Fresh Futures: Community Garden Task Manager
Mobile-first platform that helps communities grow food & resilience
ROLE
Lead UX Designer
IMpact
45% faster onboarding
Project Type
Non-Profit, Community App
YEAR
7 weeks; 2025
People in food deserts want to grow food but don’t know where to start. We set out to design a tool that made it doable.
Quick Summary
My Role
Lead UX Designer — research, testing, and high-fidelity design
What We Learned
Users were motivated, but unsure where to begin. Land, tools, and team logistics felt like blockers.
What We Made
We designed a mobile-first platform with step-by-step onboarding, simple gardener profiles, and a visual-first homepage. The biggest transformation came in onboarding; what started as a dense, confusing entry point became a clear, guided walkthrough. Users went from uncertain to confident.
What Changed
100% task completion
45% faster onboarding
29% fewer clicks to start a garden
Users reported more clarity, confidence, and excitement
Project Overview
What it is: Fresh Futures is a mobile-first tool that helps people in underserved communities start or join local gardens. Think: step-by-step guidance, garden profiles, and clear coordination tools.
The Problem
People in food deserts want to grow food, but face barriers like land access, lack of tools, and no clear starting point.
My Role
Lead UX Designer: led research, synthesis, user flows, and high-fidelity design
The Team
3 UX Designers, 5 Developers (cross-time zone)
Project Type
7-week design sprint in partnership with HackBAC, a Social Impact Org tackling food insecurity
Tools & Methods
Figma, Notion, Zoom, Interviews, Affinity Mapping, Prototyping
Why it Mattered to Me
I care deeply about equity and access. I poured that into the design, making sure it felt approachable, empowering, and easy to navigate.
Research & Discovery
How we built empathy and gathered insight
Participants: 9 users (ages 20–60) across Oakland, NYC, DC, Minneapolis & the Southwest
→ Mix of organizers, volunteers, and aspiring gardeners
Methods: 1:1 Interviews, Desk Research, Affinity Mapping
Goals:
Understand what motivates or blocks people from gardening
Learn what tools and support they need
Assess comfort with technology
Explore real-world tactics already in use by local organizers
Key Insights:
People were motivated, but stuck at step one
Many craved emotional support, not just tools
Tech needed to be simple, visual, and confidence-boosting
The desire to garden was about connection as much as food
Define
Core Insight
As identified in the Discover phase, people weren’t lacking motivation; they needed small, confident steps to get started.
Main Problem
Starting a garden felt overwhelming due to unclear logistics, limited resources, and lack of support.
HMW (How Might We)
How might we make starting or joining a garden feel possible, even for low-tech users with limited resources?
Design Opportunity
Build a low-barrier tool that offers visual clarity, emotional encouragement, and step-by-step guidance.
Ideation Highlights: We explored donation tools, garden registries, and co-op models, but testing showed users just really help getting started. We prioritized:
A guided onboarding flow
Simple garden profiles
A homepage that explains the platform fast
My Approach: I sketched and brainstormed around top user needs: land access, low-tech support, and emotional overwhelm. Our team prioritized features that felt intuitive and confidence-building
Key Concepts Explored:
Guided onboarding survey to reduce overwhelm
Gardener profiles to organize tasks and space info
A homepage that clearly explains the tool
Mentorship and volunteer matching (deferred for future)
Garden registry and donation features (cut for MVP)
Key Constraints & Pivots
Timeline: 7 weeks — focused on MVP over wishlist features
Scope Shift: Paused co-op and donation tools; prioritized garden-startup flow
Trust First: Moved login later in flow based on user hesitation
Homepage Clarity: Overhauled after testing revealed confusion
Long-Term Thinking: Designed for both quick use and future scalability
Aligned Early: Stakeholder priorities helped keep scope lean
Check out my early sketches, wireframes, and final survey screens.
Ideas explored, but ultimately let go…
Donation-first Homepage
Action was more valuable to users than fundraising
Required Log-In Upfront
Users wanted to understand the platform before signing in
Testing & Validation
From Ideas to Tested Solutions
Method
7 moderated usability tests (Zoom + in person)
Feedback from HackBAC stakeholders, developers, and mentors
Participants
Real users across regions
Varying tech comfort levels
Tasks Tested
Find a community garden
Start a garden using onboarding
Interact with BeetBot (AI gardening assistant)
Key Outcomes
100% task success — All users completed core flows independently
Onboarding flow was 45% faster after revisions
Homepage clarity improved — 7/7 users understood purpose after updates
Users reported increased confidence, clarity, and excitement
Top Fixes Based on Feedback
Clarified homepage CTA and layout
Added confirmations + visual cues in onboarding
Reframed survey language to reduce confusion
Delayed login to build trust before account creation
Iteration Highlight:
Final Design
Final Product Summary: Final MVP included onboarding, garden setup, and BeetBot AI—tested by 7 users with 100% task success.
Main Features and How they Help Users
Start-a-Garden Flow
A step-by-step onboarding survey that helps users take action—even if they’re new to gardening or organizing. This reduces overwhelm and builds momentum.Gardener Profiles
A simple template where users can track their garden’s name, tasks, space type, and support needs. This helps with organization and lays the groundwork for future team coordination and volunteer features.Visual-First Homepage
Uses large buttons, minimal text, and clear structure so users can understand the tool quickly—even with limited literacy or tech familiarity.
Business Value
The MVP created a launch-ready prototype that aligns with the org’s mission to support food justice and local empowerment. It also lays the groundwork for:
Donation + volunteer features
Community partnership tools
Grant funding or pilot rollout
Metrics
100% task completion: All 7 users successfully completed the 3 core tasks without assistance
Task Time Improved (See Graph Below)
Fewer Clicks to Complete
Find a Garden: 1.5 → 1.3 clicks (↓13%)
Start a Garden: 3.25 → 2.3 clicks (↓29%)
Iterations Based on Feedback
Simplified onboarding flow (reduced steps post-signup)
Clarified homepage CTAs and garden search entry
Planned animation/cue for BeetBot to signal interactivity
Accessibility Practices
Designed with WCAG Principles in mind– high contrast, clear visual hierarchy, large tap targets
Color & Layout:
Soft neutral backgrounds with bold CTAs
Clear visual hierarchy supports scanability and reduces visual overwhelm
Typography:
Friendly, legible fonts
Clear contrast between headings and body text for easy reading
Mobile-First:
All designs optimized for small screens
Single-column layouts, large tap targets, and minimal scrolling
Reflection & Next Steps
"Working with the Design Team was so incredible. We were really blown away by the attention to detail in both the practicality and visual aspects of the design process. We’re just really grateful to have had the opportunity."
— HackBAC Stakeholder
What I'm Proud Of
Created a tool rooted in real user needs and constraints
Fostered strong collaboration between designers, developers, and stakeholders
Prioritized inclusive, low-barrier design from day one
What I'd Improve Next Time
Go deeper in early research to uncover unmet needs sooner
Test longer-term engagement with real users and live data
Explore peer-to-peer support features (resource sharing, neighbor networks)
Key Learning
Designing for access isn’t about simplifying for the sake of it. It’s about removing friction while honoring complexity. People want guidance, not instruction.
How This Shaped Me as a Designer
This project sharpened my instincts around inclusive design, trust-building, and real-world collaboration. It reinforced my drive to build tools that serve people at the edges of systems.
As someone who's worked in public schools, I’ve seen how systems can quietly exclude people, and I want to keep building tools that open doors for everyone.
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