Overview
This project integrates technology into gardening to make users feel more connected with plants. The outcome is a smart herb planter with a built-in dehydrator, combining fresh and dried herbs, a simple plant emotion display, and app-based control.
Role
Research, opportunity identification, USP definition, CAD development, design for manufacturing, rendering, mock-ups, branding, wireframing, user interface, and visual design.
Details
Module : Design and Technology
Duration : 3 weeks (Jan 2023)
Team : Rucha Nene, Siya Zanwar, Sailee Powar, Purvasha Choudhari
Mentors : Umang Shah, Shyyam Prajapati, Sharad Shetty
Background
Inspired by the global move toward sustainability, we explored indoor gardening and focused on herbs, aiming to make a product that sits comfortably in a user's garden as well kitchen.
Form development
Why grow herbs inverted?
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Visually whimsical
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Easily feasible due to shallow roots
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Easy to gather in the plate below
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Soil pods hold seeds securely for a compact setup
Introducing,
a perfect smart garden for nurturing your herbs
Proof of concept
The automated watering system shows a sad face when soil moisture is low and pumps water until the soil is moist, turning the face happy.
Learnings
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Ideation should be efficient and creative, avoiding indefinite delays. Taking decisions and completing the project is sometimes more beneficial than seeking perfection.
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Refinement of the design after consideriing design for manufacturability.
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Inculcating technology into the product while maintaining a "mid-tech" approach is necessary for preserving the human-nature connection.
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Adhering to a consistent visual language for the user interface similar to the actual product to deliver a seamless user experience
Supported Application
Product Controls : Dehydration, light adjustments, herb health check
Other Functions : Shopping plant pods with subscription plans, recipes related to herbs
These features account for a comprehensive user experience system, from buying and subscribing to plant pods to maintaining the garden.