Many gardening apps today focus solely on delivering static information — plant care guides, watering schedules, or pest control articles. While these can be helpful, they often overlook the most trusted resource gardeners already rely on: their community.
Through our initial research, we found that experienced gardeners overwhelmingly prefer seeking advice from fellow gardeners they trust, rather than relying solely on apps. Green Thumb was our answer to bridging that gap — a community-first gardening app where gardeners can connect, ask questions, share progress, and exchange practical tips.
This was a collaborative project completed over three weeks.
My individual contributions included:
Team contributions included:
Most gardening apps provide static plant care information, but experienced gardeners prefer advice from trusted peers.
<aside> 👉 However, there was no dedicated, community-driven platform where gardeners could share experiences, ask for advice, and connect with like-minded individuals in a meaningful way.
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Our team designed Green Thumb, a mobile app centered around a gardener-to-gardener community forum. We combined curated resources with peer-contributed tips, making it quick and easy to find reliable answers.
<aside> 🚀 The prototype received positive feedback during testing, with users highlighting the forum as the most valuable feature — filling a gap no other gardening app addressed.
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After identifying a gap in the market for a community-first gardening platform, we conducted user interviews and surveyed 94 participants to understand experienced gardeners’ habits, challenges, and preferences. We developed a proto persona and refined it into a data-driven user persona, then mapped the user journey and prioritized features using an “I Like, I Wish, What If” exercise.