Plantify
ABOUT
Plantify is a wheeled garden bed that allows novice gardeners to sow seeds in the winter and nurture them until they can be transplanted in the spring. Ventilating and water-retention features make it an ideal gardening vessel across seasons.
CREATED
March 2024
FOCUS
Home & garden, inspired by Permaculture
CONTEXT
University "sprint" project
SKILLS
• Design for a user persona
• 3D rendering and product staging
User persona
NAME
AGE
OCCUPATION
FAMILY
LOCATION
DISPOSABLE INCOME
Mara
54
horticultural consultant
partner & free-range pets
rural, Northeastern homestead
moderate
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hobby gardening
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vegetable farming as a staple food source
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spending time in nature and painting depictions of local wildlife
Interests
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"passive house principles," i.e. energy efficiency ​
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Permaculture–inspired design features
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respect for the land
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longevity of products & practices
Values
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lack of access to budding plants for pollinators
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gaudy–looking products that distract from the natural beauty of her garden​​
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inclement weather when starting seeds
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flimsy, poorly–engineered garden tools ​​
Frustrations
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a planting solution to complement the beauty of its contents
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bee & pollinator friendly
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temperate & moist microbiome for plants, preventing soil hypoxia
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long product life cycle
Needs
Ideating form
Finalizing form & features
Physical model
Lessons in prototyping
Because I worked on this project early into my undergraduate, I was beginning my woodworking practice. Now looking back, I think about all the methods I could have used to achieve a cleaner–looking product in half the build time.
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Still, projects like this one are valuable to me because they show the progression of my skills and how my style has evolved. I have long been interested in creating designs that uplift nature and sustainability. This particular product has more of an artistic, Art Nouveau flair than the more geometric, balanced forms that I use lately in my work. To me, the curved silhouette and radiating lines feel appropriate for the product.
