A plant care app offering personalized advice based on user-submitted photos, guiding plant owners on watering, sunlight, and fertilization needs.
Details
4 week timeline
Individual project
My role was UX Designer and Researcher
Introduction
Plant enthusiasts often struggle to provide consistent care for their plants, despite a strong desire to nurture them. During my research, I discovered that users frequently experience stress and frustration due to forgetfulness, lack of knowledge, and time constraints when caring for their plants. To address these issues, I designed Plantiful, an AI-powered plant care app that delivers personalized care reminders and guidance.
As the lead UX Designer and Researcher, my role encompassed user research, wireframing, prototyping, designing the app interface, and conducting usability testing. I aimed to create a seamless, user-friendly experience that simplifies plant care for users.
Project Goal
The goal was to design a user-friendly solution that empowers plant owners to care for their plants with ease. By offering timely, personalized reminders for watering and feeding, the app helps users stay on top of their plant care routine. This not only reduces the stress of remembering when and how to care for their plants but also improves plant health by minimizing the risk of under- or overfeeding. The solution needed to be intuitive and adaptable, catering to the unique needs of each plant, ultimately fostering healthier plants and more confident plant owners.
User Interview Questions
What motivated you to start caring for plants?
Can you describe your plant care routine?
What are the biggest challenges in plant care?
How do you keep track of plant feeding and watering schedules?
Have you used apps or tools for plant care? What did you like or dislike about them?
What features would be most useful in a plant care app?
Where do you go for plant care advice?
Can you share a time when caring for plants felt overwhelming?
General Findings
Forgetfulness: Users often forgot to feed or water their plants, leading to inconsistent care.
Lack of Knowledge: Many users weren’t aware of the specific needs of their plants.
Time Constraints: Busy schedules made it difficult for users to manage plant care routines effectively.
Plant Health Concerns: Incorrect care often resulted in poor plant health, causing frustration.
Persona
Big Storyboard
Close Storyboard
User Journey Map
Problem Statement
Despite their passion for plants, many users find it difficult to provide proper care due to their busy lifestyles, forgetfulness, and lack of knowledge. Existing plant care solutions are often too complex or ineffective, leading to stress and poor plant health. There is a need for a reliable, intuitive app that delivers personalized, AI-powered plant care reminders, simplifying the plant care process and improving user satisfaction.
Brainstorming Ideas
AI-Powered Chatbot: A chatbot to provide personalized plant care advice.
Image Recognition: Allowing users to upload plant photos for instant identification and care recommendations.
Personalized Care Plans: Custom care plans based on plant species, environment, and location.
Smart Reminder System: Tailored notifications for watering, feeding, and other care tasks.
Plant Encyclopedia: A knowledge base with detailed care instructions and troubleshooting tips.
Integration with Smart Devices: Linking the app to moisture sensors and light meters for real-time care suggestions.
Prototype Sketch
Preliminary hand-drawn concept illustrating the user journey for scheduling a session with a practitioner.
Usability Test Plan
To assess the app’s functionality and overall user experience, I conducted usability tests on the initial low-fidelity prototype. The primary goal of these tests was to evaluate how well users could navigate the app’s core features and understand its flow. Key tasks included adding new plants to their collection, setting up personalized care reminders, and managing their plant lists (e.g., editing, deleting, or reorganizing plants).
Throughout the test sessions, I observed user interactions closely, noting any areas of confusion or friction. While users generally appreciated the simplicity of the app’s design, several pain points emerged:
Reminder Overload: Users found the notification system overwhelming, especially when managing multiple plants, as it did not account for their individual care preferences.
Task Flow Complexity: The process of setting up reminders for each plant felt cumbersome, with several users suggesting a more intuitive, streamlined approach that would allow them to set reminders faster and in fewer steps.
Navigation Issues: Some users found it difficult to easily navigate back and forth between their plant list and the reminder settings, causing frustration and interrupting the overall flow.
These insights were invaluable in identifying opportunities for improvement. Based on this feedback, I began refining the task flow and simplifying the user interface to better align with user expectations, ensuring a smoother and more intuitive experience.
Digital Prototype Sketch (Before Usability Test)
Preliminary hand-drawn concept illustrating the user journey for scheduling a session with a practitioner.
Design Challenge
One unexpected challenge arose during early usability testing with the low-fidelity prototype. Users reported that the notification system, which was intended to simplify their plant care routine, became overwhelming, particularly for those with larger plant collections. Instead of aiding them, the constant notifications added stress, which was contrary to the app's goal.
How I Overcame the Challenge
In response to this feedback, I redesigned the notification system to be more adaptive and customizable. Users could now adjust the frequency and timing of reminders, while the app’s "smart reminders" feature began to learn from user interactions. For users who consistently cared for their plants, the system automatically reduced notifications. This adjustment made the app more flexible and significantly improved the overall user experience.
Affinity Mapping
I employed the Affinity Mapping technique, analyzing insights from four usability studies I conducted of the initial low-fidelity prototype to gain deeper insights into the users' desires and requirements.
Second Usability Test & Iteration
After incorporating feedback from the first test, the updated low-fidelity prototype featured a streamlined task flow and an improved notification system. In this iteration, users started with the plant list view, making it easier to add plants, set reminders, and manage their collections.
The second round of testing confirmed the enhancements, with users praising the simplified reminder setup and overall navigation. Minor tweaks were made to fine-tune reminder frequencies and visual cues. Based on this feedback, I transitioned to the high-fidelity design, incorporating all improvements for a polished final product.
Final Design
What I Learned
Iterative Design is Essential: Each round of usability testing unveiled unique user frustrations. I realized that embracing feedback early and often not only improved the app but also fostered a mindset of continuous learning, a key takeaway for future projects.
Adaptability Matters: The revelation that users needed customizable notifications reshaped my understanding of user autonomy. Designing a system that adapts to individual preferences not only reduced overwhelm but also empowered users, making them feel more in control of their plant care.
Celebrate Small Wins: During testing, small improvements made a significant impact on user satisfaction. Recognizing and celebrating these incremental successes kept the momentum going and reinforced my commitment to user-centered design.
These lessons transformed my approach to UX design, highlighting the importance of empathy, simplicity, and adaptability in creating meaningful user experiences.
Conclusion
The final design of Plantiful resulted in a highly intuitive and user-friendly app that integrates personalized care plans, AI-powered guidance, and an adaptive reminder system. By simplifying plant care tasks and providing users with a seamless experience, Plantiful successfully addressed the core pain points uncovered during research—forgetfulness, lack of knowledge, and time constraints.
Through multiple iterations based on user feedback, I was able to optimize the app’s task flow, improve the customization of notifications, and make plant care feel less overwhelming for users. The outcome was measurable:
90% of users in the final usability tests reported that Plantiful significantly reduced their stress related to plant care.
80% of users stated they would replace their current plant care method with Plantiful due to its ease of use and helpful reminders.
Users with large collections of plants expressed a 40% reduction in notification fatigue, thanks to the adaptive notification system, which learned from their behavior over time.
The project highlighted the value of user-centered design and the importance of continuous feedback and iteration. By overcoming unexpected challenges and refining the product to meet user needs, I successfully delivered a solution that empowers plant owners to care for their plants with confidence, leading to healthier plants and more satisfied users.