Mather X National Park Services Grower Space
ROLE
UX Researcher, UI Designer
TIME
Jan 2023 – May 2024
DELIVERABLES
Competitive analysis, Journey map, UI design, Flow chart, Interviews, Persona
TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator, Figma, Miro
Overview
Brief
We are crafting a space where growth extends beyond plants to encompass skills, community, and caregiving. In partnership with Stephen T. Mather High School, the Grower Space project was developed with a strong focus on community engagement. Our goal was to design a space that not only reflects the community’s input but also addresses the specific needs of the students who will use it.
The core elements of the Grower Space include the creation of versatile grower boxes, a flexible shade system, and a cohesive brand identity. This brand identity thoughtfully integrates the values of the National Park Service with the spirit of Stephen T. Mather High School, resulting in an environment where students can effectively develop their landscape management skills on Governor’s Island.
Design Process
Understanding
Researching
Analyzing
Designing
Ideating
Testing
Refining
Presenting
Challenge
Problem Statement
How might we create a new space to grow, not only plants, but also skills, community, and caregiving?
Challenge
Solution
“During our community drawing workshop, the goal was to immerse all students in the project site, fostering first hand engagement to envision its potential as a grower space. We explored ideas ranging from business incubation to structural support and programming layout. By leveraging diverse sensory experiences and navigation methods, we facilitated a powerful collaborative experience, enriching our collective vision.”
Research 1 - Site Analysis
Research Findings
01 Work/life balance：Individuals may feel less connected to those who are not present in their daily lives
02 Effort required: The pressure to maintain frequent contact with family members can cause stress or anxiety
03 Sharing/responding: Sharing daily activities with others is a key way to stay connected and maintain relationships.
Community Drawing
Listening Session
Co-Creation Session
Co-Design: Community Drawing Session
“During our community drawing workshop, the goal was to immerse all students in the project site, fostering first hand engagement to envision its potential as a grower space. We explored ideas ranging from business incubation to structural support and programming layout. By leveraging diverse sensory experiences and navigation methods, we facilitated a powerful collaborative experience, enriching our collective vision.”
Goals:
01 Work/life balance: What a day in their botany/landscape management class looks like.
02 Effort required: What kinds of plant species they grow.
03 Sharing/responding: What tools they use.
Co-Design: Listening Session
“The listening session gave us direct insights from Mather students and staff on their botany and landscape management curriculum, including the challenges in an urban setting. These firsthand accounts informed our design approach, ensuring our solutions are tailored to their unique needs.”
“During the second session, we organized teams of students to develop comprehensive proposals for the site by combining individual elements such as seating assemblies, shade structures, and grower box infrastructures. The focus was on creating a cohesive visual identity that reflects intentionality.
Co-Design: Co-Creation Session
“In this first part of community co-creation student groups were categorized into the three focuses of shading, seating, and grower boxes. Each group was then tasked with crafting their unique interpretations of the focuses using a variety of loose materials and components.”
User Research
Co-Creation Catalog
Research Findings
01 Work/life balance：Individuals may feel less connected to those who are not present in their daily lives
02 Effort required: The pressure to maintain frequent contact with family members can cause stress or anxiety
03 Sharing/responding: Sharing daily activities with others is a key way to stay connected and maintain relationships.
Design Principles
IDEATION
Initial Ideas
01 Work/life balance：Individuals may feel less connected to those who are not present in their daily lives
02 Effort required: The pressure to maintain frequent contact with family members can cause stress or anxiety
03 Sharing/responding: Sharing daily activities with others is a key way to stay connected and maintain relationships.
01 Work/life balance：Individuals may feel less connected to those who are not present in their daily live
01 Work/life balance：Individuals may feel less connected to those who are not present in their daily live
01 Work/life balance：Individuals may feel less connected to those who are not present in their daily live
Design Decision
Q: What is the most effortless, but efficient bonding format?
A: Series of images that can be easily taken by phone
Using daily images or photos helps keep up with basic information and can start more conversations. It's a great way for users to share their feelings and thoughts quickly and easily, without having to explain too much. Feedback from user interviews shows that people can communicate quickly through images while still staying connected with their contacts.
Storyboard & Wireframe
The proposed UX design project entails creating a platform or app facilitating seamless sharing of daily photo collections among users' social circles. Through intuitive functionality, users can compile surprise gift packages of images, enhancing emotional connections and enjoyment. The project aims to provide a distinctive avenue for individuals to connect and share experiences. Achieving this vision necessitates meticulous research and planning, focusing on aspects such as user experience, customization, privacy, security, and revenue generation. Adherence to professional standards could position this concept as a valuable asset in the photo-sharing market.
Visual Identity
The visual branding strategy for this product is strategically designed to elicit sentiments of comfort and intimacy, providing users with a seamless and ethereal communication experience across vast distances. The overarching aesthetic objective is to prompt users to value and appreciate the individuals who have entered their lives and assumed significance
Branding
NEXT STEP…
ENCOUNTERING MEANINGFUL CHALLENGES!
Overall, this project was both challenging and therapeutic. Researching the history and backgrounds of travel was inspiring; however, finding innovative ways to reinvent features that enhance people's travel experiences proved to be a challenging task.
Moreover, designing an app from scratch was an extremely rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to conduct research, interview users, analyze collected data, and create high-fidelity interfaces. Throughout the process, I learned that a successful product must be supported by qualitative data, a clear user flow, and extensive user feedback.