Overview

Planter is a concept app created as the final project to complete my UX/UI design course. The idea behind it was to design an intuitive mobile experience that supports plant lovers in caring for their houseplants - from identification to ongoing care.

This was my first complete UX/UI case study, and while I now approach some challenges differently thanks to the experience I’ve gained since, this project represents a key milestone in my development as a designer. It allowed me to apply core design principles, explore end-to-end user flow, and experiment with building a cohesive visual identity around a real-world problem.

Managing Diverse Plant Needs

Houseplants are growing in popularity, but caring for them isn’t always simple. With different sunlight preferences, watering needs, temperatures, and even safety concerns if you have curious pets at home, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Users often lack the knowledge or time to look up plant care requirements.

The additional friction comes from not knowing plant names or needing to research schedules individually. My goal was to solve all of this by designing a smart, accessible, and calming tool that would take care of both the plant and the user.

Simplifying Plant Care

The app solves common real-life problems: it identifies plants without needing prior knowledge, highlights toxicity risks for pets, and helps users stay consistent with watering through a personalized schedule. Each plant added to the dashboard comes with a short, clear care brief, making information accessible without overwhelm. To further engage users, I included an Amazing Facts generator that shares fun, surprising insights - spreading knowledge and encouraging a deeper appreciation of the diverse world of plants.

The visual direction was inspired by natural tones and a calm, friendly atmosphere. I developed a light, earthy color palette and soft UI elements to reflect the soothing nature of the app's purpose. To ensure clarity and structure, I built reusable components and created a simple icon system to guide users through the interface.

Lessons Learned

This project taught me how to connect functional design with emotional value. I focused on user-centered decisions and simplified complexity through calm, clear UI. Designing Planter helped me strengthen my UX process, structure clear flows, and build a consistent visual identity from scratch.

The project was well received during my course and proved the importance of building for real user frustrations - not just aesthetics.