Forage with confidence
A mushroom identifying smartphone application. This app educates users about different types of mushrooms, how to identify them, and where they may find them.
The Problem
Originally this app was focused on helping users identify mushrooms which were safe to ingest. After researching this topic more, I realized how dangerous it can be to even just touch a mushroom. I decided the app should focus more on educating the user about mushrooms.
The first draft of the design was very basic and in need of much more thought. Since then, I have improved my visual design skills and was ready to work on the next iteration.
Sketches and Wireframes
Below I will share my process of sketches to wireframes. Starting with really loose sketches helps me get my thoughts out and not get too attached to ideas that may not work later on when tightening up the style.
Style and Colors
While I want this app to be educational, I also want it to be fun! It's important to use limited colors thoughtfully and in an appealing way. I wanted to keep the colors related to nature while following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). It's most important to keep accessibility in mind for the user.
Empathy Map
I got the opportunity to interview a friendly mushroom forager online. Our conversation helped a lot with my research and I created an empathy map inspired by it. Like my interviewee, I created a fictional user who is also physically disabled. It's important to always be inclusive of disabled users.
What's Next?
I hope you enjoyed viewing my fictional app project! I love reading and learning about mushrooms so it's been awesome working on this. I thought an app would be a really neat idea for hobbyists and foragers.
If you're curious about my research, here is a PDF of it and my thought process: