Introduction

Bloom is an app for plant lovers of all skill levels to connect in a positive way. Half social media, half online marketplace, the inspiration for Bloom came from the side-effects of a global pandemic.

My Role

I worked with two other fantastic UX Designers (Rachel Chagnon and Jenny Duarte) to create Bloom. Along with supporting my team in every aspect of our process, I wrote and organized our interview plans, and designed a Hi-Fi Prototype in Figma.

The problem

There are lots of plant identification apps currently available, as well as online shops and forums, but there is an unmet need for these combined features on one platform.

Goals

appeal to all

• Offer features for all levels of plant lovers, so our target users remain a broad audience, thus appealing to all.

Remain flexible

• Allow users to choose what features they favor when using the app, creating flexibility as a product.

encourage social engagement

• Make a profile to unlock social features in the app that are otherwise inaccessible, encouraging users to return regularly to Bloom.

Sketching

Users said they didn't know where to begin, so we wanted to provide lots of ways to sort searches. If a user only knew how much light they have in their home, for instance, that could be a very simple starting point. However, if more experienced users wanted to find specific varieties of plants, that's also an option.

Along with varying ways to filter searches we also created a flow where users don't have to use the messaging options. Users can save information on their own collections, browse listings, and read public forums, all without participating in the social aspects of the app.

Lo-Fi vibes

Our Lo-Fi design was the last iteration of Bloom created by my amazing team, though I went on to design a Hi-Fi version on my own. In this iteration we focused on a flowing user interface, paying close attention to UX writing, button placement, and simplified information.

Continued design iterations

I toyed with a Hi-Fi design in figma, and though I didn't run any tests on it, it was fun to imagine where Bloom might go if developed into a working application.

Conclusions

User enjoyment ≠ User Engagement

Unlike working with an existing brand or product, Bloom is a concept application, which gave the team an opportunity to paint on a blank canvas. I enjoyed paying close attention to competitors' products, as well as users' needs - two UX fundamentals upon which any successful venture should be built.

Solving the problem of too many plant apps with poor user experience was a fun task, which according to data, we completed. However, much of our data showed users have experience downloading useless apps that just clutter their phones, destined to be sent spiraling back into the aether. How we might encourage users to dip their toe into Bloom is another problem I'd like to tackle down the road.