Bloom: VR Garden Simulation
Bloom is an immersive and engaging virtual reality platform where users can create their virtual gardens using their customized plants drawn by hand. The app also includes a social feature that allows users to connect with other gardeners, collaborate on garden projects, and exchange plants.
Role
Timeline
Interaction Design,
Visual Design,
User Research,
2D/3D Prototyping
1 Year
Tools Used
Unity, Figma,
Maya, Blender, After Effects
Prompt
Urban residents want to engage in gardening but have limited access to outdoor spaces. Design a virtual platform that allows urban dwellers to experience the joy of gardening in an immersive way and connect with other gardeners. Consider creating an intuitive navigation system to select customization options and experience social features.
How Might We Questions
01
02
03
How might we make the virtual gardening experience more dynamic and interactive?
How might we help users design and grow a variety of plants that are suitable for their virtual garden space?
How might we encourage users to collaborate and share their gardening experiences with other users in the app?
User Research
Target Users
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Urban residents who are interested in gardening but may not have access to outdoor space.
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Tech-savvy individuals who are interested in new ways to pursue their hobbies.
Research Methods
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In-person interview
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Online research
Gardening Statistics and Trends
National Gardening Association conducted a study on gardening statistics in the United States in 2021 and discovered that there was a significant increase in gardening compared to the pre-pandemic years.
18.3 Million
new gardeners in the United States (2021)
65%
increase in millennial customer demographics
44%
increase in generation Z demographics
Pain Points / Key Insights
Based on the interviews with 8 participants, I discovered pain points and key insights for designing the main features of the virtual garden platform.
Users choose a specific location from the map to build their gardens.
User Journey
01 Choose a Location
Users choose a specific location from the map to build their gardens.
02 Select a Garden Type
Users can select one of the garden types to place them on the location they chose.
03 Draw a Plant
Users create their plants by using freeform lines and selecting unique textures, and colors. Normally, 3D modeling has a steep learning curve and many people are not used to it. I wanted to make the creation process simple and easy to follow. Therefore, I decided to make the app automatically create 3D modelings directly from the sketch made by users.
04 Arrange the Garden
The plants grow in real-time and users are allowed to visit each other’s unique gardens. Users can create several plants and arrange them in their gardens.
Process
Sketch
I created a sketch to visualize the map of gardens that are created by users.
Information Architecture
Prototyping for Gesture Controls
I created several prototypes to find an efficient interface system that blends into the immersive environment.
The system includes animated guides that educate users on opening menus and using UI elements to navigate through certain task flows. UI elements are layered based on visual hierarchy: Input controls are placed above informational components. Navigational components are placed near interactable objects to draw users' attention to the correct path. I used Figma, After Effects, and Unity for prototyping the layouts.
Automatic Growth Test
I utilized growth shader in plant modeling both in unity and blender to test the real-time growing mechanism and to apply it to different visual designs.
Impacts
Building community: The social feature of the app will allow users to easily connect with other people and help foster a sense of community.
Promoting mental health: Gardening is known to reduce stress and improve mood. By making gardening more engaging and accessible through VR technology, the app can promote these benefits to people who have limited space to grow plants.
User Testing Feedback
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It's interesting that I can design and grow my own unique plant. It's pleasant to watch my plants grow in the arrangement I set up for the garden.
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The whole process from selecting a location from the map to creating my plant is intuitive and easy to follow.
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The animated instructions are super helpful to understand what I have to do for each stage.
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I hope there's a market feature that allows users to share or sell their plants.
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It would be great to create a garden together with another user.
Reflection: Takeaways
This project was focused on user research and user needs. The interviews and gardening statistics helped me to understand different perspectives and find creative solutions to user pain points.
If I had more time and resources, I could have collected more insights from interviews and user testing. I also could have created an AR version of the app to increase accessibility and make it available to a wider audience.
The feedback from the user testing participants provided me with a deeper understanding of how gardening can be a social activity and how incorporating immersive technology into gardening can provide more opportunities for users to connect with others and share their interests.
