In late 2020, when the pandemic had most of us stuck at home, I began collaborating with a developer. With plenty of time and no clear project to focus on, we were brainstorming ideas. During one of our video calls, my friend noticed the houseplants in my background, and we started chatting about my ‘green thumb’—while they confessed to having little luck with plants of their own. That’s when the idea for Plant Baby was born.

Personas:
Greenhouse Gale – A houseplant expert with a thriving collection. She’s even known to rescue struggling plants from friends. What she needs most is a simple way to track each plant’s care needs.

Enthusiastic Ernesto – A passionate plant lover who’s mastered the basics of plant care and has managed to keep most of his plant babies alive. Although he’s eager to expand his collection, Ernesto struggles to determine the specific care requirements of new plants. He’s searching for a single, reliable source of plant knowledge to guide his growing family.

Can’t keep em’ alive Kelly – With just a few plants at home, Kelly finds herself constantly unsure of what they need. Are they thirsty for more water or too soaked? Are they craving sunlight or withering in the glare? Kelly’s plants are struggling, and she could really use some help mastering the basics of plant care.

Designed to be simple and user-friendly, Plant Baby offers personalized features to meet the unique needs of each persona:

  • Track plant collection and care needs
  • Set watering and fertilizing reminders
  • View plant details, including:
    • Compatibility with children and pets
    • Important tips

Through early research, we found that most plant care resources are overloaded with details, which can overwhelm non-expert plant owners. As a result, we decided to focus on high-level information and simple scheduling. If users wanted more in-depth content, they could request it.

Initial sketches explored ways to organize the app’s content, such as by location, plant type, or alphabetically. As we developed wireframes, we simplified the design to ensure an achievable MVP. We also identified opportunities to expand the app’s functionality to meet additional needs, such as:

  • Location suggestions
  • Safety alerts and notifications
  • Marketing and purchasing partnerships

The final design stayed true to the wireframe’s structure while incorporating calming green tones and visually appealing images.