What The Plant App
Designed a user-friendly plant identification and care app that provides detailed expert information on each plant species and helpful articles that are relevant and contain verified sources.
Project Type: Mobile Application Design
Year: 2024
Software & Languages Used
Figma, Affinity Designer
Key Takeaways
Takeaways: One of the biggest lessons I took from this project is that even small design choices can make a huge impact on how users experience a product. It really reminded me how important it is to keep the user at the center of every decision. Just because something seems like a cool or helpful feature doesn’t mean it actually improves the experience; in fact, it can sometimes overcomplicate things. This project challenged me to take a step back and ask: “Is this really helping the user?”
Successes: I’m especially proud of the logo I created for this app; it has a ton of personality and really helps the brand stand out from competitors. Overall, I loved the process of designing this app. It forced me to think differently and let go of some of my own assumptions about what the app should include. I had to be honest with myself about what was working and what wasn’t, and make choices based on what would actually benefit the end user. That mindset shift was huge for me.
Changes: If I were to go back and tweak anything, I’d revisit the way the plant information pages are set up. Right now, sections like “water” and “sunlight” are functional, but I think they could be streamlined to make more sense visually and structurally. I’d love to give that part of the app a more polished, cohesive look that matches the tone of the rest of the design.
Using This Experience for the Future: This project helped me bridge the gap between visual design and user-centered functionality, two things that are essential in web development. Going forward, I’ll bring this experience into my web projects by focusing not just on how something looks, but how it works for the person using it. I’ll use my design background to create interfaces that are both clean and engaging, and I’ll lean on my prototyping and testing experience to make sure those interfaces are intuitive. At the end of the day, the goal is to build web applications that are thoughtful, beautiful, and actually helpful, and this project moved me one step closer to doing just that.
Design Brief
Software Used
Twine, Affinity Designer
Problem Statement: Current plant identification apps are vague and do not provide specific enough instructions on plant care. Care schedules are difficult to use and articles are not up to date with current topics. Every app requires a subscription.
Vision Statement: The design of What The Plant will help users find the exact information they need with great ease and satisfaction. The vast amount of knowledge available on the app will feed off the niche for rare plants and medicinal uses, which will lead to increased revenue.
Process
Solution: Add a three category toggle to sort plants into the rooms they are located and to provide users with access to their identification history.
Solution: Add a green circle around the profile photo of accounts that are verified experts.
Solution: Add a three category toggle to sort plants into the rooms they are located and to provide users with access to their identification history.
Solution: Add a green circle around the profile photo of accounts that are verified experts.
Solution: Add a three category toggle to sort plants into the rooms they are located and to provide users with access to their identification history.
Solution: Add a green circle around the profile photo of accounts that are verified experts.
Solution: Add a three category toggle to sort plants into the rooms they are located and to provide users with access to their identification history.
Solution: Add a green circle around the profile photo of accounts that are verified experts.
