Project Overview
LzyFarmer
Lzyfarmer is a start up who wants to help both new and expert gardeners grow plants, especially in small-to-medium sized spaces. Currently in it’s conceptual phase, LzyFarmer is being developed in hopes of helping encourage a more personalized gardening experience, allowing users of the application to get recommendations and personalized advice. Using an algorithm, LzyFarmer helps users to find timing advice, matching people to the right plant through a plant selector, the product is set to help conscious, interested millennials become better gardeners. This product is in association with University of Maryland Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship.
Scope
Task:
The product has its core algorithm figured out, but the product itself, the interface and customer experience has need of development. The main objective is to build a working prototype to be used for testing and for demonstration. Research and validation is also needed to help ensure users that the product is trustworthy and functional. The focus of work is on customer experience, product vision, and personalization.
Solution:
Based on user research, we've created an onboarding experience that provides information for algorithm, developed the main feature of plant matching, and designed the user interface to reflect the brand and personality of LzyFarmer.
Deliverables:
User Research, Usability Testing, Product Sketches and Wireframes, User Flow, and a Clickable Prototype.
Team
3 Person Team
My Role
Visual Design Lead
Tools Used:
User Interview, Wireframing, Paper Prototyping, Atomic Prototype, Sketch MockUp
Length of Project:
2 weeks
Research
Research provided by the client:
200+ people screener survey
12 individual interviews,
5 basic wireframes
Color palette
Designated user age range of 25–35 years old who already have an interest in gardening.
User Acceptance Testing Wireframes given by the Client
To help validate his research, the team went to DC to interview potential users in the given age range.
DC Research
Persona 1
User Interview with DC’s Little Leaf’s shop owner
Persona 2
Competitive Research:
Graden Tags
Growit!
Garden Answers Plant Identifier
Gardenate
Landscapers Companion
iGarden USA
SmartPlant
Sprout It
From Seed to Spoon
Gardroid - Vegetable Garden
Gardenate and From Seed to Spoon were direct competitors providing personalized information on how to garden based on your location, dealing with pests, and which plants to grow together.
Competitor Mobile Application
Sythesized Research:
There is a lot of emotional attachment and commitment when it comes to caring for plants.
“I think we all want to nurture something. It’s in our DNA”,
Affinity Mapping
Empathy Map
Since owning a plant was like committing to a relationship, the main feature, plant matching, would be designed to be a "Plant Tinder".
Design
To stand out from the competition we wanted to design the User Interface to be warm, inviting, trustworthy, and clean while keeping the original color scheme of the wireframes.
Mood Board for LzyFarmer
Sketchbook wireframing
Group Whiteboarding
Paper Prototype for LzyFarmer
The prototype testing showed that people preferred a lighter background verses the dark green background as well as a preference to buttons instead of arrows. We adjusted the sequence and amount of wording for our onboarding according to user feedback. We used Atomic to build a clickable prototype.
LzyFarmer Onboarding Atomic Prototype
Main Feature: Plant Match Onboarding
LzyFarmer Other Features
Future recommendations:
Building out the user profile
Social media aspect of the application
Producing “how to care for your plant” videos
Further education tab.