Research and application design for User Experience Design course, General Assembly, October 2013

1. my farmer
A farmer with an attitude, in your pocket
by Lesley Merz and Jacqueline Colognesi
User Experience Design, General Assembly
October 2013
Have you watered your basil yet today?

2. The challenge
A new farming magazine aims to position itself as a
knowledge base for its young, urban readership.
Solution
A mobile application brings how-to information to beginner
gardeners.
Scope
Company research, Persona development, User flows,
Information Architecture, Wireframes

3. what is
modern farmer
?

4. Farm
Food
Life
This goat
Company
background
Modern Farmer is a quarterly magazine founded
in 2012 covering topics including local and
sustainable growing, the slow food movement,
and a farm-to-table lifestyle.

5. Company
background
The magazine covers a broad range of subjects
and has a quirky, irreverent tone. It covers
serious subjects, but doesn’t take itself too
seriously.

6. who are the
modern farmers
?

7. The best way to know where my food is
coming from is to grow it myself.
It’s nice to watch things grow.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
aspiring gardener
foodie
farm-to-table
environmentalist
slow food
urbanite
hipster
I don’t mind getting my hands dirty, but
where do I start?
User: The Urban Ruralist
Brooklyn, NY
Many readers in the magazine’s target audience live in cities, but have a desire to get back
to nature. They care about their food and where it comes from. They also are urban, and can
appreciate modern farmer’s irreverent attitude.

8. “Our how-to section is going to
be the most important section
in the magazine…”
—Ann Marie Gardner, CEO and Editor-in-Chief
The Problem: connecting to beginners
Modern Farmer’s “How-to” section, while one of its priorities, is not well developed. Its website has
few how-to articles, and mainly those on advanced topics. Modern Farmer needs a better way help
its readers: beginners who are eager to learn.

9. how can
modern farmer
connect to these
users?

10. Have you watered your basil yet today?
The Solution: a How-To Application
The idea was conceived for a “farmer in your pocket”—a mobile application to guide novice farmers,
establish the magazine as a leader for this new food culture, and maintain its whimsical feel.

11. Process: Prototyping
Our process involved a paper prototyping system of interchangeable pieces. This allowed us to
quickly try out different interactions and move interface components around easily. This collaborative
process seamlessly facilitated a low-fidelity, interactive prototype.

12. Process:
User Testing
User tests revealed that the concept was wellreceived. However, we learned that too much
flexibility lead some users to feel confused, and
we discovered that the initial flow through the
application was critical to a user’s understanding
of how it worked.

13. Home screen:
My Farm
Side navigation:
articles and utilities
Information Architecture
We reorganized the information architecture to have a clearer hierarchy. The home screen
became “my farm,” a status snapshot of the user’s plants and tasks, and a side menu organized
the rest of the navigation in a list.

14. User Flow
Open My Farmer
Our updated flow took improved the different steps
needed for first-time and repeat users. For firsttime users, My Farmer opens with a quick introduction and guides users to answer four basic
questions to get custom farm recommendations.
On subsequent opens, the application takes the
user straight to the “My Farm” home screen.
First-time user?
yes
Profile
Introduction
Style
no
Space
Sun
Zone
edit
profile
My Farm
Seasonal
Overview
Sidebar Menu
How-to Library
Plant status and
tasks (ex. basil)
recommendations
article how-to (ex. basil)
set date of
planting
yes
Add to my farm?
no
Favorite
articles
Settings

15. Process:
User Testing
We built a second paper prototype around our
new information architecture and flow. This
time, our tests revealed that the users knew
what to expect having seen the introduction,
and they felt confident in their understanding of
where they were in the application at all times.

16. how does
my farmer
work?

17. Verizon
12:00 PM
my farmer
a how-to companion to
modern farmer
Wireframes
The loading page directly refers back to the
magazine. An angry farmer suggests the
tongue-in-cheek tone of the magazine.

18. Verizon
12:00 PM
my farmer guides you
through growing your own
food with how-tos and
helpful reminders
Let’s see how it works!
Verizon
12:00 PM
Verizon
Fill out your farmer profile
in four simple steps to get
custom recommendations.
12:00 PM
Choose the plants you
want to grow and enter
the date you plant them.
Verizon
12:00 PM
Grow your plants with
helpful (if snarky!)
reminders from
Old MacDonald.
swipe to continue >>
Verizon
12:00 PM
That’s it! Now just work
up an appetite for your
own homegrown food!
set up your profile >>
Introduction Sequence
For a first-time viewer: The first page of the introduction tells the user what is coming up, and
shows that it won’t be long. The text is brief, while easy swiping between pages allows the user to
quickly complete the introductory sequence. It ends by encouraging the user with the incentive of a
bountiful harvest.

19. Verizon
12:00 PM
What are we working with?
Get started on your custom
farm in four quick steps!
1 Style
Verizon
12:00 PM
Verizon
What are we working with?
2 Space
What are we working with?
3 Sun
How much room do you have?
What types of plants you want
to grow?
12:00 PM
Legumes
East or West
exposure
Roof/Patio
Fruits
South
exposure
Balcony/
Terrace
Herbs
12:00 PM
What are we working with?
4 Zone
What kind of light do you get?
Windowsill
Veggies
Verizon
Find your growing zone!
Zip code:
North
exposure
swipe to continue >>
or
Already know your zone? Enter it!
Zone:
Go to My Farm! >>
easy swipe
between pages
questions only ask
information required from
users to get custom farm
recommendations
dots reflect page number
Application Customization
Customized plant recommendations are integral to the application, so new users are directed next
to answer four short questions about plant types, space availability, sun exposure, and growing
zone to determine their suggested plants.

20. menu housed in sidebar for
access throughout the app:
- Plant How-to Library
- Favorite How-tos
- Profile
- Settings
Seasonal Overview presents
upcoming tasking in one list
Verizon
8:00 AM
my farm
Seasonal Overview
Basil
4
Peppers
Tomatoes
Notifications for current and
overdue tasks for each plant
2
Kale
11
Each plant page shows
the status of that plant and
notifications
Home Screen
“My Farm” is a current status list of the plants a
user is growing.

21. Verizon
12:00 PM
Library
Recommended/
for/You
Browse
All
New/
Ar4cles
How<to:<Carrots
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
How<to:<Cauliflower
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
How<to:<Corn
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
How<to:<Cucumber
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
A
B
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F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
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S
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U
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X
Y
Z
How-to Library
The how-to library automatically populates
with recommendations based on the user’s
profile, but users can also search, browse
alphabetically, or look for newly added articles.

22. Likes: Lots of sun, constant pruning
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, crowding
You'll need: Basil seeds, well-draining
pots, planting soil, water, full sun.
Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
Basics
Verizon
12:00 PM
how to: basil
STEPis a Start basil indoorsherb4-6 weeks
Verizon
12:00 PM
Basil 1: hardy, easy-to-grow i that is
beforefor beginners.
the Þrst frost. i
good
how to: basil
Light: full sun
STEP 2: Plant two seeds per small pot.
Growing season: early saran (outdoors)
Cover how to:spring wrap to keep
the seeds with basil
how to: basil
Zone: 1-11
them warm. During this early
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
Verizon
Verizon
12:00 PM
12:00 PM
Light: full sun
STEP 2: Plant two seeds per small pot.
Growing seeds with spring (outdoors)
Cover theseason: early saran wrap to keep
Zone: 1-11
them warm. During this early
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
Space: 6-inches apart
growth stage, water daily.
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
Annual (perennial if grown indoors)
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
for#beginners.#
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
Likes: Lots of sun, constant pruning
for#beginners.#
Basil seeds
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, crowding
well-draining pots
Likes: Lots of sun, constant pruning
planti need:
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, well-draining
You'llng soil Basil seeds, crowding
water
pots, planting soil, water, full sun.
You'll need: Basil seeds, well-draining
Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
pots, planting soil, water, full sun.
Space: 6-inches apart
growth stage, water daily.
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
Annual (perennial if grown indoors)
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
Add Plant to My Farm
for#beginners.#
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
for#beginners.#
Likes: Lots of sun, constant pruning
for#beginners.#
Basil seeds
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, crowding
Likes: Lots ofpots constant pruning
well-draining sun,
Likes: Lots ofsun, constant pruning
Dislikes: soil
Overly wet soil,
planti need: Basil seeds,crowding
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, crowding
You'llng
well-draining
water
pots, planting soil, water, full sun.
You'll need: Basil seeds, well-draining
You'll need: Basil seeds, well-draining
Purchase water, full sun.
pots, planting soil,at ModernFarmer.com
pots, planting soil,water, full sun.
Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
STEP 1:Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
Start basil indoors i 4-6 weeks
before the Þrst frost. i
STEPis 1:Start basil indoorsherb4-6 weeks
Verizon
12:00 PM
STEP a Start easy-to-grow
Basil 1: hardy, basil indoors ii 4-6 weeks
that is
beforefor beginners. seeds per small pot.
STEP 2: Plant two
before the Þrst frost.
good the Þrst frost. ii
Cover the seeds with saran wrap to keep
Verizon
12:00 PM
Light: full Plant two this early
STEPwarm. Duringseeds per small pot.
them 2: Plant two seeds per small pot.
STEP 2: sun
Growing seeds with saran wrap to keep
Cover theseason: early saran wrap to keep
Cover stage, water daily.
growth theseeds with spring (outdoors)
Zone: warm. During this early
them warm. During this early
them 1-11
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
Space: 6-incheswater daily.
growth stage, water daily.
growth stage, apart
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
Annual (perennial if grown indoors)
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
for#beginners.# »
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
Likes: Lots of sun, constant pruning
for#beginners.#
Basil seeds
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, crowding
well-draining pots
Likes: Lots of sun, constant pruning
planti need:
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, well-draining
You'llng soil Basil seeds, crowding
water
pots, planting soil, water, full sun.
You'll need: Basil seeds, well-draining
Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
pots, planting soil, water, full sun.
STEP 1:Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
Start basil indoors i 4-6 weeks
before the Þrst frost. i
STEP 1: Start basil indoors i 4-6 weeks
STEP 2: Plant two seeds per small pot.
before the Þrst frost. i
Cover the seeds with saran wrap to keep
STEP 2: Plant two this early
them warm. During seeds per small pot.
STEP 1:Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
Start basil indoors i 4-6 weeks
before the Þrst frost. i
STEP 1: Start basil indoors i 4-6 weeks
STEP 2: Plant two seeds per small pot.
before the Þrst frost. i
Cover the seeds with saran wrap to keep
STEP 2: Plant two this early
them warm. During seeds per small pot.
Add#Plant#to#My#Farm
Add Plant to My Farm
Basil#is#a#hardy,#easy5to5grow#herb#that#is#good
for#beginners.#
Likes: Lots of sun, constant pruning
Dislikes: Overly wet soil, crowding
You'll need: Basil seeds, well-draining
pots, planting soil, water, full sun.
Purchase at ModernFarmer.com
Basics
STEPis a Start basil indoorsherb4-6 weeks
Verizon
12:00 PM
Basil 1: hardy, easy-to-grow i that is
beforefor beginners.
good the Þrst frost. i
how to: basil
how to: basil
Verizon
12:00 PM
You’ll need
Growing overview
You’ll need
Growing overview
Basics
how to: basil
how to: basil
You’ll need
Growing overview
How-to Articles
The how-to article page for any plant gives the
user the plant growing overview and step-bystep growing process. Adding a plant to “My
Farm” populates the user’s home screen.

23. Date planted: April 5, 2013
change
My Farm:
Plant Detail
Verizon
12:00 PM
Verizon
Today your basil 12:00 PM 4 weeks old.
plant is
basil
Date planted: April 5, 2013
basil
It should be several inches tall with
small, bright green leaves.
change
What’s next?
Date planted: April 5, 2013
change
Water your plant twice
a day.
expand
Go back
Start:
Plant your
seeds
Next step
At 4 weeks:
Re-plant your
seedlings
Today your basil plant is 4 weeks old.
View how-to article
Today your basil plant is 4 weeks old.
It should be several inches tall with
small, bright green leaves.
It should be several inches tall with
small,
Tasksbright green leaves.
Re-pot
What’s next? plants 6 inches apart
Week of May 6
What’s next?
Water your plant twice
a day.
expand
Go back
Next step
Start:
Plant your
seeds
At 4 weeks:
Re-plant your
seedlings
View how-to article
Plant status, based on
Tasks
date planted
Week of May 6 Re-pot plants 6 inches apart
May 6 (p.m.)
Water: morning
Water your plant twice
a day. afternoon
Water:
May 7 (a.m.)
Current step can be
expanded for detailed
explanation
Links to Library How-to
article for in-depth tutorial
Water: morning
May 6 (a.m.)
expand
May 7 (p.m.)
Go back Water: afternoon
Next step
Start:
At 4 weeks:
Re-plant your
Behind on logging your completed tasks?
Plant your
seedlings
seeds
Check all
View how-to article
Share your progress!
Tasks
See past and
upcoming steps
Week of May 6 Re-pot plants 6 inches apart
May 6 (a.m.)
Water: morning
May 6 (a.m.)
Water: morning
May 6 (p.m.)
Water: afternoon
May 6 (p.m.)
Water: afternoon
Check off completed
tasks to stay on top of
harvest

24. Verizon
12:00 PM
Library
Recommended/
for/You
Browse
All
New/
Ar4cles
How<to:<Carrots
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
How<to:<Cauliflower
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
How<to:<Corn
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
How<to:<Cucumber
Vegetables<farming<farmNtoNtable<sustainable
living<local<food<movement<slow<food<modern
farmer<plants<herbs<vegetables<legumes<fruit
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
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I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Reminders and
Notifications
If a user doesn’t log the tasks required for a
plant, Old MacDonald shows up to weigh in.
This cranky, melodramatic old farmer plays up
the magazine’s irreverent personality, and is a
fun way to remind the user not to forget any
tasks along the way.

25. the end!