PlantPal
This is a space for houseplant lovers everywhere, focused around care guides and interactive content to help match indoor gardeners with the perfect PlantPal and accompanying plant pot.
At the start of the pandemic I found myself living in the city centre, in a small flat, where the car park was the closest thing I had to a garden. Needless to say, I felt a little bit like I was trapped in a glass box. What I did have, was floor-to-ceiling, south-facing windows. So, I decided to make an indoor garden.
I have always liked the process of growing things. From the soil, to the worms, the light and the water. I found calmness in the cycle. I could see that I wasn’t alone, as the pandemic effectively introduced many to plants and gardening. Seemed like whilst we were all homebound, we found a little escape in nature.
I knew from the beginning of this project that I wanted PlantPal to be built from a design system. I also knew that as far as side-projects went, this one was pretty ambitious. I began in my comfort zone, sketching ideas out with pen and paper. From these preliminary sketches, I formed a list of necessary components and began to build out from there.
Research
Plants should be selected based on both aesthetics and suitability. Understanding the limitations presented by your indoor space, such as light and warmth is key to creating a successful indoor garden and maintaining plants long-term.
I explored various paths to further my understanding around the needs of indoor gardeners. I created personas based on questionnaire results and performed market research.
My user research and personas were the foundations of this project.
Pot Matcher
This section of the site allows you to select plant pots based on aesthetic categories such as sculpture and fun, for those who enjoy finding the perfect plant pot to bring a little more personality to their plants.
PlantPal Quiz
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Side note: Although I approached this project as though I was creating a real product, I have no plans to launch PlantPal.
I believe that how I solve problems is one of my strongest abilities as a designer, so I wanted to put this to the test. Working solo on this project allowed me to wear many hats, walk many miles in different shoes, and it was also a lot of fun!