ROOTS
BRANDING AND DESIGNING A NEW AND REFRESHING EXPERIENCE FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN USERS/MEMBERS/OWNERS​​​​​
​
​
TASKS
Research
DURATION
2.5 Months
Branding
UX/UI Design
​
ROOTS
A Community App that curates Organic Connections. Bringing together Garden Space Owners, General Gardeners, Comunity Members, and Customers
PROJECT BRIEF
Utilizing Quantitative Research, Product Planning, and Branding, I further conceptualized my Community Garden-based app 'ROOTS' into an MVP.
PROBLEM?
There is a considerable amount of people looking to Get Involved in a Community Garden!
For Reasons Like..
Sourcing from Local Trustworthy Growers | Participating in Community Events | E xpand Their Network | Sell Products
However...
Many Potential community interest, are simply Not aware of where or how to get in contact with the owners of these gardens. There is a huge Accessibility gap in this market, a Lack in Straight-Forward Paths. Too many people are Not Being Plugged to the Right Sources.
What's Next?
Now, I Conduct User Research. This is done order for me to further dive into User's Needs, Pain Points of Competitor Apps, and additional ideas.
With this Data I will design my Features and Wireframes.
USER RESEARCH
Utilizing resources like; Surveys, App Store Reviews, Reddit, Google, and ChatGBT, I was able identify some foundational data on the wants and needs of the potential user,
​​​​​
​
​
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
USER REVIEWS
“Oh man, I was looking for an app that would warn me about frost in the forecast (I don't always check the weather).
Idk why that's not already a thing.”
“Spreadsheets for what seeds I have and what jars they're in. Spreadsheets for garden layouts.
Spreadsheets for food production.
They're free and I'm lazy.”
“not super fancy but it lets me keep pictures and notes of what I did in my garden each day. I like it because it's searchable and I can dictate what I did while I was outside. It lets me keep track of when I sprayed plants with a pesticide or when a plant first bloomed. I am still looking for an app with more features that isn't a subscription model. I really hate subscriptions.”
SUMMARY
DEMOGRAPHIC
EXPERIENCED GARDENERS SHARE INSITES
USERS WANT MORE
Most Experienced gardeners consider themselves "old fashioned." When it comes to documenting their gardening journey; journaling, taking pictures, creating a schedule, etc. They prefer the original "pen and pad" method over any over-complexifications.
​
​
A large number of potential users are located in complicated climate regions. Weather Reports need to be in-depth and by-zip-code, updated regularly. While also providing helpful, accurate tips/troubleshooting advise.
There is a high demand for community garden apps by a broad demographic of users, from Novice to Expert in gardening knowledge, ages 18+.
​​​​​
​
​​​
SOCIAL NETWORK IS DESIRED
Social Networking Aspects within Community Garden apps are scarce yet, highly sought after by potential users found in forums and surveys.
LIST OF KEY FEATURES & OBJECTIVES, ACCORDING TO THIS DATA
Garden Management & Organization
​
-
Plot Reservation & Allocation – Allow users to reserve or apply for plots.
-
Planting Calendar – Track what’s planted, when to water, fertilize, and harvest.
-
Task Management – Assign and schedule tasks (watering, weeding, maintenance).
-
Garden Map – Interactive map showing plots, assigned gardeners, and available spaces.
-
Weather & Soil Data – Integrate real-time weather forecasts and soil condition monitoring.
​
Community Engagement & Communication
​
-
Chat & Messaging – Connect gardeners for updates, advice, or collaboration.
-
Event Scheduling – Organize workshops, volunteer days, or social gatherings.
-
Forum & Q&A – Space for gardeners to ask questions, share tips, and troubleshoot issues.
-
Member Directory – Profiles of members with skills, interests, and availability.
-
Photo Sharing – Share progress, successes, and problems with the community.
​
Sustainability & Resource Management
​
-
Compost Tracking – Log and share composting efforts and available compost.
-
Water Usage Monitor – Track and suggest efficient watering practices.
-
Seed & Tool Library – Record shared tools and seeds, and manage borrowing.
-
Recycling & Waste Management Tips – Educate and track sustainable waste disposal.​
​
Education & Support
​
-
Plant Care Guides – Library of best practices for growing different plants.
-
Pest & Disease Identification – AI-powered or community-supported pest diagnosis.
-
Workshops & Training – Access to gardening courses, live sessions, or recorded tutorials.
​​
Monetization & Fundraising
​
-
Marketplace – Allow gardeners to buy, sell, or trade produce and supplies.
-
Donation & Grant Management – Track funding, donations, and apply for grants.
-
Sponsorship Opportunities – Connect with local businesses for support.
Early Ideas
(Low Fidelity Wireframes)
MY ACTIVITY
Activity Report: A selectable page of 3 within the Menu Toogle, allowing users to quickly access their Organized Data at the touch of a button.
Active Garden
Garden Info
Active Garden
My Plants is an inventory list, allowing users to utilize notes and tips, provided by AI
Upload Image
Notes & Tips
Seeding is one of the 22 selectable topics within the category menu
Good, Bad, or Neutral allows the user to specify the condition of their notes.
Users can upload images to their notes
Notes
Current Temperature
Upload Photo
Tip Icons
Weather Tips utilizes data from My Activity to provide accurate-to-weather maintenance tips for each plant.
Tip Icons - Icons serve as a brief visual Summary of the info provided in Weather Tips
Tip Icon Breakdown
Weather Report & Specific Info
WEATHER
Current Temperature
Current Conditions
PERSONAS
JOSHUA
GARDENING EXPERIENCE:
Moderate (Customer | Student)
AGE:
19
OCCUPATION:
Student | Club President
EDUCATION:
Computer Science
LOCATION:
Virginia
BIO:
JOSHUA, is an 19 year old College freshman, and President of his School's Student Agricultural Club. He is responsible for curating student involvement in gardening.
WHAT DOES HE NEED?
​
-
Access to local a Community Garden
​
-
A platform to organize member communication/activity
​
-
A platform to communicate with Community Garden Owners
Apps Used?
JULIA
GARDENING EXPERIENCE:
Expert (Garden Owner)
AGE:
32
OCCUPATION:
Web Developer | Entreprenure
EDUCATION:
Computer Science
Pittsburg
LOCATION:
BIO:
JULIA, is a garden owner of 2 years is looking to make a positive impact in her community. She is looking to expand, but noticing a difficulty in managing these multiple garden spaces.
WHAT DOES SHE NEED?
​
-
A simple way to manage multiple locations​
​​
-
More exposure and potential management​
​
-
An effective way to organize all buisness affairs
Apps Used?
HEATHER
Texas
GARDENING EXPERIENCE:
Moderate (Shopper | Student)
AGE:
29
OCCUPATION:
Youtube Influencer
EDUCATION:
Bachelor's in Science
LOCATION:
BIO:
HEATHER, is a healthy food/lifestyle content creator. She is always looking to build organic relationships with local gardeners. Since her recent move to Texas, She has been in search of new trustworthy growers to shop from.
​
-
A simple way to connect with local growers, and build organic relationships.​
-
A safe and trustworthy place to shop from
-
A new garden to promote and utilize as content
​​WHAT DOES SHE NEED?
Apps Used?
TASK FLOW
JOSHUA:
Joshua utilizes ‘ROOTS’ to find a community garden 5 miles away from his University, he inquires on his needs with the Owner via 'Direct Message.' He then creates a community on 'ROOTS' for his Agricultural Club, and invites his Club Members by-Phone number.
*Joshua is in need of a Community garden site that is within close proximity to his University.*
SITE MAP
Below is a Site Map, focusing on the Low Nav features. My aim is to cover as many of the main functionalities of Roots as simply as possible.
UNIQUE FEATURES
WEATHER SPECIFICATIONS
Gardeners will receive accurate updates, specific to the gardening process, along with relative articles, tips, and warnings.
SHOP + BRAND IDENTITY
'Weather Report' Updates the users with detail on the weather and tips
Users can easily access stores with the 'SHOP' icon. Each interaction with a specific Shop/Community Owner, will further personalize the 'SHOP' page, catering to the users preferences (This is an optional setting).
Shop Owners are given the liberty to express their own individuality and uniqueness with the 'DESIGN SHOP' option.
'Recently' viewed' shows the users the last stores they interacted with. Allowing them to favor items as well
'Your offers' reminds the users of the discounts and coupons offered by local and recently viewed stores.
UI DESIGN LAYOUT
WIREFRAMES
CONCLUSION/TAKEAWAYS
As of right now, the MVP awaits further Analysis and Data from; Usability Testing, A/B Testing, and User Interviews. Updates will be added once completed.
​​