Project overview
Embedded Files
The product:
Arbustus is an app that helps customers diagnose issues with their houseplants. The typical user is between 39 and 80 years old, and most users are retired or housewives. Arbustus's goal is to make users care and fix common houseplant problems.
Project duration:
July 2023 to March 2024
The problem:
Available apps and websites have no personalization options, inefficient systems for browsing through different plants, and confusing language solutions.
The goal:
Design an app to be user-friendly by providing clear navigation and offering a fast plant care treatment process.
My role:
UX designer leading the Arbustus app design
Responsibilities:
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, iterating on designs, and responsive design.
Understanding
the user
User research
Personas
Problem statements
User journey maps
User research: summary
I carried out user interviews and subsequently transformed the insights gathered into empathy maps to gain deeper insights into the target user and their requirements. Through this process, I unearthed that numerous target users view houseplants as companions during moments when they seek respite from daily life. Nevertheless, they expressed frustration with the overwhelming and convoluted interfaces of many houseplant websites. This complexity detracted from what should have been an enjoyable experience, ultimately undermining the intended relaxation they sought.
User research: pain points
Navigation
Plant care applications frequently feature cluttered interfaces, leading to navigation difficulties for users.
Interaction
I can't use the app to order the supplies they recommend at my door.
Experience
Plant care apps lack an interactive AI-driven plant personality and water tracking feature, which diminishes user engagement.
Language Barriers
Most new plant owners don't know the names of the plants very well. They will feel more confident if they can get help in difficult situations.
Persona: Dominique
Problem statement:
Dominique is a busy Artist and housewife who needs an app for all of her house plant care needs because she wants online plant care and home delivery to be stress-free.
User journey map
I created a user journey map of Dominique´s experience using the site to help identify possible pain points and improvement opportunities.
Starting
the design
Site map
Paper wireframes
Digital wireframes
Low-fidelity prototype
Usability studies
Site map
The objective I pursued was to implement strategic information architecture choices aimed at enhancing website navigation as a whole. The framework I selected was crafted to prioritize simplicity and ease of use.
Paper wireframes
Next, I sketched out paper wireframes for each screen in my app, keeping the user's pain points about navigation, browsing, and checkout flow in mind.
The home screen paper wireframe variations to the right focus on optimizing the browsing experience for users.
Paper wireframe
screen size variation(s)
As Arbustus customers utilize the app across diverse devices, I initiated the development of designs for additional screen sizes to ensure the full responsiveness of the app.
Digital wireframes
Moving from paper to digital wireframes made it easy to understand how the redesign could help address user pain points and improve the user experience.
Prioritizing useful button locations and visual element placement on the home page was a key part of my strategy.
Digital wireframe
screen size variation(s)
Low-fidelity prototype
To create a low-fidelity prototype, I connected all of the screens involved in the primary user flow of adding an item to the cart and checking out.
At this point, I received feedback on my designs from members of my team about things like the placement of buttons and page organization. I made sure to listen to their feedback, and I implemented several suggestions in places that addressed user pain points.
Usability study: parameters
Study type:
Unmoderated usability study
Location:
United States, remote
Participants:
5 participants
Length:
20-30 minutes
Usability study: findings
These were the main findings uncovered by the usability study:
Field:
Missing option for Garden, plants in the ground
Journey:
Too long the signup process
Account:
Plant owners would like to know other plant owners with the same plants.
Create a community button
Starting
the design
Mockups
High-fidelity prototype
Accessibility
Mockups
Based on the insights from the usability study, I made changes to improve the site’s first question. One of the changes I made was adding the option Garden, plants in the ground. This allowed users more freedom to add more options.
Mockups
To make the checkout flow even easier for users, I added a check box that allowed users to use the same address for billing and shipping.
Mockups: Original screen size
High-fidelity prototype
The hi-fi prototype I developed maintained the identical user flow as the lo-fi prototype. It incorporated alterations derived from the usability study, along with numerous enhancements proposed by my team members.
Accessibility considerations
1
I used headings with different-sized text for a clear visual hierarchy
2
I used contrasting colors to increase visibility
3
I designed the site with alt text available on each page for smooth screen reader access
Going forward
Takeaways
Next steps
Takeaways
Impact:
Our target users expressed that the design exhibited intuitive navigation, increased engagement through images, and showcased a distinct visual hierarchy.
What I learned:
The key lesson for me is to consistently prioritize the genuine needs of the user when conceptualizing design ideas and solutions.
Next steps
1
Perform subsequent usability testing on the updated website.
2
Recognize any further areas requiring attention and brainstorm new features.
Thank you for reviewing my work on the Arbustus app!
If you’d like to see more or would like to get in touch, my contact information is provided below:
Email: uriel@marketingreload.com
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