This second year university project focused on designing for user engagement. Using text, images, graphic elements and space appropriately to facilitate user experience. Whilst supporting a range of reading strategies and varying kinds of user interaction – it must also demonstrate a coherent and distinct visual identity, that is appropriate for the app and audience.
The brief stated that a well-known marketing company is looking to develop a new food-related app for a client. The task was to come up with an original concept for an app and produce a prototype flow, which showcases both the UX and UI design decisions, and to pitch the concept effectively to the client.
'Herb Garden' aids the user in building their own indoor herb garden, by allowing them to track their collection’s progress.
The user can explore the different varieties of herb in the 'New herb' section by reading the fact files, when they select a new plant to start growing it will added to their ‘Garden’. Here reminders are displayed for today and the upcoming week, activities from today can be checked off when they have been achieved. These reminders include when to water and when the herbs will be ready for harvest, along with other maintenance tips. When a plant in the 'Garden' is selected, the key information from its fact file is displayed as well as the details of its progress. The public forum creates a community that allows for discussion of tips and tricks plus solutions to any problems.
Being able to build a virtual version of your herb garden, and be provided with updates and reminders, give this app a unique selling point. Other gardening apps available are often not specialised, and do not provide the same features as 'Herb Garden'.
This app may be most appropriate for those who have a basic understanding of gardening, setup instructions are not given (however this could be a development of the app) as these can be straight forward, repetitive and are often supplied on a seed packet.
An indoor herb garden is one of the most common and accessible forms of gardening. Whilst best suited to anyone who does a lot of cooking from scratch, and those interested in organic home-grown ingredients, this app's demographic is often young, creative and crafty mums. This kind of activity may also become a project a young family might do together and therefore the aesthetic is suitable for all ages, with its illustrative and friendly style.
