Minfolio PlantPal: Smart Plant Care Companion

PlantPal: Smart Plant Care Companion

An inclusive, accessible plant care platform that enables plant owners, to understand, treat, and track plant health with confidence.

WHAT IS PLANTPAL?

✔ AI-powered plant diagnosis app for identifying issues from photos.
✔ Provides quickly readable care guidance tailored to plant conditions. ✔ Tracks plant health progress over time in one place.
✔ Includes a community space to connect with fellow plant lovers and experts.

WHAT IS PLANTPAL?

PROBLEM

✔ Plant owners struggle to identify plants accurately.
✔ Care advice online was inconsistent and overwhelming.
✔ No single platform to diagnose, treat and track plant health.

THE SOLUTION

✔ AI-powered plant diagnosis through image uploads.
✔ Personalized, concise care recommendations that are easy to read and act on.
✔ Unified dashboard to track watering schedules and daily sunlight for all plants.
✔ Built-in community groups and expert advice for instant support.
✔ Accessibility-first design with voice commands and read-aloud features.

RESEARCH

✔ Conducted user interviews with beginner and experienced plant owners.
✔ Found pain points: unclear diagnosis, lack of follow-up tracking.
✔ Competitor analysis showed apps focused only on identification, not care lifecycle.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Category	PictureThis	PlantIn	PlantPal
Plant Photo Diagnosis	AI plant identification	Camera photo upload	AI + camera based plant diagnosis
Plant Health Tracker	Not comprehensive	Individual plant tracker	Unified plant dashboard & progress tracking
Plant Overview Dashboard	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unified health dashboard for all plants
Diagnosis Report/ Recommendations	Basic care tips	Advice and care suggestions	Customized and short plant care diagnosis report
Community / Social Features	Unavailable	Community posting	Community groups, expert Q&A & DMs
Accessible UI (Voice/Read-Aloud)	Minimum or no accessible features in app	Minimum or no accessible features in app	Accessibility-first (voice/read-aloud, dark mode & simple language)
Expert support	Expert advise available	Expert advice available	Community + expert guidance

“I Google everything but still don’t know what’s actually wrong.” – Leah (Beginner Plant Owner)
“I want to track if my plant is actually getting better.” – Siddharth (Hobby Gardener)

RESEARCH

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Category	PictureThis	PlantIn	PlantPal
Plant Photo Diagnosis	AI plant identification	Camera photo upload	AI + camera based plant diagnosis
Plant Health Tracker	Not comprehensive	Individual plant tracker	Unified plant dashboard & progress tracking
Plant Overview Dashboard	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unified health dashboard for all plants
Diagnosis Report/ Recommendations	Basic care tips	Advice and care suggestions	Customized and short plant care diagnosis report
Community / Social Features	Unavailable	Community posting	Community groups, expert Q&A & DMs
Accessible UI (Voice/Read-Aloud)	Minimum or no accessible features in app	Minimum or no accessible features in app	Accessibility-first (voice/read-aloud, dark mode & simple language)
Expert support	Expert advise available	Expert advice available	Community + expert guidance

“I Google everything but still don’t know what’s actually wrong.” – Leah (Beginner Plant Owner)
“I want to track if my plant is actually getting better.” – Siddharth (Hobby Gardener)

DESIGN PROCESS

✔ Conducted user interviews to understand plant care challenges and user needs.

✔ Synthesized insights to create user personas representing key user groups.

✔ Mapped user journeys and built user flows for core tasks.

✔ Designed low-fidelity wireframes to structure the experience.

✔ Iterated based on usability testing and stakeholder feedback.

✔ Finalized high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.

DESIGN PROCESS

✔ Conducted user interviews to understand plant care challenges and user needs.

✔ Synthesized insights to create user personas representing key user groups.

✔ Mapped user journeys and built user flows for core tasks.

✔ Designed low-fidelity wireframes to structure the experience.

✔ Iterated based on usability testing and stakeholder feedback.

✔ Finalized high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.

USER INTERVIEWS

✔ Uncovered major pain points such as information overload, low confidence, and time constraints.
✔ Discovered strong need for quick, visual, and trustworthy diagnosis tools.
✔ Highlighted accessibility challenges (screen readers, dyslexia, text-heavy content).
✔ Found that users value step-by-step, actionable care guidance over generic advice.
✔ Revealed the importance of reminders and plant health tracking for consistency.

USER PERSONAS

USER INTERVIEWS

USER PERSONAS

USERFLOW

UI DESIGN

✔ UI Design Approach: Used Crazy 8’s and How Might We (HMW) exercises to rapidly explore ideas, prioritize solutions, and translate user needs into clear, actionable interface designs.

SOLUTION

WIREFRAME

FINAL DESIGN

OUTCOME

Delivered a user-centered plant care app addressing diagnosis, treatment, and tracking in one platform.
Enabled quick, accessible solutions through AI scans, quizzes, and visual guides.
Increased engagement with personalized dashboards and daily log tracking.
Fostered community interaction via groups and expert support features.
Ensured accessibility with voice commands, read-aloud support, and intuitive design.

REFLECTION

Emphasized accessibility to make the app usable for a wider audience.
Early user testing at the wireframing stage helped identify improvements quickly.
Simplifying language and action items enhanced clarity and beginner-friendliness.
Iterative feedback guided design decisions, saving time on later changes.

I'm Vaishnavi. I build products that don’t just work, but "wow".

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