UI/UX Case Study: Agro Doctor

This is a UI/UX Design of my final year development project.

Agriculture is a vital component of the Sri Lankan economy, providing employment and contributing significantly to production. However, in recent years, its contribution has waned due to plant diseases and a lack of knowledge among farmers. Many farmers make decisions without adequate information, leading to challenges in decision-making. Plant diseases alone cause an annual loss of 35% in crop production. These issues have hindered Sri Lanka’s agriculture industry, resulting in lower production capacity.

One study said that most farmers were unable to differentiate between pests and plant diseases. Control only relies on the use of chemical pesticides. In fact, the continuous use of chemical pesticides causes negative impacts on the biotic environment, health problems for users of inorganic agricultural products, pests becoming resistant to pesticides, killing pest predators and health problems for farmers.

Therefore, several solutions are needed to increase farmers’ knowledge regarding the management of pests and plant diseases. In Sri Lanka, there is no proper platform, that can help farmers diagnose types of pests and diseases and recommend handling and preventing pests and diseases. And get agriculture-related news and knowledge.

To address these problems, a mobile application has been developed, leveraging modern technologies to offer affordable and accessible solutions to farming communities and individuals interested in agriculture. The application employs machine learning and image processing techniques to detect plant diseases by analyzing images of plants. It provides valuable support for traditional farmers and others in identifying disease symptoms and offers treatment suggestions. The app also sends alerts when plant diseases are spreading nearby.

In addition to disease detection, the application offers daily weather reports, a fertilizer calculator, agricultural tips, news, vegetable prices, and future price predictions. Users can also take notes within the app, which aids decision-making, cultivational management, time-saving, and income and efficiency enhancement. The application includes a forum that enables communication among farmers, gardeners, and experts.

Project Overview

The primary aim of developing this mobile application project is to solve problems faced by Sri Lankan farmers through a user-friendly and comprehensive mobile application with using high-level modern technologies.

Objectives
• To create an intuitive user interface that allows users to easily access and navigate through the application’s features and functionalities.
• To develop a machine learning model capable of accurately identifying crop diseases based on images provided by users.
• To offer solutions and tips for preventing and managing crop diseases, thereby assisting users in maintaining healthy crops.• To provide users with an Agro calendar feature that suggests optimal cultivation periods
for various crops, promoting efficient agricultural practices.
• To offer recommendations for cultivation practices and future price predictions based on reliable data sources.
• To implement a community forum where farmers and experts can interact, share experiences, and seek advice.
• To ensure data security and privacy by incorporating robust encryption and authentication mechanisms.
• To support multiple languages to make the application accessible to a diverse range of users.
• To create user profiles that provide personalized experiences and allow users to save preferences.
• To offer a news feature that keeps users updated with the latest agricultural trends, news, and information.
• To incorporate a current price feature that provides users with real-time market prices for crops.
• To enable users to keep digital notes and organize information related to their agricultural activities.
• To conduct user testing and gather feedback for continuous improvement of the application.

Application Logo

The Agro Doctor App logo is a circle. The circular element depicts a white plant leaf, which symbolizes purity and growth. This leaf represents the app’s focus on plant health and agriculture. The background of the logo is colored in a vibrant green shade, which signifies the lushness of agricultural fields and the natural world. The combination of the white leaf and the green background reinforces the app’s dedication to providing agricultural guidance, diagnosis, and solutions to foster healthy and thriving crops. This logo embodies the essence of the Agro Doctor App, emphasizing its commitment to the well-being of plants and the agricultural community it serves.

Target Audience

End Users (Farmers, Gardeners)
Agricultural professionals
Educational institutions

UX/UI Design of Agro Doctor Application

Design Thinking methodology

The agro doctor mobile application is designed to focus on user-centric design. Because of that, I used the Design Thinking methodology for the development of the Agro Doctor mobile Application. Here’s how each of the five stages of Design Thinking methodology may have been applied in the context of this Agro Doctor app:

1. Empathize: I Engaged in activities to understand the needs and challenges of farmers and individuals interested in agriculture. For that, I conducted interviews, and surveys, and visited farming communities to gain knowledge about their experiences and requirements.
2. Define: Based on the insights gathered during the empathize stage, a clear problem statement or set of problems related to agriculture and plant health would have been defined. This step sets the direction for the app’s development, specifying the issues it aims to address.
3. Ideate: In this phase, generated various ideas for the app’s features and functionalities. Ideas might include plant disease detection, weather reporting, cultivation tips, and communication platforms for farmers.
4. Prototype: To visualize and test these ideas, low-fidelity prototypes and mock-ups of the app’s user interface and features were created. This included sketches, wireframes, and interactive prototypes to better understand how users would interact with the app.
5. Test: The prototypes would have been tested with real users, such as farmers, individuals interested in agriculture, and my supervisor. Got some Feedback from these tests and it helped to refine the app’s design and functionalities, making it more user-friendly and aligned with user needs.

Empathize

The research was carried out using a survey in the form of a questionnaire which was then distributed to respondents in farmer groups. The number of participants involved in this research was 50 people of farmers, students experts in agriculture, gardeners and plant lovers.

The list of questions given is as follows:

1. Level of interest in plants or agriculture?
2. In your experience, do you frequently face challenges while engaged in farming?
3. Could you describe the common hurdles or issues you come across when farming?
4. When you encounter problems in your farming activities, where do you typically seek information or solutions?
5. Have you ever utilized agricultural apps designed for diagnosing and controlling diseases in agricultural or ornamental plants?
6. If so, which features of these apps do you find most valuable or regularly use?
7. What has been your overall experience with the farming app, and do you feel at ease while using it?
8. Are there specific features you believe should be incorporated into farming apps to enhance their usefulness?

Define

In the define stage, I define the user problem as a result of the empathize stage. Starting from the user’s pain point, How Might We can be formulated.

Users wanted to method to identify pest and plant diseases and needed to solve those problems. Early detection of rainfall and rising air temperatures, is needed to know current market prices and future market prices of vegetables. Users also want recommendations for seeds, dosage, and amount of fertilizer, needed to get knowledge about good agricultural practices and get alerts about pets and diseases alerts when diseases spread near the area.

Ideate

At this stage, the brainstorming process is carried out to find ideas that can answer user needs and constraints

Agro Doctor is a mobile app aimed at serving the agricultural community by addressing common farming challenges related to plant pests, diseases, and nutritional deficiencies. The application harnesses the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence to diagnose and effectively manage these plant-related issues, providing users with tailored treatment recommendations.

In addition to its diagnostic features, Agro Doctor fosters a sense of community among its users. Through online forums, users can connect with scientists, fellow farmers, and plant experts, creating spaces for knowledge sharing and discussion. However, there have been concerns about the responsiveness of these forums, as some users have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of timely responses.

A significant focus for Agro Doctor’s future development is the revitalization of its agricultural community forum. By improving the functionality and engagement within this platform, Agro Doctor aims to create an environment where users, including experts and fellow farmers, can actively support one another. This collaborative space will facilitate the exchange of valuable insights, strategies, and preventative measures to collectively combat plant pests, diseases, and nutritional deficiencies. Ultimately, the app’s mission is to reduce agricultural losses and promote sustainable farming practices.

1. Plant Health Diagnosis: Users need a reliable tool for diagnosing pest damage, plant diseases, and nutritional deficiencies affecting their plants.
2. Treatment Recommendations: Users require personalized and effective treatment measures or solutions to address the identified plant health issues.
3. Easy-to-Use Interface: A user-friendly and intuitive app interface is essential to ensure that users of all levels of technological expertise can navigate and use the application effectively.
4. Community Support: Users value access to a community forum where they can connect with fellow farmers, experts, and scientists to discuss plant health issues, share experiences, and seek advice.
5. Timely Responses: Users want a responsive and active community where they can receive prompt answers and recommendations to their questions and concerns.
6. Data Accuracy: Users rely on accurate and up-to-date information and diagnoses to make informed decisions about their farming practices.
7. Offline Access: The ability to use the app without a constant internet connection can be crucial for users in areas with limited connectivity.
8. Regular Updates: Users expect the application to stay current and adapt to emerging plant health issues and treatment methods.
9. Educational Resources: Users may benefit from access to educational materials, such as articles, videos, or tips, to enhance their knowledge of plant health and farming practices.
10. Multi-lingual Support: The app should cater to users from diverse linguistic backgrounds by providing support for multiple languages.
11. Feedback Mechanism: Users appreciate the ability to provide feedback or report issues within the app to aid in its improvement.
12. Privacy and Security: Users want assurance that their data and interactions within the app are secure and protected.
13. Compatibility: The app should be compatible with various mobile devices and operating systems, ensuring broader accessibility.
14. Crop Disease Alerts: Users require real-time alerts and notifications about the spread of crop diseases in their nearby areas to take timely preventive measures.
15. Market Prices: Users need access to up-to-date information on the latest prices of vegetables, helping them make informed decisions about harvesting, selling, and trading their produce.
16. Weather Information: Users seek access to accurate and current weather data, including forecasts, temperature, rainfall, and other relevant weather parameters to plan their farming activities effectively.

Prototyping

At this stage I created a Lo-Fi design and then converted it into a Hi-Fi design form following the flowchart, creating product features that were interactive and clickable by the user.

Design Systems

Low fidelity Wireframe

I created a wireframe to give an idea of the page structure involving the most basic content and visuals before developing it into a mockup/high-fidelity design.

High fidelity Wireframe

Hi-Fi is a more complete product representation and the application design has changed into a more realistic form.

Color Palette:

Agro Doctor embraces a color scheme that reflects the essence of agriculture. Green tones signify growth and nature, while accent colors are carefully chosen for visual appeal.

Typography:

The app prioritizes readability on mobile devices by selecting a combination of sans-serif fonts for body text and distinctive fonts for headers. This approach ensures that information is conveyed clearly and effectively.

Iconography:

The design system introduces a set of icons that align with agricultural concepts. These icons represent plants, tools, and weather symbols, enhancing user understanding.

Layout and Grid:

A grid system is established for consistent alignment and spacing, enabling the creation of layout templates for various screens and app components. This grid ensures a harmonious and organized design.

Buttons and Controls:

Agro Doctor maintains a standard approach to designing buttons, form elements, and interactive controls. This consistency enhances the user experience and usability.

Images and Illustrations:

The design system includes a library of images and illustrations related to agriculture.

User Interface Elements:

The style and behavior of UI elements, including navigation bars, tabs, and modals, are meticulously defined to provide a seamless and user-friendly experience.

User Feedback and Notifications:

A visual language for user feedback is established, including success messages, warnings, and error notifications, enhancing user communication and engagement.

Responsive Design Guidelines:

The app seamlessly accommodates various screen sizes and orientations, ensuring that users can engage with Agro Doctor on any device.

Accessibility Standards:

Accessibility guidelines are integrated into the design system to ensure that the app is usable for individuals with disabilities, promoting inclusivity.

Interaction Patterns:

Common interaction patterns, such as swiping, tapping, and scrolling, are documented, enhancing user familiarity with the app’s functionalities.

Animation Guidelines:

If animations are incorporated, clear guidelines are set to ensure they are used consistently and effectively.

User Experience Flows:

User flow diagrams illustrate the navigation and interaction paths within the app, aiding users in understanding and utilizing the app’s features.

Design Components:

Reusable design components, such as cards, alerts, and forms, are defined, maintaining a consistent and coherent design throughout the app.

Testing

Usability Testing:

• Conduct usability testing with real users and observe how they interact with the interface, navigate the app, and complete tasks. And noteed difficulties they encounted.

Heuristic Evaluation:

• Used experts in UX and UI design to assess application interface.

User Surveys and Feedback:

• Collected user feedback through surveys or feedback forms and Asked users about their experience, their preferences, and areas they find challenging.

Accessibility Testing:

• Ensure that UI is accessible to all users, including those who new to use mobile. Test with screen readers, keyboard navigation.

Prototype Testing:

• Tested early-stage prototypes to get feedback before investing too much time in development using the Prototyping tool Figma.

User journeys:

• Map out and test various user journeys within the app to identify pain points, bottlenecks, or areas of confusion.