Helping kids grow alongside their plant.
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Work in progress | Spring 2025 | 13 week sustainability studio
How can we use technology for kids to our advantage instead of ignoring it or relying on it too much?
Sproutly:
The planter kit and digital app for children to learn more about themselves and the environment around them.
Brodie (age 8, left), Morgan (age 15, middle), and I (age 12, right) during an 8 mile hike in Skagway, Alaska.
Inspired by and dedicated to my parents, who always emphasized the importance of exploring more and traveling often at a young age.
90%
3. DECREASING CHANCES OF DEVELOPING DISEASES
Nimali Fernando, MD, PLC, PBS Kids for Parents
4. INCREASING LEARNING ABILITIES
Stephanie is a biologist, Cincinnati Public School teacher, educator at Krohn Conservatory, and a mother.
Children with a low exposure to green space have a 55% higher risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorders.
Study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
2. INCREASING LEVELS OF CONFIDENCE AND MATURITY
After being encouraged to participate in outdoor activities over the course of several weeks,
of children reported feeling more confident in themselves.
of children felt they learned something new about the natural world.
81%
agreed that they had better relationships with their teachers.
“Consider the “hygiene hypothesis,” a theory that a lack of childhood exposure to germs actually increases a child’s susceptibility to diseases like asthma, allergies and autoimmune conditions by suppressing the development of the immune system. So getting dirty while gardening may actually strengthen a child’s immunity and overall health.”
Study by the Institute of Education at University College London (UCL).
What if…
Meet Stephanie Norton.
After leading me on a personal tour of Krohn Conservatory, Stephanie let me peruse the children’s activities she creates for field trip students. These activities encourage kids to be imaginative, whether this be by drawing a 400-year-old Bonzi tree in any colors they wanted, or learning the order of photosynthesis by coloring in the parts they understand.
During our conversation, she emphasized the importance of listening to children more often. Stephanie has worked with children both at the Cincinnati Public Schools for more than 15 years and at Krohn Conservatory for 10: she has found that kids’ curiosities tend to be most prevalent when they are encouraged to go outside. Curiosity and excitement drive innovation, and it starts with a younger generation.
The concept
Take care of a physical plant
Understanding and providing for nature
Stephanie on her experience working with kids at Cincinnati’s renowned Conservatory.
Children were to nurture a plant the same way they nurture stuffed animal?
Take care of oneself
Healing yourself by healing nature and practicing mindfulness
The opportunity + solution
Give a plant a “persona”
Creating an emotional connection
What are the benefits of getting kids out in nature?
1. REDUCING CHANCES OF DEVELOPING PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
79%
“Kids learn more in conversation with the world. When they are in a natural environment- being able to touch and smell what they are taught- they tend to get more excited about things.”
Curated planters
Water base and body designed alongside Sproutly branding
Integrated app
Systems design integrated with planter and trackersl connection
Planter accessories
Soil-tracking garden friend and optional adjustable light
Purchase a plant + planter kit
How this works
Take care of plant and track its health via app + tracker
Earn points to purchase add-ons and more plants via app
Learn about the natural world and yourself with podcasts, guided meditations, and articles
Take care of more plants and keep learning!
Looking at existing nature-oriented apps and physical products for children
PRODUCTS
Design Direction
Leaning into a playful + modern yet educational brand image
APPS
App benchmarking based on design features
but where does Sproutly fit into this equation?
right here!
Branding Opportunity
Exploring variations of type, color, and logos for Sproutly’s interface
So, what’s out there?
Physical product benchmarking based on design features
Sproutly App
The product connecting the physical world to the digital
Journey mapping
Using Figma to visualize the user experience through Sproutly: mapping out all things from the time the user first connects their planter to the app to the time they purchase yet another planter friend.
Grayscale wireframing
Using Figma to focus on the core layout, content hierarchy, and functionality by eliminating distractions like color, imagery, and specific typography for Sproutly.
Main Pages and Processes
Home screen
App from iphone screen
Login/Sign Up
Enter information
App Features
Home/To-do
View tasks for the day
Explore
Exercises to meditate, move, or learn
Move
Feed/Check-in
Under “Explore”:
Opportunities to find ways to move the child’s body: whether this be stretching, trying out new yoga poses, or a guided walk in their backyard, kids get the chance to escape the stillness of sitting on a screen and connect with their bodies and the world around them.
Meditate
Under “Explore”:
Opportunities to introduce kids to meditations and the many benefits of it. By having short, personalized meditations to longer, more in-depth mediation options, children can learn about mindfulness from an early age to carry on throughout their lives.
Updates about your plant’s status
Hey! Come back later… Updating in progress…
Journal
Write about day or experiences outside
Connect
Profile/Shop
View history, add/shop for plants
Learn
Write
Under “Explore”:
Opportunities for kids to learn about themselves, such as their emotions, their bodies, or their impact on the planet. They also have the chance to learn about the environment around them, such as about their own plant, a featured plant, a recipe their plant can be a part of, or even about the large scale climate around them: everything they need to know about the natural world is at their fingertips.
Offering endless opportunities for kids to connect with their plant and the world around them. By nurturing a plant and being conscious about what they are feeding their plant, the child might also become more conscious about themselves and how their mind and bodies react when they interact with nature.
Personalize
Under “Profile”:
Opportunities to purchase and personalize their own plant. From buying seeds to buying a full kit with a planter, seeds, a light, and a soil tracker, kids have the chance to curate an environment in their own room.
Feed
Under “Care”:
Opportunities to track the child’s plant: whether this be reminders about he amount of sunlight, nutrients, or water it has and needs, the child can feel a greater sense of accomplishment when taking care of their own plant and stay in the know about its health.
Under “Journal”:
Opportunities to track not only the child’s day and outdoor explorations, but the feelings they experience as well. By creating a space for them to reflect, kids have the chance to gain a greater understanding about the things that make them feel the way they do.
Sproutly Planter Kit
The products connecting the digital world to the physical