botanica
UX design project exploring a home gardening app that helps users manage plant care.
FOCUS
UX/UI DESIGN
TIMELINE
4 WEEKS
TOOLS
FIGMA
botanica
UX design project exploring a home gardening app that helps users manage plant care.
FOCUS
UX/UI DESIGN
TIMELINE
4 WEEKS
TOOLS
FIGMA
botanica
UX design project exploring a home gardening app that helps users manage plant care.
FOCUS
UX/UI DESIGN
TIMELINE
4 WEEKS
TOOLS
FIGMA
Problem
Problem
Problem
Our research revealed that many home gardeners struggle to keep plants alive due to busy schedules, memory challenges, and conflicting or overwhelming plant care information found online.
Our research revealed that many home gardeners struggle to keep plants alive due to busy schedules, memory challenges, and conflicting or overwhelming plant care information found online.
Our research revealed that many home gardeners struggle to keep plants alive due to busy schedules, memory challenges, and conflicting or overwhelming plant care information found online.
Research & Key Insights
Research & Key Insights
Research & Key Insights
Through interviews, secondary research, and community forum analysis, we identified recurring pain points such as forgetting to water plants, inconsistent care knowledge, and a desire for low-maintenance solutions.
Read more: User interviews, insights, and research synthesis →
Through interviews, secondary research, and community forum analysis, we identified recurring pain points such as forgetting to water plants, inconsistent care knowledge, and a desire for low-maintenance solutions.
Read more: User interviews, insights, and research synthesis →
Through interviews, secondary research, and community forum analysis, we identified recurring pain points such as forgetting to water plants, inconsistent care knowledge, and a desire for low-maintenance solutions.
Read more: User interviews, insights, and research synthesis →
Ideation/Low-Fidelity
Ideation/Low-Fidelity
Ideation/Low-Fidelity
We began with broad ideation and low-fidelity sketching to explore multiple solutions without focusing on visual polish, allowing us to quickly test ideas and refine core user flows.
Early sketches and concept explorations focused on key user tasks such as plant discovery, personalized care tracking, gardening tips, and community engagement, helping us narrow down the most valuable features to pursue.
We began with broad ideation and low-fidelity sketching to explore multiple solutions without focusing on visual polish, allowing us to quickly test ideas and refine core user flows.
Early sketches and concept explorations focused on key user tasks such as plant discovery, personalized care tracking, gardening tips, and community engagement, helping us narrow down the most valuable features to pursue.
We began with broad ideation and low-fidelity sketching to explore multiple solutions without focusing on visual polish, allowing us to quickly test ideas and refine core user flows.
Early sketches and concept explorations focused on key user tasks such as plant discovery, personalized care tracking, gardening tips, and community engagement, helping us narrow down the most valuable features to pursue.
Design Concept 1
Design Concept 1
Design Concept 1
Design Concept 1
Smart Plant Recognition
This concept focuses on quick plant identification using a photo. Users can upload or take a picture of a plant they are curious about, and the app identifies the plant and provides clear care information such as watering needs, light requirements, and common issues. This approach is designed for users who want fast, reliable answers without needing to know the plant’s name, reducing confusion and guesswork when caring for plants.
Smart Plant Recognition
This concept focuses on quick plant identification using a photo. Users can upload or take a picture of a plant they are curious about, and the app identifies the plant and provides clear care information such as watering needs, light requirements, and common issues. This approach is designed for users who want fast, reliable answers without needing to know the plant’s name, reducing confusion and guesswork when caring for plants.
Smart Plant Recognition
This concept focuses on quick plant identification using a photo. Users can upload or take a picture of a plant they are curious about, and the app identifies the plant and provides clear care information such as watering needs, light requirements, and common issues. This approach is designed for users who want fast, reliable answers without needing to know the plant’s name, reducing confusion and guesswork when caring for plants.
Design Concept 2
Design Concept 2
Design Concept 2
Design Concept 2
Interactive Plant Database
This concept centers on long-term plant care management. Users can log the plants they own, track growth and health over time, and record milestones or issues they experience. Each plant includes a reference guide with care tips and common problems, while a wishlist allows users to save plants they want in the future. This approach helps users stay organized, build gardening knowledge over time, and feel a sense of progress and accomplishment.
Interactive Plant Database
This concept centers on long-term plant care management. Users can log the plants they own, track growth and health over time, and record milestones or issues they experience. Each plant includes a reference guide with care tips and common problems, while a wishlist allows users to save plants they want in the future. This approach helps users stay organized, build gardening knowledge over time, and feel a sense of progress and accomplishment.
Interactive Plant Database
This concept centers on long-term plant care management. Users can log the plants they own, track growth and health over time, and record milestones or issues they experience. Each plant includes a reference guide with care tips and common problems, while a wishlist allows users to save plants they want in the future. This approach helps users stay organized, build gardening knowledge over time, and feel a sense of progress and accomplishment.
Design Concept 3
Design Concept 3
Design Concept 3
Community-Sourced Plant Search
This concept emphasizes learning through community interaction. Users can upload photos of plants they want to identify or ask questions about, and other gardeners can respond with identification help, care tips, and personal advice. By relying on shared experiences and diverse knowledge, this approach supports users who prefer human insight and fosters a sense of community, collaboration, and shared learning.
Community-Sourced Plant Search
This concept emphasizes learning through community interaction. Users can upload photos of plants they want to identify or ask questions about, and other gardeners can respond with identification help, care tips, and personal advice. By relying on shared experiences and diverse knowledge, this approach supports users who prefer human insight and fosters a sense of community, collaboration, and shared learning.
Design Concept 3
Community-Sourced Plant Search
This concept emphasizes learning through community interaction. Users can upload photos of plants they want to identify or ask questions about, and other gardeners can respond with identification help, care tips, and personal advice. By relying on shared experiences and diverse knowledge, this approach supports users who prefer human insight and fosters a sense of community, collaboration, and shared learning.
Usability Testing
Usability Testing
We conducted one-on-one usability tests with participants of varying experience levels, which revealed issues around clarity, accessibility, and prioritization. Based on this feedback, we refined the design by improving navigation, adding detailed plant pages, introducing a customizable profile, and emphasizing community interaction through a prominent Connect button.
We also improved visual hierarchy using larger buttons, bold typography for primary actions, and clearer headers. One key change involved plant care information: before, care details were hidden in a drop-down menu, making them harder to access. After, care information is openly displayed and supported by clear icons, such as a thermometer to indicate ideal temperature, allowing users to quickly understand important details at a glance. A consistent green and grey colour palette was applied to create a more cohesive and polished final experience.
We conducted one-on-one usability tests with participants of varying experience levels, which revealed issues around clarity, accessibility, and prioritization. Based on this feedback, we refined the design by improving navigation, adding detailed plant pages, introducing a customizable profile, and emphasizing community interaction through a prominent Connect button.
We also improved visual hierarchy using larger buttons, bold typography for primary actions, and clearer headers. One key change involved plant care information: before, care details were hidden in a drop-down menu, making them harder to access. After, care information is openly displayed and supported by clear icons, such as a thermometer to indicate ideal temperature, allowing users to quickly understand important details at a glance. A consistent green and grey colour palette was applied to create a more cohesive and polished final experience.
Usability Testing
We conducted one-on-one usability tests with participants of varying experience levels, which revealed issues around clarity, accessibility, and prioritization. Based on this feedback, we refined the design by improving navigation, adding detailed plant pages, introducing a customizable profile, and emphasizing community interaction through a prominent Connect button.
We also improved visual hierarchy using larger buttons, bold typography for primary actions, and clearer headers. One key change involved plant care information: before, care details were hidden in a drop-down menu, making them harder to access. After, care information is openly displayed and supported by clear icons, such as a thermometer to indicate ideal temperature, allowing users to quickly understand important details at a glance. A consistent green and grey colour palette was applied to create a more cohesive and polished final experience.
Design System
Design System
Design System
Our design system brings together the key visual elements that shape our app’s overall look and feel. It includes our colours, typography, icons, components, and other UI elements to create a consistent and cohesive experience throughout the app.
Our design system brings together the key visual elements that shape our app’s overall look and feel. It includes our colours, typography, icons, components, and other UI elements to create a consistent and cohesive experience throughout the app.
Our design system brings together the key visual elements that shape our app’s overall look and feel. It includes our colours, typography, icons, components, and other UI elements to create a consistent and cohesive experience throughout the app.
What I Learned
What I Learned
What I Learned
The final prototype presents a simplified, personalized plant care experience that supports users through reminders, guided information, and community interaction while reducing the overwhelm often associated with gardening. This project strengthened my ability to design within real constraints, collaborate across roles, and iterate designs based on user feedback rather than assumptions.
The final prototype presents a simplified, personalized plant care experience that supports users through reminders, guided information, and community interaction while reducing the overwhelm often associated with gardening. This project strengthened my ability to design within real constraints, collaborate across roles, and iterate designs based on user feedback rather than assumptions.
The final prototype presents a simplified, personalized plant care experience that supports users through reminders, guided information, and community interaction while reducing the overwhelm often associated with gardening. This project strengthened my ability to design within real constraints, collaborate across roles, and iterate designs based on user feedback rather than assumptions.
