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Designing for a Greener Future: Seedbomb

Founding Product Designer

Designing for a Greener Future: Seedbomb

Founding Product Designer

Overview

Company

Seedbomb

Role

Founding Product Designer

Team

1 Product Manager, 5 Software Engineers, 2 Mechanical Engineers, 2 Ecologists, 1 Brand Marketing Manager

Platforms

Web Application (Responsive to Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile)

Physical Packaging

Problem Statement

Seedbomb blends eco-friendly innovation with design to promote sustainable gardening. Originally envisioned as a website and physical seed bombs, the team lacked a clear strategy to sell seed bombs and engage users. As the sole Product Designer, I designed the product experience from concept to execution.

Through cross-functional collaboration, I helped Seedbomb create a user-centered product system.

Responsibilities

As the Product Designer, I led product strategy, 2) designed UI/UX for the game and packaging, 3) ceated custom graphics to enhance user engagement, and 4) developed a design system for consistency across touchpoints.

Note: Due to an NDA, some of the details may be vague.

User Research: Finding Our Target Audience

Through 20+ in-depth interviews and secondary research, I identified our target audience. Initially focusing on educators and gamers, I realized the product didn’t align with their goals. Further research revealed an unexpected yet perfect fit: families. Their unmet needs and challenges highlighted an opportunity for Seedbomb to make a meaningful impact.

Through 20+ in-depth interviews and secondary research, we uncovered our target audience. Initially, we focused on educators, then shifted to gamers, but our product did not align with their goals. It wasn’t until we interviewed and engaged with them directly that we discovered an unexpected yet perfect fit: families. Their unique challenges and unmet needs highlighted the ideal opportunity for our product to make a meaningful impact.

Key Unmet Needs

Through user research, I identified key user needs:

Educational: Accessible content on environmental care
Fun & Engaging: Interactive experiences beyond gardening
Outdoor Motivation: Encouragement for families to be outdoors

Upon analyzing existing solutions with the product manager, I discovered these key user needs were largely unmet in the market. Most products lacked a combination of the three, presenting an opportunity for Seedbomb.

Opportunities

How might we make our product educational, fun, and engaging for outdoor family bonding and a greener environment?

Proposed Solution

Proposed Solution: Educational and Interactive Bonding Through Seedbombs and Gaming

To address the unmet needs, I led workshops with cross-functional teams to brainstorm and evaluate solutions based on feasibility, user impact, and engagement. After exploring various options, the product direction focused on:

Customized packaging for our physical seed bombs
Responsive educational gaming web application to teach sustainability and gardening

Our research revealed three major unmet needs among our target audience—families:

Spending quality time outdoors
Learning about sustainability and gardening
Creating fun and engaging bonding experiences

Our research revealed three major unmet needs among our target audience—families:

Spending quality time outdoors
Learning about sustainability and gardening
Creating fun and engaging bonding experiences

Design Journey: From Concept to Prototype

I led the end-to-end design process, from user research to prototyping and execution. Using methods like storyboarding, journey mapping, and user flows, I identified key needs and optimized interactions. Through wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing, I ensured a seamless experience across the physical product and web application, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to refine the product.

insights: Understanding the users
Through personas, journey mapping, and affinity mapping, we identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as our target audience. Our insights showed us how they value engaging visuals and simple, interactive learning experiences.
Identifying Key Features:Gaming & Seedbomb Packaging
Through brainstorming, user journey mapping, and sketching, we identified key features and flow for both the app and physical seedbomb packaging.
Wireframes & Low-Fi Prototypes: Bringing Ideas to Life
Through regular design sessions, wireframes ideation, and low-fi prototypes, we brought our ideas to life and refined the user experience.
insights: Understanding the users
Through personas, journey mapping, and affinity mapping, we identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as our target audience. Our insights showed us how they value engaging visuals and simple, interactive learning experiences.
Identifying Key Features:Gaming & Seedbomb Packaging
Through brainstorming, user journey mapping, and sketching, we identified key features and flow for both the app and physical seedbomb packaging.
Wireframes & Low-Fi Prototypes: Bringing Ideas to Life
Through regular design sessions, wireframes ideation, and low-fi prototypes, we brought our ideas to life and refined the user experience.
insights: Understanding the users
Through personas, journey mapping, and affinity mapping, we identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as our target audience. Our insights showed us how they value engaging visuals and simple, interactive learning experiences.
Identifying Key Features:Gaming & Seedbomb Packaging
Through brainstorming, user journey mapping, and sketching, we identified key features and flow for both the app and physical seedbomb packaging.
Wireframes & Low-Fi Prototypes: Bringing Ideas to Life
Through regular design sessions, wireframes ideation, and low-fi prototypes, we brought our ideas to life and refined the user experience.
insights: Understanding the users
Through personas, journey mapping, and affinity mapping, we identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as our target audience. Our insights showed us how they value engaging visuals and simple, interactive learning experiences.
Identifying Key Features:Gaming & Seedbomb Packaging
Through brainstorming, user journey mapping, and sketching, we identified key features and flow for both the app and physical seedbomb packaging.
Wireframes & Low-Fi Prototypes: Bringing Ideas to Life
Through regular design sessions, wireframes ideation, and low-fi prototypes, we brought our ideas to life and refined the user experience.

Visualizing the User Experience
To ground our design in real-world user behaviors, I created storyboards that illustrated family interactions with Seedbomb—from discovering the product to planting seedbombs and engaging with the app. This helped align the team on user motivations, emotions, and engagement triggers.
Identifying Pain Points and Opportunities
Through user research and journey mapping, I identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as the target audience. Users valued quick, fun bonding activities with engaging visuals and interactive learning. By mapping the end-to-end user experience, I pinpointed friction points and moments of delight, enabling us to streamline onboarding, refined gameplay, and enhance educational content.
Designing for Seamless Interaction
I developed a structured user flow and a weighted prioritization system, mapping how users navigate between the physical product, e-commerce purchase experience, and gamified learning platform. This ensured logical information architecture (IA), reduced cognitive load, and optimized decision-making paths, leading to increased engagement and retention.
Bringing the Experience to Life
To translate insights into tangible solutions, I created low-fidelity wireframes to test layout, navigation, and core interactions. Through rapid prototyping and iterative testing, I refined the design based on user feedback, usability heuristics, and accessibility best practices, ensuring an intuitive and delightful experience.
Visualizing the User Experience
To ground our design in real-world user behaviors, I created storyboards that illustrated family interactions with Seedbomb—from discovering the product to planting seedbombs and engaging with the app. This helped align the team on user motivations, emotions, and engagement triggers.
Identifying Pain Points and Opportunities
Through user research and journey mapping, I identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as the target audience. Users valued quick, fun bonding activities with engaging visuals and interactive learning. By mapping the end-to-end user experience, I pinpointed friction points and moments of delight, enabling us to streamline onboarding, refined gameplay, and enhance educational content.
Designing for Seamless Interaction
I developed a structured user flow and a weighted prioritization system, mapping how users navigate between the physical product, e-commerce purchase experience, and gamified learning platform. This ensured logical information architecture (IA), reduced cognitive load, and optimized decision-making paths, leading to increased engagement and retention.
Bringing the Experience to Life
To translate insights into tangible solutions, I created low-fidelity wireframes to test layout, navigation, and core interactions. Through rapid prototyping and iterative testing, I refined the design based on user feedback, usability heuristics, and accessibility best practices, ensuring an intuitive and delightful experience.
Visualizing the User Experience
To ground our design in real-world user behaviors, I created storyboards that illustrated family interactions with Seedbomb—from discovering the product to planting seedbombs and engaging with the app. This helped align the team on user motivations, emotions, and engagement triggers.
Identifying Pain Points and Opportunities
Through user research and journey mapping, I identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as the target audience. Users valued quick, fun bonding activities with engaging visuals and interactive learning. By mapping the end-to-end user experience, I pinpointed friction points and moments of delight, enabling us to streamline onboarding, refined gameplay, and enhance educational content.
Designing for Seamless Interaction
I developed a structured user flow and a weighted prioritization system, mapping how users navigate between the physical product, e-commerce purchase experience, and gamified learning platform. This ensured logical information architecture (IA), reduced cognitive load, and optimized decision-making paths, leading to increased engagement and retention.
Bringing the Experience to Life
To translate insights into tangible solutions, I created low-fidelity wireframes to test layout, navigation, and core interactions. Through rapid prototyping and iterative testing, I refined the design based on user feedback, usability heuristics, and accessibility best practices, ensuring an intuitive and delightful experience.
Visualizing the User Experience
To ground our design in real-world user behaviors, I created storyboards that illustrated family interactions with Seedbomb—from discovering the product to planting seedbombs and engaging with the app. This helped align the team on user motivations, emotions, and engagement triggers.
Identifying Pain Points and Opportunities
Through user research and journey mapping, I identified families with gardening spaces, kids aged 5–12, and new gardeners as the target audience. Users valued quick, fun bonding activities with engaging visuals and interactive learning. By mapping the end-to-end user experience, I pinpointed friction points and moments of delight, enabling us to streamline onboarding, refined gameplay, and enhance educational content.
Designing for Seamless Interaction
I developed a structured user flow and a weighted prioritization system, mapping how users navigate between the physical product, e-commerce purchase experience, and gamified learning platform. This ensured logical information architecture (IA), reduced cognitive load, and optimized decision-making paths, leading to increased engagement and retention.
Bringing the Experience to Life
To translate insights into tangible solutions, I created low-fidelity wireframes to test layout, navigation, and core interactions. Through rapid prototyping and iterative testing, I refined the design based on user feedback, usability heuristics, and accessibility best practices, ensuring an intuitive and delightful experience.

Graphics & Art

Design Journey: From Concept to Prototype

I designed custom graphics that aligned with the brand's visual identity, creating inclusive and playful visuals. This enhanced the user experience, making the website more engaging, kid-friendly, and visually appealing.

Design System

Colors and Typography

To establish consistency and scalability across all touchpoints, I developed a design system, aligning the product’s visuals with the brand identity. This system included reusable components, guidelines, typography, and color palettes, which streamlined the design process and maintained a unified, engaging user experience.

To establish consistency and scalability, I created a design system, defining typography, color palettes, and component styles.

Iterations

The I led multiple design iterations, continuously refining the product through feedback loops, user testing, and collaborative reviews. Each iteration focused on improving usability, visual appeal, and engagement, ensuring the final design met both user needs and business goals.

The gaming website and custom packaging went through many iterations and prototypes before we had final design candidates

Iterations of Website and Prototypes of Physical Packaging

Final Designs

How did we make our product educational, fun, and engaging for outdoor family bonding?

Video of Gaming Web Application

Educational

We created engaging visuals and used vibrant colors in our easy-to-read book to enhance the learning experience. By storytelling and incorporating playful details such as names, we helped users build a deeper connection with the content, improving memory retention and making the educational experience more interactive and memorable.

Our responsive gaming web app transforms gardening into an adventure, helping families—especially kids—learn about their environment. Real-life tasks, like watering plants, become exciting quests.

Fun

To make the experience fun, we framed tasks like watering plants as part of a mission or adventure, creating a sense of purpose and progression. This gamified approach kept users engaged, turning everyday gardening tasks into rewarding, interactive challenges.

Designed for families with kids, the gaming website includes an easy-to-read book with fun facts about pollinators, plants, and environmental care, along with tips for nurturing the plants grown from the seedbombs.

Educational

Prototype of Gaming Web Application

Customized Packaging of Seedbombs

Engaging

Our user-centered design ensures that the customized packaging reflects the local area, offering a more personalized experience. The intuitive presentation of high-germination seed bombs further enhances the unboxing process, creating a more engaging and meaningful connection for users.

Our user-centered design ensures customized packaging reflects the local area, while the intuitive presentation of high-germination seed bombs enhances the experience. This approach fosters family bonding and encourages outdoor gardening through visually engaging and interactive elements.

Impact

5,500+

Greener Environments Globally

(Units sold)

+29%

Conversion Rates

(In-App Purchases)

4.7 ⭐

User Ratings

(Based on User Reviews, Rated on a 1-5 Star Scale)

Net Promoter Score

(User Surveys)

User Ratings

(Based on User Reviews, Rated on a 1-5 Star Scale)

User Ratings

(Based on User Reviews, Rated on a 1-5 Star Scale)

Quotes From Users: Fun, Educational, Engaging

Sebastian and Sophie

Family of Seedbomb Users

"Seedbomb is great! My daughter and I had so much fun planting the seedbombs together. The game keeps her excited to take care of the garden—she takes me out to the backyard [after I come home from work] to check on the plants and water them. It’s a great way for us to spend time together and do something good for the environment."

Athena

Child Who Plays Seedbomb App

"I love the art in the app! It's like I'm on an adventure!"

Bec

Beginner Gardener

"I have the worst luck with plants and live in a small urban apartment, so I wanted something easy to grow that would brighten up my space. Buying seedbombs was pretty intuitive, and the website was pretty interactive, which really helped me understand how to take care of them."

Casey

First-Time Buyer and App User

"I was a bit skeptical about buying seedbombs online, but the website made everything so easy, and it felt like the team behind it cares. After we bought the seedbombs, my kid and I tried the game and had a blast. He keeps talking about the Wood Wide Web and wants to learn more. It’s great that we could learn about the environment while playing the game."

Key Takeaways

Prioritize Customer Obsession and Plan Ahead with User Testing

By adopting a customer-obsessed mindset, I kept Seedbomb’s design aligned with user needs throughout the process. Planning ahead was crucial—by establishing connections with potential testers early, I ensured a ready pool of users when the prototypes were ready.

Using User Research to Uncover Unexpected Insights

User research helped me discover the key target audience as families, revealing an untapped opportunity for long-term engagement. Additionally, understanding the hidden needs of families—such as outdoor motivation and interactive learning—allowed me to create a more meaningful, impactful experience.

Leveraging Expertise and Cross-Functional Collaboration for Success

Blending internal cross-functional collaboration with external expertise allowed me to enhance my knowledge and the product. By conducting my own research, working with engineers, ecologists, and consulting industry experts, I designed an experience that met sustainability goals, resonated with users, and drove business success.

Next Steps

Create a User-Generated Content Feature

Design a simple system that allows users to submit their gardening tips or design ideas, which can be displayed in a community gallery, promoting knowledge sharing and community growth.

Expand Market Reach with Localization

A huge portion of the buyers were in California. Research and analyze gardening practices and sustainability trends in key regions outside California. Tailor Seedbomb’s content, messaging, and physical packaging to these areas, ensuring relevance and emotional connection.

Design and Integrate Social Sharing Features

Create user-friendly social sharing tools within the game for users to share their gardening milestones and progress on social media, encouraging community interaction and user-generated content.

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Overview

Company

Role

Team

Platforms

Problem Statement

Responsibilities

User Research: Finding Our Target Audience

Key Unmet Needs

Opportunities

How might we make our product educational, fun, and engaging for outdoor family bonding and a greener environment?

Proposed Solution

Design Journey: From Concept to Prototype

Design Journey: From Concept to Prototype

insights: Understanding the users

Identifying Key Features:Gaming & Seedbomb Packaging

Wireframes & Low-Fi Prototypes: Bringing Ideas to Life

Visualizing the User Experience

Identifying Pain Points and Opportunities

Designing for Seamless Interaction

Bringing the Experience to Life

Graphics & Art

Design Journey: From Concept to Prototype

Design System

Iterations

Final Designs

Educational

Fun

Engaging

Impact

5,500+

+29%

4.7 ⭐

Quotes From Users: Fun, Educational, Engaging

Sebastian and Sophie

Athena

Bec

Casey

Key Takeaways

Prioritize Customer Obsession and Plan Ahead with User Testing

Using User Research to Uncover Unexpected Insights

Leveraging Expertise and Cross-Functional Collaboration for Success

Next Steps

Create a User-Generated Content Feature

Expand Market Reach with Localization

Design and Integrate Social Sharing Features

More Case Studies