Botanic Gardens
Client
Role
Timeline
Service Provided
Bootcamp Project
Research Lead
4 Nov - 15 Nov 2024
Mobile Application
Overview
As Research Lead in a four-person UX team at General Assembly, I led the research phase for a mobile application for Singapore Botanic Gardens. While created as a bootcamp project, we approached it as a real-world challenge, requiring rigorous research methodology to understand how we might improve the visitor experience. Following the initial team design phase, I independently redesigned the application to create a more intuitive and visually appealing experience that better served the diverse visitor needs we uncovered during usability testing.
The Challenge
Visitors to the Singapore Botanic Gardens faced real challenges that diminished their experience: difficulty navigating the sprawling 82-hectare space, trouble finding information about plants, and limited awareness of events and activities. While the Gardens were valued as a natural, largely offline space to escape to, the design challenge was to create a digital solution that would solve these practical problems while respecting the peaceful atmosphere – complementing rather than intruding on the visitor experience by providing just-in-time information that would allow people to more fully engage with their surroundings.
Discovery & Research
I led the research phase by conducting over 30 interviews with both visitors and staff, and complemented this with participant observation (joining tours) and non-participant observation to better understand visitor behaviours. This comprehensive approach uncovered three key visitor groups with distinct needs: fitness enthusiasts (focused on distance tracking), nature lovers (seeking botanical information), and tourists (needing efficient route planning).
A key insight emerged through observation: while many visitors said they came to the Gardens to "unplug," I noticed they still frequently used their phones, albeit for brief moments – taking photos (nature enthusiasts, tourists), listening to music (runners), or quickly checking maps (all groups). Interestingly, I also observed visitors photographing event banners to reference later. As one tour guide explained: "A lot of visitors don’t know how much is going on here. They only hear about an exhibition or event if they pass by a banner, and even then they’re often unsure of how to get to the location. Some just give up looking, which is a real shame." These observations revealed opportunities for technological intervention.
To synthesise these findings, I facilitated affinity mapping sessions with our team, clustering insights to identify patterns in visitor behaviour and pain points. From these patterns, I developed user journeys for each visitor type, mapping their experience from pre-visit planning through to post-visit reflection. These journey maps highlighted critical moments where digital intervention could enhance the experience, creating a foundation for our ideation and design process.
Initial Team Design
Our team developed a first version of the app based on my research insights, including route navigation, plant information access via QR codes, and event listings. While the functionality addressed user needs, usability testing with 15 participants revealed significant concerns about the app's visual design and navigability – a classic example of the Aesthetic-Usability Effect, where visual appeal directly impacts usability. Given the tight two-week bootcamp timeline (with the first week allocated to research and the second week to design and testing), our team strategically focused on functionality to deliver a working prototype that validated our core concepts. Recognising the potential of the solid foundation we had built as a team, I saw an opportunity to continue refining the project after the bootcamp concluded.
Redesign Process & Key Features
After completing the bootcamp, I independently redesigned the app to build upon our team's foundation while addressing the visual and usability concerns.
I created a clean, intuitive interface using a natural green colour palette with thoughtful white space, focusing on visual harmony while reorganising the information architecture for more intuitive navigation. Crucially, I designed the app to respect visitors' preference for an offline experience by creating a streamlined home screen that serves as a command centre. Unlike our original team prototype, this design provides immediate access to all key functions – quick routes, upcoming events, plant scanning and search – minimising screen time so visitors can focus on enjoying the gardens. The saving feature also allows visitors to save plants, routes and events to revisit later, extending the garden experience beyond their physical visit.
This approach informed the four key features I developed to address our research findings:
Prototype Demo
Validation & Impact
After implementing these changes, I conducted comparative usability testing with 12 new participants who evaluated both the original team design and my redesign. The results demonstrated significant improvement with participants universally preferring the redesigned app. Users completed tasks 40% faster, located specialised features without prompting, and the System Usability Scale (SUS) score increased dramatically from 54 to 86. This confirmed that users found the app both more visually appealing and more intuitive to navigate.
Key Learnings
This project demonstrated that aesthetic appeal directly impacts usability – even with well-researched features, poor visual design can significantly hinder user adoption. I learnt that personalisation creates stronger engagement by allowing users to self-identify their interests, and that digital tools are most successful when they elevate rather than replace physical experiences.
The significant improvements between versions reinforced the value of iteration based on user feedback. Through this end-to-end process, I created an application that genuinely enriches the Singapore Botanic Gardens experience while respecting the natural environment that visitors come to enjoy.