GREEN GRID

A community garden management app.

A community garden management app.

CONTEXT

App Design

designed for

Foundations of Interaction Design at the University of Melbourne

ROLE

Group member, Team of 4

Year

2025

purpose

Our group explored how digital tools could support the organisation and communication practices of community gardens while encouraging social connection among members. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine participants of different ages and backgrounds to understand their gardening habits, collaboration methods, and use of technology. The findings revealed that motivation, coordination, and information sharing were key influences shaping how people participate in community gardens. Numerous comments were made on how the convenience of obtaining knowledge through an application would greatly benefit them, as opposed to scouring the internet or asking family and friends. Insights from this research informed the development of our conceptual app design, which aimed to make garden management more accessible, improve task coordination, and strengthen the sense of community among gardeners.

Our group began by using the diverge-converge method, combining brainwriting and reverse brainstorming to generate and refine ideas for the application’s design and features. Individually, we proposed concepts for elements such as the homepage layout, plot design, and profile features to maximise originality and reduce bias. Through reverse brainstorming, we anticipated potential user issues- such as unclear navigation preventing users from returning to a previous page so these could be addressed early in the design process. We then converged as a team to group similar ideas, evaluate the strongest proposals, and develop a refined direction. A paper prototype was created to visualise the app’s structure and flow without focusing on detailed features. Finally, our high-fidelity prototype was evaluated through structured beta testing with set tasks and timing guidelines, allowing us to observe participants’ natural thought processes and gather consistent, unbiased feedback.

Our group began by using the diverge-converge method, combining brainwriting and reverse brainstorming to generate and refine ideas for the application’s design and features. Individually, we proposed concepts for elements such as the homepage layout, plot design, and profile features to maximise originality and reduce bias. Through reverse brainstorming, we anticipated potential user issues- such as unclear navigation preventing users from returning to a previous page so these could be addressed early in the design process. We then converged as a team to group similar ideas, evaluate the strongest proposals, and develop a refined direction. A paper prototype was created to visualise the app’s structure and flow without focusing on detailed features. Finally, our high-fidelity prototype was evaluated through structured beta testing with set tasks and timing guidelines, allowing us to observe participants’ natural thought processes and gather consistent, unbiased feedback.

The community garden app combines plot management, plant care, communication, and personal tracking in one streamlined platform. Users can view a simplified home dashboard with committee news, maintenance reminders, and expandable weather-based advice, navigate an interactive garden map with clearly marked owned and available plots, and apply for new plots with clear process feedback. Within each plot, users can add seasonally recommended plants, track planting and harvest cycles, access care information such as soil pH guidance, and remove or update crops as needed. The app also includes a chat feature that allows members to reference specific plots or plants directly, and a personal plant gallery that showcases past and current plants, fostering engagement and a sense of achievement. Post-evaluation refinements focused on reducing visual clutter and improving clarity and usability throughout the app.

The community garden app combines plot management, plant care, communication, and personal tracking in one streamlined platform. Users can view a simplified home dashboard with committee news, maintenance reminders, and expandable weather-based advice, navigate an interactive garden map with clearly marked owned and available plots, and apply for new plots with clear process feedback. Within each plot, users can add seasonally recommended plants, track planting and harvest cycles, access care information such as soil pH guidance, and remove or update crops as needed. The app also includes a chat feature that allows members to reference specific plots or plants directly, and a personal plant gallery that showcases past and current plants, fostering engagement and a sense of achievement. Post-evaluation refinements focused on reducing visual clutter and improving clarity and usability throughout the app.

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