Feed for groo
groo's Feed is a space for people who are growing plants to ask questions and receive answers about them.
Company
Timeline
Platform
My Role
App / Web
Product Designer
September - October 2022
groo
Team
Thomas Kwon(Product Owner), Calloway Gang(Lead Developer), Chloe Youn(Product Designer), Jason Jeong(Developer), David Bae(Developer), Cherry Kim(Developer)
About the project
groo is a plant tech startup that collects environmental data from users and assists them with the overall process of owning plants: from selection to growth. This project aimed to improve upon version 1 of groo community into version 2 by finding an effective and convenient way for users to solve plant-related problems.
Problem
We analyzed whether the group chat format of ver.1 currently used by users is suitable as a method for solving plant-related issues.
The characteristics of a typical open chat format are:
1. Engaging in real-time conversations with multiple users.
2. Contents of older conversations are forgotten.
However, the problems with an open chat format for 'questions and answers about plant-related problems' are:
1. It's difficult to selectively view answers to my questions.
2. It's difficult to find concerns similar to mine that have existed previously.
Additionally, due to the nature of plants, providing precise answers to plant-related problems without information about the environment in which the plant is growing is challenging. Therefore, the problems arising from conversations with many users where the content of older conversations is forgotten are:
3. Every time a new chat is sent, users need to repeatedly explain the environment in which their plant is growing.
In group chat spaces, it's challenging for users to quickly find answers to their questions, and they also struggle to find existing plant-related cases similar to theirs. Moreover, users have to repeatedly explain information about their plant's environment.
We concluded that the chat format is not a suitable method for asking plant-related questions and confirming answers. As a result, we decided to make improvements.
How might we effectively and conveniently resolve plant-related problems?
Solution
Feed for Plant Q&A
Unlike chats where multiple users' conversations are mixed, the feed allows commenting on each post individually, making it easier to directly see answers to user questions.
Therefore, we deemed it the most suitable format for questions and answers regarding plant-related problems and restructured it from being a chat to a feed.
Find Similar Concerns to Mine
The advantage of the feed format is that questions are added as posts, accumulating a diverse range of content over time and increasing the amount of useful information.
We introduced a search function to quickly find similar user concerns among these posts.
We collect a total of five pieces of information from users when they register the plants they are growing:
the last date of watering, the type of pot, the growing space, the amount of light received, and the amount of ventilation.
Attach my Plant Card
We have added a plant card feature that displays information about the environment in which the user's plant is growing based on pre-collected environmental data.
Even without describing the plant's environment, attaching a plant card allows other users to provide specific answers about the plant.
Background
We conducted an online survey with the aim of identifying overall improvements for groo Version 1, which had been released for 6 months.
The participants were groo users, and 511 of them responded.
Research
Among the survey responses, we focused specifically on the answers to two questions related to solving plant problems.
When asked about their primary methods for solving plant-related problems, 68% responded with internet searches, while only 6% mentioned asking questions in the groo community.
As for the process of solving plant-related problems, respondents expressed discomfort in finding 'specific answers tailored to my situation.'
Q. What are your usual methods for solving plant-related problems?
Internet Search - 68% Ask groo Community - 6%
Q. What discomfort have you experienced during the process of solving plant-related problems?
"It's difficult to find specific answers tailored to my situation." - 32%
The groo community of ver.1 is a place where users communicate through group chats to solve plant-related problems.
As confirmed through the survey, users desire 'specific answers tailored to my situations,' and we have the groo community chat feature that can provide that. However, it showed a low selection rate. Therefore, we concluded that the chat format we provide is not the most suitable way for solving plant-related problems.
ver.1 groo community
Goal
Based on the survey results and identified problems, we have established the following three key goals for effective and convenient plant-related problems. These goals were then applied to the design of the solution in the new version 2.
1. Make answers to questions easily visible.
2. Enable quick finding of desired information.
3. Provide specific answers considering the user's plant environment.
Information Architecture
I focused on enabling users to find the information they want seamlessly and naturally. Simultaneously, I considered the technical aspects to ensure it is feasible for the engineering team to implement.
Low-fi Wireframes
I contemplated usability and user flow while establishing the framework of components on the screen. Simple wireframes were useful for gathering initial feedback from team members before diving into the detailed visual design of the screens.
Design
Feed
The feed is a space for diverse user interactions. Users can ask questions about their plants or provide assistance with other users' plant-related problems. With various categories like Gardening Question, Gardening Tips, Planterior, and Plant Review, users can engage in a variety of stories related to plants.
Search
The search function at the top of the screen allows users to quickly find information related to plants. It provides popular search terms, showing the current topics that users are most interested in.
New Post
On the home screen, pressing the plus button allows you to write a new post. Various categories can be selected, and users can add a plant card that displays the environmental information of the plant they are growing.
Post Options
Users can receive notifications when new comments are added to a post by pressing the notification button at the top of the post. Users can also edit or delete their own posts by pressing 'More' next to the notification icon. For other users' posts, if it causes discomfort, they can report it.
Additional Features
Expert Badge for Answer Reliability
The expert badge is provided upon request by users with plant-related certifications or experience, subject to review. The expert badge is displayed next to the username, and information provided by such users can be trusted more.
Expert Badge next to username
Expert Badge application is available on the Profile
Leaf hearts function similarly to Instagram likes, allowing users to tap them on posts or comments they appreciate.
Additionally, users can receive Leaf Hearts by commenting or writing posts, and these Leaf Hearts are planned to be used as points in our future in-house commerce platform.
The total number of Leaf Hearts collected by users is displayed at the top of the home screen.
Leaf Heart for Active Communication
Leaf Heart on Posts
Leaf Heart on Comments
Home - The user's Leaf Heart count
Feedback
Transition from chat format to feed format is a significant change, so there was an internal opinion that existing users who were used to the chat function might find it confusing. Therefore, I contemplated ways to minimize the confusion among existing users. As we transitioned to a feed format, we moved the existing chat feature to the top of the screen and removed it after giving prior notice two months later.
"Wouldn't users who were accustomed to using chat be confused?"
Web Design
In the previous version 1, only a mobile app was available. However, with the overhaul to version 2, it was deemed necessary to have a web presence for SEO and organic user growth. Therefore, in creating the new web version, the feed feature was also designed in a web format.
Impact
App Reviews
Version 2, which transitioned to Feed, was released on both iOS and Android in November 2022. Below are the reviews and ratings from groo app users. Overall, the feedback was positive, and there were many responses indicating that users are getting a lot of help with their plants from other users through the Feed.
Analytics Date
Two months after the release of the Feed feature, we used an Analytics Tool to assess whether users were effectively using this feature. In terms of feature usage frequency per user, the Feed detail page ranked 2nd. Furthermore, in the user count by feature, it was ranked 4th. The Feed feature was positioned in the top ranks, and users were actively using it.
Google Play Store Top charts
About 3 months after the release of Version 2, it ranked 8th on the Google Play Store's Education category Top chart. When examining the top 1 to 20 positions on the popular chart, all the apps had a minimum of over 1 million downloads. However, it is quite exceptional that groo ranked 8th on the popular chart with only 10,000 downloads when compared to that. I believe that the small startup company has achieved significant success competing with big tech firms.
Lessons Learned
In a fast-paced startup environment, as the sole product designer, I had the unique opportunity to experience the entire product cycle from user survey analysis to post-launch, right from the beginning. This was truly an invaluable opportunity. Through this process, I have learned the following.
I learned how to define problems, set goals, and work systematically within a relatively short timeframe.
The consideration of how to leverage the accumulated data resources to create features within the product has pushed me to further growth.
The process of collaborating with colleagues such as product owner and developers to create the product has taught me how to communicate effectively with all stakeholders involved in product development.
Team
The task of completely creating the feed feature from the chat was by no means easy. However, with the collective consciousness of the team members and the proactive determination of the development team, it was possible to execute, and the results were highly positive. As our team witnessed users actively engaging with the platform, we felt very happy.
groo Team