— PERSONALIZED WELLNESS BASED ON HERBAL MEDICINE & EDUCATION
viridis: growing body & mind
Viridis (styled viridis) is a hypothetical brand and service design project centered around destigmatizing natural alternatives to modern medicine by educating users, creating personalized recommendations, and serving as an online retailer for herbal supplements. Our main goal is to connect users to generations of herbalism knowledge through a desktop and mobile site, allowing us to adapt to each user's unique lifestyle.
OBJECTIVE
Creating a platform dedicated to simplifying herbal medicine and educating its users on the varying benefits of herbalism.
AUDIENCE
Young women who are exploring healthcare and are looking for an alternative to conventional medicine; those looking for an easy introduction to natural alternatives.
MY ROLE
Branding
Visual Design
Wireframes
Product Photography
background
TWO AND A HALF MONTH BRAND DESIGN ASSIGNMENT
Working alongside two other team members, we were faced with the task of creating a brand that grew from a proposed institution that our class brainstormed together. We tackled creating something that filled a gap in the current market by improving physical and mental health through natural means while reducing the stigma behind medicinal botany. We aimed to deliver a platform that provided an educational library while providing users with several means of acquiring the herbal alternatives to the standard over-the-counter medications.
user research
EXPLORING THE MARKET & THE USER'S NEEDS
It was found through our research that the group who express most interested in herbalism are college-educated women aged 18-33. These women often expressed interest in natural alternatives to treat their simple ailments as a result of engaging in a busy lifestyle that made it difficult to maintain a schedule for taking their medications as well as getting them. We also looked at other personalized medication services to see what we could to in order to create an ecosystem within our platform - what gaps can we fill and how can we increase consumer trust in order to establish our brand as one they can turn to. We also strived to provide accurate information as well as reminding users that viridis does not replace urgent healthcare needs, we are here to supplement their lives.
the personas
All of our personas focus on the different needs that viridis is designed to target. The characteristics correlate with what we found during our user research as well as secondary research that aided in the solidification of our main audience. When developing screens that would later be used in our final presentation, we chose Ashley to be our main persona. This allowed us to showcase her interactions with viridis & how she chose to implement natural supplements to her busy life.
the process
THE PATH TOWARD OUR FINAL PRODUCT
We started with conducting case studies to analyze the current market for personalized healthcare that had similar brand values and missions in order to see what gap could be filled through viridis. From there, we developed a user journey & service blueprint, moodboards, brand guidelines, and then began the wireframing.
user journey
We used this blueprint in order to track what we needed to develop for the final presentation of viridis and it helps condense the various services we outlines for both the web and mobile applications.
brand development
Seeing as viridis is a brand that is focused on personal wellness, we wanted an image that helped users feel like they were being listened to while they explored their needs, that is reliable and trustworthy, and for our brand to carry a feeling of luxury opposed to the more corporate and sterile image associated with healthcare. We also wanted to draw a connection back to traditional herbalism books since for most people, natural medicine is something passed down from generation to generation - allowing us to share knowledge with each user's needs in mind.
branding foundation
We chose rich, jewel tones that have an earthy feel in order to turn the standard greens and browns associated with organic products. We accompanied these colors with illustrations of several popular natural alternatives for OTC medication that can be incorporated into our physical branding and to be shown around the website to subtly hark at botanical illustrations that appear in herbalism books. We also developed a series of icons that are used in order to create a friendlier atmosphere when browsing.
WHAT VIRIDIS IS
A trustworthy source of education and ethically sourced herbal substitutes for medications or OTC supplements meant to connect users with natural resources that can ease their minor ailments.
WHAT VIRIDIS ISN'T
Gentrifying traditional herbal practices and stepping into the boundaries for culturally-protected practices. Looking to profit off of an individual's needs.
the final product
THE DELIVERABLES
We developed 53 total screens that help showcase the core features of the website that one of our personas is designed to go through - 19 mobile screens for the accompanying app and 34 web screens that serves as the hub for logging personal care needs as well as a library of plant-based knowledge.
the quiz
Meant to help our system recognize the needs and the lifestyles of each user, the quiz is a way for us to gauge what a user could implement into their daily routine. Most people who are looking for a platform like viridis benefit from having us aid in their journey and the more input they give us, the closer to a good recommendation we can give. It is important to note that the quiz utilizes both expert opinion and machine learning to provide feedback that is truly useful for each unique individual.
the nursery
Our central database for herbal education that is meant to make learning about natural medicine easy. Each page goes into the significance of each plant and popular ways it is used. There are also a section dedicated to helping users locate local sources for each plant as well as a section that showcases expert and user stories that can be a source of information in and of itself. For users who find it difficult to go out and explore on their own, these pages also provide a link to our own shop: a resource that can help users try out their newfound remedies.
the shop
As previously mentioned, our shop is an alternative solution to shopping local for users who lack the time or resources in order to buy it in person. Our shop allows users to purchase one time or set up a subscription for their favorite herbal products and is curated by our experts to make sure all of the items we promote are ones we believe in. We also ensure that all our produces are ethically sourced and that we do not provide products that are reserved for closed cultural practices. When a user buys from us, they can be reassured that all our products are priced without profit in mind and if our resources don't suit their lifestyle, we can always provide other options to close the gap between an individual and their personal wellness.
the app
Our mobile app is designed for members after having taken the initial quiz on our website as a way to carry everything they need in their pocket. The app serves as a way for users to keep us updated on how they're feeling, how their recommendations are working out for them, getting recommendations for sudden minor ailments, as well as everything our nursery and shop offers on our website. The app allows the expert that is assigned to each member, as well as our algorithm, stay updated in order to keep providing relevant and helpful information while staying convenient.
takeaways
DESIGNING A BRAND IDENTITY
This was a nearly 3 month project that pushed us to think of how an audience can influence the design process. From our initial research to our final presentation of viridis, we made sure to tie all of our decisions back to our target audience. This project is a very strong turning point in my design education that has helped me realize the true importance of conducting through research and designing something for someone that can ultimately impact their lives rather than just creating a beautiful design - though I think we managed to do that too.
the video