PLANTANICAL
AN APP TO DIGITISE YOUR PLANTS
2021
2021
Plantanical gives you the tools you need to effectively re-
invent gardening from home. It enables you to track and
control your plants from anywhere. Thereby it ensures
that your plants are always healthy and optimally watered.
We designed an app with a special UX focus. Afterwards,
I additionally realized the concept from a technical point.
invent gardening from home. It enables you to track and
control your plants from anywhere. Thereby it ensures
that your plants are always healthy and optimally watered.
We designed an app with a special UX focus. Afterwards,
I additionally realized the concept from a technical point.
Idea
Plantanical digitalises your garden through sensor-connected plants. The associated app allows you to monitor and maintain your garden easily. You can add plants, connect them to sensors, enter or track relevant information and water them. But Plantanical is much more than just a monitoring app! Plantanical introduces you to the world of plants, allowing you to become a real Plantanical guru. Scan your environment and find out which plants surround you. Read interesting articles and find out what's trending in the plant world right now.
Plantanical combines these two worlds. Being smart and green. Plantanical gives you the tools you need to effectively reinvent gardening from home.
Plantanical combines these two worlds. Being smart and green. Plantanical gives you the tools you need to effectively reinvent gardening from home.
Process
The task was to design an app for remote plant monitoring. In an iterative process, we designed numerous ideas and concepts to optimise home gardening. Starting with user interviews and visual research, we quickly developed the first drafts in a design sprint. Those were adapted and improved as the project proceeded. In the implementation process we focused specially on the user experience. Making it a joyfull and inclusive app, following common UX rules. In addition, I also developed the concept as a coded web application that could read and analyse live tracked sensor data from my Arduino. So I got a proof of concept which allowed me to validate our theses and product idea.
Technology
The technical implementation is built as a distributed system. The system consists of 4 components. The frontend, backend, a database and a microcontroller which collects sensor data.
The microcontroller is an ESP 8266 and sends data collected by a moisture sensor via the internet. These are sent to the backend via an MQTT broker and then stored in a MongoDB database. Afterwards, data collected for a corresponding user is requested and clearly displayed in the frontend. The user can edit, analyse or add new sensors.
The microcontroller is an ESP 8266 and sends data collected by a moisture sensor via the internet. These are sent to the backend via an MQTT broker and then stored in a MongoDB database. Afterwards, data collected for a corresponding user is requested and clearly displayed in the frontend. The user can edit, analyse or add new sensors.
FACTS
2021, HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd
Visual Prototyping
Software Design
2. Semester
2021, HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd
Visual Prototyping
Software Design
2. Semester
TYPE
Application Design
User Experience / Usability
Digitalisation / Automation
Software Design / Coding
Application Design
User Experience / Usability
Digitalisation / Automation
Software Design / Coding
TOOLS
Miro, Figma
Arduino (C++)
Code, MongoDB
Miro, Figma
Arduino (C++)
Code, MongoDB
TEAM
Fabienne Vatter
Nyal Hettmer
Tim Henrik Seib
Fabienne Vatter
Nyal Hettmer
Tim Henrik Seib
