Luis Cepeda
Aug 2021 - May 2022
User Research
Design Ideation
UI Design
User Testing
Figma
Keynote
Clip Studio Paint
Adobe Illustrator
Novice plant growers, especially those living in cold climate areas, lack the appropriate knowledge and resources to care for their plants, thus hindering their ability to experience relaxation through gardening.
Chlory is a customizable smart planter that educates novice plant growers on how to care for their plants, through the help of digital plant people known as Chloro Pals, which also aim to give the plants their own voice.
The UX design process for this project was separated into four main phases: user research, design ideation, UI design, and user testing. The period between August and December was primarily focused on user research and gathering necessary data. Then, through the agile UX process, I set weekly goals between February and May and focused on design ideation, UI design, and user testing. For each weekly sprint, I completed various tasks, including additional research, product benchmarking, product design, design fictions, wireframing, and prototyping. At the end of each sprint, I received user feedback from my classmates and other research participants that helped improve my work for the following sprint.
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To understand user needs, I conducted interviews, surveys, and a cultural probe. Initially, I conducted interviews with people who grow plants in cold places, primarily in the tri state area. These interviews were held either in person or over the phone. I also conducted two surveys over the internet via Google Forms. The bulk of my survey data came from various Facebook groups about gardening that are based in New York and New Jersey. Another useful research method I conducted was the cultural probe. I gifted four xGraptoveria Debbies and one Graptopetalum Paraguayense to my classmates and began running the probe to collect data on how each of them cared for these plants. Corresponding personas, empathy maps, and journey maps were created from this research.
Within my second survey group, I learned that whether they’re growing plants indoors or outdoors, the majority of people preferred to grow their plants inside pots over raised beds or in-ground. This is important because taking care of plants growing inside a pot is much different than taking care of plants in the ground.
People in the Facebook groups reported not having enough light or space for their plants. While it’s unclear whether this is indoors or outdoors, it could be both based on previous research. Some people I interviewed in Long Island also reported not receiving enough sunlight in their gardens. This could be a result of growing plants in a cold climate area, where the sun’s rays hit the Earth less.
An unexpected trend I found among my cultural probe participants was that the majority of them entered this study struggling with fears of failing to properly care for the baby succulents. Two of them reported feeling guilt over not doing enough for the plant, two reported feelings of anxiety, and interestingly, two reported feeling a strong sense of duty or responsibility over the plant. According to my participants, this is in part due to having killed plants in the past.
Based on the answers my participants provided and what I’ve seen from the weekly photos they’ve uploaded, another trend I noticed is that the succulent plants are losing their color and reverting back to green, a pain point among the participants. Since maintaining vibrants colors depends on the succulent plants receiving proper lighting, I can infer that my participants are struggling to provide adequate lighting to their succulent plants.
During the ideation phase of the UX design process, I sketched, then tested several different concepts through peer review, with the goal of solving the problem novice plant growers face when trying to care for their plants. These concepts helped me narrow down useful features for a product solution.
This is the current version of my solution. Chlory is a customizable smart planter that educates novice plant growers on how to care for their plants, through the help of digital plant people known as Chloro Pals, which also aim to give plants their own voice. The Chlory Planter's functionality revolves around the user's interactions with Chloro Pals. By reading the status of the substrate (soil) where the plant is rooted, these digital plant people act as representatives of the plant that communicate to the user what the plant needs, such as more frequent waterings or less hours of sunlight. This concept was the most logical choice based on user testing, feedback, and competitive benchmarking.
Helen is on campus, waiting for her next class to begin.
She receives a notification from the Chlory App, notifying her that one of her Chloro Pals needs attention.
When Helen opens the Chlory App, she checks on the Chloro Pals in her Digital Garden.
Each Chloro Pal is synched to a real life plant living inside a Chlory Planter at Helen’s house.
Helen selects Nora, the Chloro Pal that needs attention. The temperature and humidity of her planter are currently unsafe for her.
Nora explains that her soil has been dry for too long and she needs a drink of water. She also wants some shade.
With the Chlory App, Helen is able to remotely reduce the intensity of Nora’s grow light and change the schedule.
Helen turns off Nora’s grow light and reduces the amount of daily hours of light she will receive to decrease the likelihood of harming the plant further.
That evening, Helen arrives home after her classes end.
Helen sees Nora, who is asleep, and remembers her asking Helen for water when she was in class earlier.
Helen waters Nora and leaves her grow light off for the rest of the day so she can recover.
The next morning, Nora is no longer thirsty and she is happy because the conditions in her planter are favorable again.
The final form of my solution manifests itself in user interfaces (UI) for a companion app and a smart planter. The following shows the evolution of Chlory’s mobile UI, from sketches to a high-fidelity prototype. UI for the planter itself has been added as well. I have also included corresponding user workflows. Chlory's final form was determined after analyzing data obtained through user testing and feedback from classmates and instructors.
Chlory App Initial Setup
Chloro Pal Creation
Plant Care Info Search
Chloro Pal Info Search
Adjust Light Settings
Wireframes
Low Fidelity Screens (Companion App)
High Fidelity Screens (Companion App)
Smart Planter Screens
I held user feedback sessions on Discord with the group of peers from my class who participated in my cultural probes. I also requested the feedback of some of their family members, who also played an important role in my user research as they were among my interviewees.
At least 3 out of 7 of my peers (or 43%) liked the idea that Chlory came with a built-in grow light. This supports the data I gathered previously that states that novice plant growers often struggle with a lack of light and space for their plants.
About 3 out of 7 of my peers (or 43%) mentioned a desire for more information on taking care of their plant being provided by my solution. One of my peers asked if Chlory’s companion app would come with species-specific care instructions.
By interacting with Chloro Pals, paying attention to their advice and making a habit of checking on their plants regularly, the user will become more knowledgeable and familiar with how to care for their plant. In this way, Chlory will help an uncertain, novice plant grower become more confident in their ability to care for plants, without stress. However, there is still much potential to be explored in the Chlory Planter and Chloro Pals as means for improving indoor plant care. My goals for the future of Chlory include:
Sara Sapienza
Misha Melnitzky
Marc Caceres
Anna Rumplick
Esther Sherry
