Buddy: Plant Care Design Challenge

Plant care can be frustrating for many people, myself included. While many houseplants are easy to grow, they require proper care to thrive. My goal was to create a simple solution to help users succeed in growing plants. I also wanted to explore the emotional connection between plant and caretaker, transforming plant care from a chore into a meaningful, symbiotic relationship.

The Challenge

Plants want to grow—they’re on your side. How can we set them up for success?

I interviewed seven plant lovers to uncover the biggest challenges they face. Here’s what I found:

I need help choosing plants that fit my lifestyle to give me a better chance at keeping them alive.

Problem Statment 1

I need a schedule to maintain my plants because I’m too busy to remember on my own.

Problem Statement 2

I need guidance on caring for my plants because I don’t know enough about their needs.

Problem Statement 3

I created two personas to guide the design process: Rose and Daisy.

Initial Sketches and Wireframes

The top row shows early sketches that influenced the UI/UX design for Buddy. During this exercise, the idea of giving plants a voice—allowing them to “communicate”—was born. The bottom row displays the first round of wireframes.

Design Language

Buddy is more than just a cheesy plant pun; it embodies the purpose of the app. I aimed to create something that builds a fun and engaging relationship between users and their plants while acting as a companion to help nurture and grow that bond.

User Testing and Key Findings

I designed six tasks for user testing. With each round of testing, I made slight updates to the designs, creating new iterations. Below, you can scroll through the key findings from this process.

During the first round of prototype testing, I discovered a breakdown in my original user flow for adding a plant. I had assumed users would always search for and add a plant simultaneously, which forced them to either complete the process or abandon

During the first round of prototype testing, I discovered a breakdown in my original user flow for adding a plant. I had assumed users would always search for and add a plant simultaneously, which forced them to either complete the process or abandon their search.

To address this, I added an option to bookmark a plant during the search process, allowing users to revisit and add it later from their bookmarked list.

To address this, I added an option to bookmark a plant during the search process, allowing users to revisit and add it later from their bookmarked list.

Inspired by an early sketch, I introduced the concept of giving plants the ability to “talk” to their caretakers. By adding text bubbles, users could receive reminders, greetings, and appreciation messages from their plants. This feature created a mo

Inspired by an early sketch, I introduced the concept of giving plants the ability to “talk” to their caretakers. By adding text bubbles, users could receive reminders, greetings, and appreciation messages from their plants. This feature created a more engaging and positive experience while using the app.

The homepage went through several iterations based on feedback from my initial prototype. Key updates included redesigning the way users view their plants, consolidating the "add" button for simplicity, and incorporating reminders to enhance usabilit

The homepage went through several iterations based on feedback from my initial prototype. Key updates included redesigning the way users view their plants, consolidating the "add" button for simplicity, and incorporating reminders to enhance usability.

Final iteration

Below is the third iteration, which was used in the final round of user testing. Scroll down to see the app’s user interface come to life through all six tested tasks.

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