A smart in-home cultivator that enhances the quality of life of users by shaping their behaviour towards healthier habits. WeFarm is sustained by aeroponic agriculture and state-of-the-art lighting technology to provide users with tasty, nutritious and safe vegetables in the shortest possible time.

DESIGN PROCESS

Briefing

Sherpa Space Inc., a South Korean startup, aimed to develop a home appliance to grow quality plants by combining aeroponic agriculture with their own patented lighting technology. Under this context, the company and KAIST University offered me to collaborate by developing a concept proposal targeting the European market.

- original design brief

trend analysis

Moreover, a socio-cultural, technological and economic trend analysis of the European target market helped to shape the vision of the project and identify challenges and opportunities for societies.

Indeed, the effects that horticulture has on the physical and psychological health of people has proven to be remarkable, as well as the power it has to shape the behaviour of people towards healthier habits. 

user

Quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews were carried out to collect extensive demographic data and rich narratives that served to shape the final target group of the project. The main insights derived from this research were:

These answers served to define the target group of the project: Equilibrium Seekers. They occupy their time with actions that provide wellness to themselves and those who surround them. They prioritize care over achievement, and therefore prefer to be identified as part of a group.

VISION

Once the needs and desires of the intended target group were identified they had to be embodied into a design that would transmit the meaningful, aesthetical and emotional connotations needed to successfully affect their behaviour. 

IDEATION & EVALUATION

The ideation phase started with the development of different product lines that were further evaluated with Equilibrium Seekers in a series of open interviews and holistic experience scans that serve to lay the foundations of WeFarm final design. 

WEFARM

WeFarm is both a service and a device. As well as an interface in charge of controlling the production, the environment and the quality of the vegetables -among other features.

The cultivator itself intends to merge into European kitchens while driving attention towards the plants. Its design counts with details that guide the user through the different elements that compose it in an intuitive and friendly way.

Moreover, the manufacturing techniques and materials of each of these elements have been selected to assure a proper production and long-life expectancy of the product.

The interface of the cultivator includes a LED ring around the water entrance, which indicates the tank’s water level, and buttons that offer a haptic and intuitive interaction while operating the device.

The buttons are in charge of: turning WeFarm on and off, checking the plants’ health, controlling the light and turning on and off the water circuit.

The app consists of two parts: one in charge of controlling the operation of the cultivator and the quality of the vegetables grown inside, and a second one, which intends to build up a community around WeFarm supported by the values of shared economy and the slow food movement.

The following scenario shows how both elements of WeFarm -the device and the app- coexist through its usage. This has not only permitted to simplify the interface of the cultivator but it allows an easy and powerful human-product interaction, as it was later validated in a series of interviews with Equilibrium Seekers.

STRATEGY

WeFarm is currently under further development by Sherpa Space Inc. The chart below summarizes the main conclusions of the business strategy and promotion of WeFarm, which I also designed as part of the project. A key aspect deducted from it was the importance of informing and educating potential users about the functionalities and the benefits of WeFarm prior its launching.