Bluum
Grow Green Gardening
A prototype for a platform offering beginner-friendly plant information and personalised garden plans, using AR for design visualisation and promoting eco-friendly practices with an intuitive, engaging user experience.
Team
Acalapati (Cal) Priyatama – Prototyping Lead
Simran Kejriwal – Product Lead
Alan Toleu – Visual Lead
Lim Ing – Interaction Lead
Challenge & Results
The challenge was to create a prototype app that promotes greenery and reduces CO2 emissions by encouraging gardening and sustainable practices. Many potential users felt overwhelmed and lacked knowledge, so we aimed to simplify the process with beginner-friendly plant information and personalised garden plans.
By incorporating AR technology, users can visualise their garden designs, making the experience interactive and engaging. The app also promotes eco-friendly products, empowering users to make sustainable choices and fostering a community that values environmental responsibility.
Research
A comprehensive research approach was employed, combining consumer surveys and interviews to gather insights from city and suburb residents, as well as gardeners and non-gardeners. Scholarly articles on green gardening and urban greening were also referenced to ground the project in established research, ensuring the app effectively addresses user needs and promotes eco-friendly practices.
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Consumer survey respondents from city and suburb residents
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Consumer interviews from gardeners and non-gardeners
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Scholarly articles regarding Green Gardening, Urban Greening, and Landscaping referenced
“I love seeing the plant varieties on my morning walks or in nurseries... it just makes me want to buy it all and recreate this in my home garden.”
– Long-Time Garden Enthusiast
Of course I don’t mind having a green garden... But if it’s going to limit my current lifestyle, then it’s not something I would even consider.”
– Non-Gardener
“My mum is an experienced gardener and that really helped me out... I can always ask her for advice when I don’t know what to do.”
– Beginner Gardener
Key Insights
Garden designs are aesthetically-driven making the creative process highly visual
Users draw inspiration from images and sights from many aspects of their lives
They gather and envision their ideas into a personal design, sometimes sketching them out
Gardens also tend to be constant works-in-progress, with users constantly thinking up new ideas
Online-active users like finding and bookmarking inspiring images on social media
Garden designing is a highly personal process that users seek to inject their personality into
Ideation
The ideation phase utilised key insights from the research to brainstorm solutions for Bluum. Recognising that garden designs are visually driven, the focus was on features that allow users to find inspiration from their surroundings. Ideas included options for sketching and bookmarking images from social media. By acknowledging that gardens are ongoing projects, the design aimed to support users in evolving their personal garden designs, ensuring their unique personalities shine through.
Tap to view full images
Style Guide
The style guide was crafted to reflect the app's focus on sustainability, using earthy and flowery colors to evoke nature. A serif font was chosen for its readability and classic appeal, creating a trustworthy visual identity that encourages user engagement with sustainable gardening practices.
Result
The Bluum project culminated in a successful design that not only met user needs but also garnered recognition as a Red Dot Design Award winner for the Red Dot: Brands & Communication Design Awards 2022, along with three Gold Indigo Design Awards in 2023. This achievement highlights the innovative approach and user-centered focus of the design process. For a more detailed exploration of the entire design journey, please refer to the process book below, and to interact with the prototype, visit the Figma link provided.
