Timeline

My Role

  • October - November 2021

  • Student project for Communication Design II Course at the University of Vermont

PROBLEM

The Sri Lankan tea industry faces several hardships due to its social-ecological systems

The Sri Lankan tea sector is in trouble due to low productivty, low replanting rates, inadequate farming techniques, shortage of labor, and a lack of trained workforce. 

SOLUTION

Access to Information is essential

Enrich the Labor Pool

  • Easily apply for work in different regions

  • Schedule tea collection/deliveries

  • Follow-up training and best practices

  • Creates community within the tea industry

Training and Expectations

  • Water conservation

  • Integrated crop management

  • Soil management and conservation

  • Waste management

  • Sustainable practices

  • Efficient planting techniques

Training and Expectations

  • Water conservation

  • Integrated crop management

  • Soil management and conservation

  • Waste management

  • Sustainable practices

  • Efficient planting techniques 

RESEARCH

Communication is one of the most important components of management a company can implement

After reading journal articles on Sir Lankan’s tea industry, tea sectors commonly lack adequate communication systems.

“Lack of information on tea production causes sub-optimal resource allocation or waste of resources in the tea industry.” 

The Sri Lanka Tea Industry: Economic Issues and Government Policies

In their study, Dulekha Kasturiante and Nigel Poole find that “better information/communication between exporter and importer increases relatioship quality, creating value in the relationship thereby increasing member performance.”

Creating Value for Competitive Advantage in Supply Chain Relationships: The Case of the Sri Lankan Tea Industry
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

The competing applications failed to include any social or communication aspects

While researching other agricultural/farming applications, I noticed that there was no avenue for interaction or communicating building. This inspired me to create an informational resource for those involved in the tea industry.

DESIGN

Design Insights

Since most Sir Lankans have smart phones but may not necessarily be tech-savvy, the idea was to make the application intuitive and informational. A tool that promotes productivity, opens job opportunities, and offers specialized training would be helpful to the tea sector.

Wireframes

FINAL PRODUCT

Final Screens

Style Guide

CONCLUSION

Lessons Learned

This project in my Communication Design II course taught me how to develop a mobile app through the lens of UX design. We focused on strengthening brand identity, creating wireframes, and research related to our problem. I started by researching use interface design to decide which style my application would have. Next, I narrowed down a color scheme, typography, and icons. essentially the look and feel of the visual experience. This project highlighted the importance of researching competing application and designs. Exploring other sites helped me gain inspiration for my designs. After weeks of research and development, I was ready to transfer my sketches to Adobe Illustrator to create my navigational map. This process involved acquiring and integrating the product. Including aspects of branding, design, usability, and function was key. With feedback from my peers, I determined the main structure pages necessary for the sub-navigation and mockups. Overall, I learned the UX process and steps necessary to achieve the final product.

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Packaging
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Honey Record