La Muyita: Transforming Urban Green Spaces
Project Type:
Identity, UX Design & Communications
Role:
Lead Designer & Project Manager
Tools:
Illustration, Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Trello & Figma
Challenge
La Muyita is a socio-environmental company that promotes urban agriculture through the creation of gardens in the city. They believe that gardens are a tool for social and environmental transformation and that they significantly improve the quality of life in cities. Despite facing several obstacles during the pandemic, the challenge for this project was centered on developing an app to enhance the user experience. One of the most significant obstacles included the scarcity of green spaces in Lima, coupled with a lack of environmental awareness and knowledge about botany among the populace.
Solution
La Muyita's innovative approach transforms it into a startup with a mobile app that expands its outreach. This app showcases all virtual store products and uses augmented reality to assess temperature, space, and climate, ensuring suitability based on plants' sunlight needs and real product sizes.
PHASE 1
Design Thinking and Research
Objectives to consider within the project:
Promote Urban Green Spaces
Provide accessible and affordable gardening solutions.
Educate the Public on Urban Agriculture
Develop resources for successful home gardening.
Enhance Customer Experience
Provide a seamless online purchasing experience.
Our journey began with extensive market research to understand the demand for urban gardening in Lima. We discovered a strong desire for accessible, affordable, and eco-friendly gardening solutions. Using this insight, we developed a range of products including planting kits, cultivation tables, eco-friendly planters, and organic seeds.
Given the short timeframe, I implemented agile methodologies and a Kanban board to manage tasks efficiently. Each week, we set clear objectives, divided tasks according to team members' skills, and held daily check-ins to monitor progress and address challenges. This approach allowed us to quickly adapt and iterate on our designs based on feedback.
PHASE 2
Digital Transformation
The pandemic forced us to pivot to online sales, but considering the challenges users were experiencing we made sure to make this experience also a learning process for them in an easy and accessible way. We developed a mobile app featuring a virtual store, augmented reality visualization, and a plant scanner. The AR feature allows users to see how products would look in their homes, enhancing the shopping experience and increasing customer engagement.
Branding and Visual Identity
We focused on the branding evoking nature, growth, and sustainability. The color palette includes shades of green and earthy tones, with a clean logo incorporating plant imagery.
Design Principles
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User-Centric:Intuitive and seamless experience for all users.
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Accessibility: Adheres to best practices in UX design.
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Simplicity: Clean and straightforward interface. With a cohesive look and feel for the app.
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Engagement: Interactive elements like augmented reality and plant scanning.
PHASE 3
Wireframes and Development Process
Home Screen
We aimed for a clean layout with easy navigation, ensuring users could quickly access different sections such as the store, AR visualization, and plant scanner.
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Features:
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Clean layout with intuitive navigation
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Easy access to store, AR visualization, and plant scanner.
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Sign-in options (manual, Facebook, Gmail) and quick registration for new users.
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Focus on user convenience and security.
Product Catalog
Products were categorized (e.g., planting kits, tools, seeds) to simplify browsing.
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Features:
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Categorized products for easy browsing.
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Detailed images, descriptions, prices, stock availability, and specifications.
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Collaboration with the content team for accuracy and completeness.
This feature was one of our most innovative additions, allowing users to visualize how products would look in their home environment. The augmented reality (AR) visualization integrated AR technology, providing a user-friendly and engaging interface. This innovation offered a personalized gardening experience by measuring temperature, space, and climate to recommend suitable plants.
Utilizing the camera to identify plants and provide detailed care information, the plant scanner was a highly technical feature that required extensive research and development. It included camera-based plant identification, detailed care information, and related product suggestions, developed in collaboration with botanical experts to ensure accuracy.
The shopping cart and checkout process allowed users to review their selected items, adjust quantities, and proceed to checkout. This feature included an intuitive and secure checkout flow, ensuring a smooth transaction process and user satisfaction.
PHASE 4
Social Media Campaign
We developed a comprehensive social media strategy to expand our reach within the digital media landscape. This strategy leveraged various platforms to engage our audience, share valuable urban gardening content, and showcase the innovative features of our app. By creating visually appealing posts, informative videos, and interactive stories, we built a robust online presence, connected with potential customers, and drove traffic to our website and mobile app. We also ensured that our branding and visual identity remained consistent across all touch points, reinforcing our brand's cohesive image.
PHASE 5
Results and Impact
01.
Market Penetration
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Increased urban gardening activities in Lima.
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Positive customer feedback on products and services.
02.
Sales Growth
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Steady online sales growth, especially during the pandemic.
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Increased brand visibility through social media and influencer partnerships.
03.
Customer Engagement
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High engagement on social media.
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Successful workshops and consultations, fostering a community of urban gardeners.
Conclusion
La Muyita’s innovative approach to urban gardening has significantly impacted Lima, promoting green spaces and environmental awareness. Through continuous adaptation and customer education, La Muyita is poised to lead urban agriculture, transforming Lima's relationship with green spaces. By leveraging digital tools and focusing on sustainability, La Muyita inspires and empowers urban residents to cultivate their own green spaces, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable city.
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As the Lead Designer and Project Manager, I emphasized design thinking and agile management to navigate the challenges and achieve our objectives. The use of Kanban for task management, coupled with regular meetings, ensured we stayed on track and supported each other. Adapting to the pandemic highlighted our resilience and ability to innovate under pressure, ultimately leading to a successful digital transformation. This project underscored the importance of flexibility, collaboration, and a user-centered approach in achieving impactful design and business outcomes.
LA MUYITA: TRANSFORMING URBAN GREEN SPACES
