experiences.
Understand users and their motivations
01
Identify frustrations with caring for plants
02
Identify features that would be useful for plant care
03
Get an idea of current products in markets and identify gaps
04
Validate the need for the Evergarden app
05
Research Goals
Houseplants have surged in popularity in recent years, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.
Data Bridge Market Research projects the global indoor plant market will reach $28.84 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.87%.
Especially in the wake of the Covid pandemic, a desire for connection with nature has prompted individuals to put on their gardening gloves.
I conducted a series of user interviews and carried out a competitive audit to develop a greater understanding of the target audience and their potential pain points, thoughts and experiences.
Research Goals
Understand users and their motivations
01
02
Identify frustrations with caring for plants
03
Identify features that would be useful for plant care
04
Get an idea of current products in markets and identify gaps
05
Validate the need for the Evergarden app
USER RESEARCH
I conducted a series of interviews to get a clear picture of all the potential users as well as their characteristics, goals and pain points. Participants ranged from those who knew little about plant care to experts who were familiar with similar plant care apps.
“It can be quite difficult to figure out what’s wrong with my plant since there’s a lot of information online that’s quite wordy and confusing - my brain just switches off.”
“Google has a lot of answers but it takes time to check different answers and websites… I’m time poor and will usually focus on other priorities before looking after the plants”
“The bar is often set unrealistically high for care - like I'm not going to mist my plants every day or mix my own optimised potting mix blend”
COMPETITIVE AUDIT
In response to this growth, a number of plant care services have been established. However, interestingly, a large majority of the participants in the user interviews I conducted have remarked that they do not currently use such apps.
Conducting a competitive analysis into current popular plant care apps revealed these key insights that could be the underlying reason of why:
-
Overwhelming amount of information that is dense and difficult to read
-
Doesn’t filter disease that makes the most sense for specific plants
-
Only providing one result leaving user to blindly trust rather than making own informed choice
-
Not accessible (country specific, different units of measurement etc.)
-
Disease detection is not accurate and generally broad and vague
-
Lots of jargon without explanation or references
-
Vague answers with no clear resolution path
COMPETITIVE AUDIT
In response to this growth, a number of plant care services have been established. However, interestingly, a large majority of the participants in the user interviews I conducted have remarked that they do not currently use such apps.
Conducting a competitive analysis into current popular plant care apps revealed these key insights that could be the underlying reason of why:
-
Overwhelming amount of information that is dense and difficult to read
-
Doesn’t filter disease that makes the most sense for specific plants
-
Only providing one result leaving user to blindly trust rather than making own informed choice
-
Not accessible (country specific, different units of measurement etc.)
-
Disease detection is not accurate and generally broad and vague
-
Lots of jargon without explanation or references
-
Vague answers with no clear resolution path
USER RESEARCH
I conducted a series of interviews to get a clear picture of all the potential users as well as their characteristics, goals and pain points. Participants ranged from those who knew little about plant care to experts who were familiar with similar plant care apps.
“It can be quite difficult to figure out what’s wrong with my plant since there’s a lot of information online that’s quite wordy and confusing - my brain just switches off.”
“Google has a lot of answers but it takes time to check different answers and websites… I’m time poor and will usually focus on other priorities before looking after the plants”
“The bar is often set unrealistically high for care - like I'm not going to mist my plants every day or mix my own optimised potting mix blend”
USER RESEARCH
I conducted a series of interviews to get a clear picture of all the potential users as well as their characteristics, goals and pain points. Participants ranged from those who knew little about plant care to experts who were familiar with similar plant care apps.
USER PERSONAS
01
Melissa
The confused beginner
02
Samantha
The busy young adult
03
Marcus
The retired green thumb
USER PERSONAS
Melissa
01
The confused beginner
Samantha
02
The busy young adult
Marcus
03
The retired green thumb
USER PERSONAS
03 Marcus
The retired green thumb
02 Samantha
The busy young adult
01 Melissa
The confused beginner
USER JOURNEY MAP
Based on the research that was conducted, a user journey map was developed to visually represent the persona's experience as they navigate the process of identifying and addressing issues with their houseplants.
This project aims to make taking care of plants easy and accessible for everyone; which is why Melissa was chosen as the primary persona. By focusing on beginner plant owners we can ensure the app’s features are intuitive for newcomers.
Based on the research that was conducted, a user journey map was developed to visually represent the persona's experience as they navigate the process of identifying and addressing issues with their houseplants.
This project aims to make taking care of plants easy and accessible for everyone; which is why Melissa was chosen as the primary persona. By focusing on beginner plant owners we can ensure the app’s features are intuitive for newcomers.
USER JOURNEY MAP
USER JOURNEY MAP
Based on the research that was conducted, a user journey map was developed to visually represent the persona's experience as they navigate the process of identifying and addressing issues with their houseplants.
This project aims to make taking care of plants easy and accessible for everyone; which is why Melissa was chosen as the primary persona. By focusing on beginner plant owners we can ensure the app’s features are intuitive for newcomers.
IDEATION
Starting the design
Starting The Design
IDEATION
Starting The Design
IDEATION
PAPER WIREFRAMES
Initial concepts
Based on the user insights uncovered in the research phase, Evergarden will focus on three main capabilities:
01
Detecting issues with houseplants
Auto Diagnose
02
Saving plants to track care
Plant Characteristics
03
Learning and community interaction
How-To Articles
Preliminary wireframes were created to map out and explore the core user flows
EVALUATION & ITERATION
Usability testing & refining the design
Usability Testing & Refining The Design
EVALUATION & ITERATION
EVALUATION & ITERATION
Usability testing & refining the design
A moderated usability study was carried out with 6 different participants to assess how easy it was for users to complete core tasks within the app
-
To confirm if the app helps to reduce the time and complexity for users to pin point and resolve issues with their houseplants
-
To figure out if the layout and navigation is clear, intuitive and easy to use
-
To see whether the process is consistent with user expectations
-
To find out if the tools, functions and type of information provided are useful
-
To uncover pain points and product opportunities
Research Goals
A moderated usability study was carried out with 6 different participants to assess how easy it was for users to complete core tasks within the app
-
To confirm if the app helps to reduce the time and complexity for users to pin point and resolve issues with their houseplants
-
To figure out if the layout and navigation is clear, intuitive and easy to use
-
To see whether the process is consistent with user expectations
-
To find out if the tools, functions and type of information provided are useful
-
To uncover pain points and product opportunities
Research Goals
A moderated usability study was carried out with 6 different participants to assess how easy it was for users to complete core tasks within the app
Research Goals
-
To confirm if the app helps to reduce the time and complexity for users to pin point and resolve issues with their houseplants
-
To figure out if the layout and navigation is clear, intuitive and easy to use
-
To see whether the process is consistent with user expectations
-
To find out if the tools, functions and type of information provided are useful
-
To uncover pain points and product opportunities
AFFINITY MAP
The observations from the moderated study were organised into an Affinity Diagram, revealing underlying themes and patterns.
GROUP MAP
Reorganising the affinity map into a group map further clarified the themes which helped to guide the development of actionable insights.
AFFINITY MAP
The observations from the moderated study were organised into an Affinity Diagram, revealing underlying themes and patterns.
GROUP MAP
Reorganising the affinity map into a group map further clarified the themes which helped to guide the development of actionable insights.
AFFINITY MAP
The observations from the moderated study were organised into an Affinity Diagram, revealing underlying themes and patterns.
GROUP MAP
Reorganising the affinity map into a group map further clarified the themes which helped to guide the development of actionable insights.
INSIGHTS
CLEAR CUES - PRIORITY P0
It was observed that 5 out of 6 participants were unsure about some buttons or missed them completely.
This means that most users were unsure about what parts of the app were interactive.
Insight: Users need better cues for what they can access
EXPERT HELP - PRIORITY P0
It was observed that 6 out of 6 participants struggled accessing expert help and/or expert help notifications. This means that most users felt the location of the expert help feature and notifications was not intuitive.
Insight: The expert help feature and notifications needs to be more apparent and easier to access
SIMPLICITY - PRIORITY P2
It was observed that 4 out of 6 participants touched on preferring a more simple layout. This means a simple interface makes it easier for users to navigate
Insight: Pages need to be simplified so it is more user friendly
READABILITY - PRIORITY P1
It was observed that 5 out of 6 participants had some issues with the text, complaining about the size or commenting it was too dense and overwhelming. This means that most users struggle with the way information is being presented.
Insight: The text needs to be less dense and easier to read
INSIGHTS
CLEAR CUES - PRIORITY P0
It was observed that 5 out of 6 participants were unsure about some buttons or missed them completely.
This means that most users were unsure about what parts of the app were interactive.
Insight: Users need better cues for what they can access
-
Consistent buttons
-
Higher contrast
-
More eye catching / obvious cues
EXPERT HELP - PRIORITY P0
It was observed that 6 out of 6 participants struggled accessing expert help and/or expert help notifications. This means that most users felt the location of the expert help feature and notifications was not intuitive.
Insight: The expert help feature and notifications needs to be more apparent and easier to access
-
Change notifications symbol
-
Have multiple ways to reach expert help
-
Put expert help as an alternative option during auto diagnose
SIMPLICITY - PRIORITY P2
It was observed that 4 out of 6 participants touched on preferring a more simple layout. This means a simple interface makes it easier for users to navigate
Insight: Pages need to be simplified so it is more user friendly
-
Hide away features that people don’t find as useful (articles etc)
-
Simplify each page so the main task is very obvious
-
Have options to hide information to reduce clutter
READABILITY - PRIORITY P1
It was observed that 5 out of 6 participants had some issues with the text, complaining about the size or commenting it was too dense and overwhelming. This means that most users struggle with the way information is being presented.
Insight: The text needs to be less dense and easier to read
Larger font
Less dense (shorter key phrases, hashtags etc.)
Larger images
INSIGHTS
CLEAR CUES - PRIORITY P0
It was observed that 5 out of 6 participants were unsure about some buttons or missed them completely.
This means that most users were unsure about what parts of the app were interactive.
Insight: Users need better cues for what they can access
-
Consistent buttons
-
Higher contrast
-
More eye catching / obvious cues
EXPERT HELP - PRIORITY P0
It was observed that 6 out of 6 participants struggled accessing expert help and/or expert help notifications. This means that most users felt the location of the expert help feature and notifications was not intuitive.
Insight: The expert help feature and notifications needs to be more apparent and easier to access
-
Change notifications symbol
-
Have multiple ways to reach expert help
-
Put expert help as an alternative option during auto diagnose
SIMPLICITY - PRIORITY P2
It was observed that 4 out of 6 participants touched on preferring a more simple layout. This means a simple interface makes it easier for users to navigate
Insight: Pages need to be simplified so it is more user friendly
-
Hide away features that people don’t find as useful (articles etc)
-
Simplify each page so the main task is very obvious
-
Have options to hide information to reduce clutter
READABILITY - PRIORITY P1
It was observed that 5 out of 6 participants had some issues with the text, complaining about the size or commenting it was too dense and overwhelming. This means that most users struggle with the way information is being presented.
Insight: The text needs to be less dense and easier to read
-
Larger font
-
Less dense (shorter key phrases, hashtags etc.)
-
Larger images
DESIGN SYSTEM
DESIGN SYSTEM
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS
Text to Speech (TTS button)
Aids those with visual impairments, dyslexia, or other reading challenges by delivering information via audio
Definitions for difficult jargon
Accommodates users with different levels of literacy
Voice Control
Assists users with physical disabilities, motor impairments or conditions like arthritis to search for results easily
Haptics
Tactile feedback helps to confirm actions. Also helps users with auditory impairments by silently alerting users to notifications
Alt Text
Allows users with visual impairments to understand the content and context of images on a webpage via a screen reader.
Screen Reader
Allows users to navigate through app by reading out buttons, menus, links, and other interactive elements
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS
Text to Speech
(TTS button)
Aids those with visual impairments, dyslexia, or other reading challenges by delivering information via audio
Haptics
Tactile feedback helps to confirm actions. Also helps users with auditory impairments by silently alerting users to notifications
Definitions for jargon
Accommodates users with different levels of literacy
Alt Text
Allows users with visual impairments to understand the content and context of images on a webpage via a screen reader.
Voice Control
Assists users with physical disabilities, motor impairments or conditions like arthritis to search for results easily
Screen Reader
Allows users to navigate through app by reading out buttons, menus, links, and other interactive elements
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS
IMPACT
The two main goals of Evergarden were to help users detect plant issues more quickly and easily. To ensure we achieved this, I measured task success rate and average time on task on the core user flow during both the low-fidelity and high-fidelity stages, revealing significant improvements.
Positive User Feedback
“I love how quick and simple it is to get a result! I would usually just let the plant die because I can’t be bothered to trawl through google but with this app I could definitely take better care of my plants”
“I’ve noticed how you have designed the app with accessibility in mind which was refreshing and nice to see - even though I wouldn’t say I have a disability I found the features helpful for myself as well”
"I can see myself getting more into plants the more I use this app."
NEXT STEPS
Takeaways
This project was both challenging and eye-opening.
There was a conscious effort to keep a balance between providing users with options and information without causing cognitive overload or complicating navigation. User testing also revealed a number of unexpected insights, reinforcing the importance of keeping users at the forefront.
Ultimately, I gained a deeper understanding of the design process and a greater appreciation for the iterative approach needed to achieve the right user experience.
Considerations for further development
01
Introduce Onboarding
To reduce the learning curve, making it easier for users to understand the app’s features and functionality
02
Introduce paid features
To continually improve quality of content
03
Integrate animations
To enhance user experience as well as guiding attention and aiding in navigation
04
Enhancing forum feature
To encourage more user participation and foster a stronger community
05
Light / Dark Colour Mode
To offer greater control over how users view content, improving readability and reduce eye strain
