Garden Tag
Personalized plant care at your fingertips
Timeline
Mar-May. 2024
Role
UX Researcher/ UI Designer
Year
2024
Skills
Interview/User Research /Prototype
Team Member
Monan Qian/ Sarath Chand Nekuri
According to the 2019 National Gardening Survey 38% of 18-34 year-olds planned to spend more on lawn and garden activities in 2019, compared to the overall average of 29%.
Urban gardening has seen a resurgence as people seek to connect with nature, enjoy homegrown produce, and improve their living environments. Individuals are increasingly wary of commercial options due to concerns over pesticides and GMOs(genetically modified organism), driving them to grow their own fresh, safe produce. Additionally, as stress and mental health issues rise, gardening offers a fulfilling outlet for creative expression and relaxation. This trend reflects a broader desire to ensure food safety, enhance well-being, and find joy in nurturing plants at home.
Gardeners face frustration and difficulty in adhering to proper care routines due to inconsistent and non-personalized gardening advice, coupled with variable weather conditions.
Our intuitive on-boarding process ensures that new users can set up GardenTag quickly and easily. Step-by-step instructions guide users through pairing the device with their plants and naming it, with clear instructions and visual aids.
Provides users with a comprehensive snapshot of their garden’s status. This includes a real-time reminder of which plant needs watering next and actionable insights to ensure optimal plant care. Additionally, the notification icon in the upper right corner keeps users informed about all the plants that require attention today.
This feature enables users to group their plants for easy identification and management. By selecting a plant, users can view detailed health data monitored by GardenTag sensors. It offers tailored care suggestions, checks GardenTag connectivity to avoid misinformation, and provides ideal condition references to help plants thrive.
Connects users through shared gardening tips and advice. Enables users to post questions, seek help with plant care, and assist others with their gardening queries. The community is organized into sections for garden guides, articles, and video tips, providing a wealth of knowledge for users to explore. Also, users can bookmark posts and articles for easy access and future reference.
I synthesized data from user interviews to gain a deep understanding of gardeners' daily experiences, needs, and challenges. This process also helped identify areas where technology can enhance their gardening experience.
When the affinity map is used to summarize the user's pain points and needs, our research insights reveal several key areas for improvement.
During the ideation phase, we brainstormed innovative solutions to tackle the key challenges identified in our research. Here are the standout concepts sketches we developed to enhance the gardening experience.
We presented our ideas to peers and professors for feedback and then conducted a user evaluation to gauge their potential impact and feasibility. Based on the feedback, we selected GardenTag as the main concept. After that we delved deeper into its features and functionalities, brainstorming additional aspects to enhance its utility and user experience. We identified what information can be sensed by the GardenTag.
After completing the ideation process, we created low-fi wireframes for the primary screens, detailing the layout and functionality of each key feature. After sketching the low-fidelity wireframes, we conducted validation research to explore the effectiveness of our app.
This process helped us identify the app's usefulness, uncover areas for improvement, and pinpoint any existing shortcomings. We received numerous suggestions, such as users wanting a more intuitive way to view their plants' health status.
After completing the final high-fidelity prototype, we conducted evaluation tests, including usability tests and ASQ (After-Scenario Questionnaire). We received a lot of positive feedback, such as users finding all the features intuitive, straightforward, and effective. The UI design was also praised for its simplicity and clarity. We also gathered some suggestions for future improvements, such as incorporating a reward system where users can earn badges for planting a certain number of plants
Through completing this project, I gained invaluable insights into user-centered design and learned how to empathize deeply with users. I discovered that many of our initial assumptions were challenged by real-world research findings, underscoring the importance of grounding design decisions in actual user data.
By utilizing heuristic evaluation, we were able to pinpoint usability issues in line with Heuristics Evaluation. This approach was crucial in fine-tuning the design to ensure it was user-friendly. Continuous testing and iteration played a key role in enhancing the user experience. Each round of usability testing yielded actionable feedback that allowed us to improve the design’s effectiveness and boost user satisfaction.4o
Overall, this project significantly enhanced my ability to create user-focused solutions and validate their impact through rigorous testing. I learned various methods to test the effectiveness and usability of our product, which enabled me to critically assess our design and ensure it met user needs.
