plant monitoring
BloomBuddy - Plant Monitoring Platform
This was a class project completed as part of my HCI coursework. I worked as a UI/UX designer in a team of four students to ideate a plant care application focused on helping beginners manage and understand their plants more confidently.
Timeline
8 weeks, from concept ideation and prototyping to usability testing and high-fidelity design.
Background
BloomBuddy is a plant care application concept designed as part of an HCI prototyping and usability course. Completed in a team of five, the project explored how digital tools could help novice plant owners better understand plant health, stay consistent with care routines, and feel more confident managing their plants across mobile and desktop experiences.
As a team, we followed a user-centered design process that included research, ideation, prototyping, and usability testing. My contributions focused on interface design, interaction flows, and iterating on designs based on user feedback.
Research & Planning
Defined target users, goals, and core use cases through personas and scenarios focused on beginner plant owners. Identified common pain points such as forgetting care routines, misunderstanding plant health signals, and lack of clear guidance.
Design & Prototyping
Created low-, mid-, and high-fidelity prototypes for both mobile and desktop platforms. Explored layout, navigation, and interaction patterns that balanced simplicity with access to detailed plant health information.
Implementation
Built interactive prototypes in Figma to simulate key flows including adding plants, viewing health status, and engaging with the community blog. Established a consistent visual style inspired by natural, calm, and approachable design principles.
Testing & Optimization
Conducted in-person usability testing with five participants. Analyzed task success, errors, and points of confusion, then iterated on navigation, icon clarity, feedback states, and information hierarchy.
The final outcome was a cross-platform plant care app concept that provides clear guidance, visual feedback, and supportive features for novice plant owners. The design emphasizes simplicity, approachability, and ease of use.
Guided Plant Care Experience
Clear dashboards and health indicators help users understand plant needs at a glance.
Cross-Platform Design
Consistent mobile and desktop experiences optimized for different screen sizes and usage contexts.
Community Support Layer
Integrated blog and discussion features to allow users to ask questions and learn from other plant owners.
Through testing and iteration, we validated key design decisions and improved overall usability and clarity. The project demonstrated how structured UX processes and collaborative design can lead to intuitive, user-friendly solutions.
Improved Usability Clarity
Design iterations addressed navigation confusion, unclear icons, and missing feedback states.
Stronger Information Hierarchy
Health alerts and critical plant data became more noticeable and easier to interpret.
Validated Design Decisions
Usability testing confirmed key flows were understandable for novice users after refinement.