NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY
LeafLink: The Data-Driven Way to Select Your Perfect Houseplant!
My Role
As the UX lead in the "Technologies for HCI" project, I collaborated with a team of 5 to address the given problem statement. I led the user experience mapping process, translating our findings into actionable design decisions. By implementing an iterative design approach, I optimized both the UX and physical prototype. I spearheaded the conceptualization of the overall physical design, working closely with team members handling electronics and aesthetics. Additionally, I developed and executed a project plan that ensured timely delivery and accountability. Throughout the project, I facilitated cross-functional collaboration, addressing challenges and maintaining a user-centered focus.
Research Methods
Competitive Analysis,Personas, Prototyping
Discipline
UX design, Product Design
Platform
Mobile, Web
Time Frame
Completed in 4 weeks (2024)
Introduction
This case study showcases LeafLink, a project I led as part of my "Technologies for HCI" course. LeafLink combines a smart device and app to help users choose ideal houseplants for their spaces. As UX lead, I guided a team of five through the entire design process, from concept to prototype. The project demonstrates my skills in:
User-centered design
Team leadership
Prototype development (digital and physical)
User research and journey mapping
Iterative design
Cross-functional collaboration
LeafLink highlights my ability to transform complex challenges into user-friendly solutions, balancing user needs with technical constraints. This study illustrates my approach to UX design and project management, showcasing how I drive projects from ideation to completion.
The Challenge
Many people struggle with selecting and maintaining houseplants, often leading to plant death and discouragement. The lack of easily accessible, personalized information about plant care and suitability for specific indoor environments makes it difficult for users to make informed decisions and successfully grow plants in their homes.
Problem Statement
Objectives
Develop an intuitive and user-friendly solution that addresses the challenges of selecting appropriate houseplants
Utilize data and digital tools to provide valuable insights and recommendations to users
Encourage the creation of healthier living spaces through informed plant selection and care
Transform complex information into easily understandable and actionable recommendations for users
Increase user understanding of their indoor environment and its impact on plant health and personal wellbeing
Outcomes
85%
92%
92% of users agreed or strongly agreed that LeafLink's technology significantly simplified their plant care routine, with 78% indicating interest in similar smart devices for other aspects of home management
*the users considered are the panelists and other visitors who were present for the demonstration of the prototype the values are based on the responses collected on the day post the demo.
Developed a data-driven plant selection tool
LeafLink is a smart device that helps you choose the right house plants. It measures things like air quality, humidity, temperature, and light in your room. Then, it suggests plants that will grow best in your space. This takes the guesswork out of plant shopping and helps your plants thrive, not just survive. It makes indoor gardening easier and teaches you about what plants need and how your home's environment affects them.
Created a user-friendly mobile app
The LeafLink app is easy to use and works with the LeafLink device. It has three main screens: Home, Insights, and Suggestions. The Home screen gives you a quick look at all your LeafLinks. Insights shows detailed info about your rooms with charts. Suggestions recommends plants and gives care tips. The simple design helps you understand the data and decide what to do with it
Successfully combined hardware and software
LeafLink smoothly connects devices and software. Sensors in the LeafLink collect room data. A Raspberry Pi computer processes this information and sends it securely to an online server. The app then fetches the results and shows them to you. This creates a seamless flow from real-world data to plant recommendations on your phone. It shows how skilled the team is at working with devices, cloud technology, and app development.
Approach
01
Proposing Ideas
02
Voting
03
Exploration
04
Allocation
Research
Literature Review
Our research process for LeafLink began with a comprehensive literature review, drawing insights from academic papers and online sources related to indoor plant care, environmental sensing, and smart home technology. This foundation helped us understand the scientific principles behind plant growth and the potential for technological intervention in plant care.
Competitive Analysis
Following the literature review, we conducted a competitive analysis to gain insights into existing products and identify market gaps. We examined various plant care apps, smart planters, and environmental monitoring devices, evaluating their features, user interfaces, and customer feedback. This analysis revealed opportunities for improvement in areas such as personalized plant recommendations, user-friendly environmental data presentation, and integrated care guidance.
The Process
Moving into the Define phase, the team narrowed their focus to improving health and wellbeing at home through the use of plants. They refined their problem statement to: "How might we enhance indoor spaces for users that promote better health and wellbeing through the use of plants?" This targeted approach helped guide their subsequent development efforts.
User journey
Storyboard
Design
Physical Prototype
After completing the user interface (UI) and transferring it to our classmate for further development, we continued to focus on the physical prototype of the product, Leaflink. We made a rough version of how the prototype would look and feel for the user and noticed a few challenges, as mentioned below. The first version allowed the team to discuss the various aspects such as form, adding the electronics and understanding the limitations of the current version which led to the development of the second version.
Mobile App UI
The user interface was designed based on the wireframes.
We developed 3 screens which were:
1. Home screen: Providing the user a glimpse of the pots/Leaflink owned, and also showing the average values of the readings by Leaflink.
2. Insights Screen: This screen would provide detailed information about the parameters in realtime.
3. Suggestions screen: The third screen would be to provide suggestions based on the data recorded by Leaflink to the user to help them in suggesting plants.
Hardware and Software Development
We used a mix of clever hardware parts to make the device work. At its core was a Raspberry Pi, a small but powerful computer that controlled everything. We chose it because it could easily connect to different sensors and process information quickly.
The Raspberry Pi was fixed with various sensors to measure the room's conditions:
Air quality sensors checked for tiny particles in the air
Humidity sensors measured how much moisture was in the air
Temperature sensors recorded how warm or cool the room was
Light sensors figured out how bright the space was
All these sensors worked together to give a full picture of the room's environment. The Raspberry Pi collected all this data, sorted it out, and got it ready to send to the main computer system.
Future Scope and Learnings
Future Scope:
The Leaflink device can be further developed with custom electronic components to capture metrics in a better manner and could lead to a full developed independent product that could collect data indoors and help users choose the right plant for their homes. Some of the future developments could include:
Smart Home Integration
LeafLink could work with popular smart home systems like Alexa or Google Home, allowing users to check plant data or get care reminders using voice commands.
AI-Powered Plant Health Monitoring
Using machine learning, LeafLink could analyse leaf images to detect early signs of disease or pest infestations
Community Features
Adding a social aspect where users can share tips, showcase their plants, and compete in friendly "greenest home" contests
Learnings:
Bridging design and development During the LeafLink project, I learned that some of our UI design concepts weren't feasible to implement, leading to changes in the final output. This experience taught me the critical importance of collaborating closely with developers from the initial stages. Now, I create designs that are both innovative and technically feasible, reducing last-minute changes and improving the overall quality of the final product. This approach will significantly streamline the design-to-development handoff process.
Fostering effective team communication I discovered that lack of communication led to issues with procuring the right components and inconsistencies in designs. To address this, I implemented regular check-ins and created a shared project glossary. These strategies have dramatically improved team alignment and project execution efficiency. I've become adept at ensuring all team members are on the same page, which will lead to more cohesive outputs and smoother project flows.
Grasping technical limitations I realized that varying levels of understanding about backend processes among team members led to inconsistencies in designs. This pushed me to broaden my knowledge beyond UX, gaining insights into technical aspects of product development. I will now make it a priority to educate my team on technical constraints and possibilities, enabling us to create more realistic designs and improve cross-functional collaboration. This approach will significantly reduce redesign cycles and improved overall project efficiency.
Adapting to resource constraints Working with limited components due to procurement issues taught me the value of flexibility and creative problem-solving. I've become more adaptable and resourceful as a UX designer, capable of finding innovative solutions within constraints. This skill has proven invaluable in real-world design scenarios where ideal conditions are rare. It's allowed me to lead my team in delivering high-quality designs even when faced with unexpected challenges or limitations.
TEJUS R MEDA
MY WORK
FoodFob
College Management Software
LeafLink
CONNECT
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Made in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK