USER RESEARCH on THE BOTANICAL GARDEN APP

Rachael Dier, Shea Hill, Marie Anderson, Tram Nguyen, Megan Gaffney PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF GEORGIA FACEBOOK PAGE

OVERVIEWIn our User Research, we wanted to conduct multiple forms of information

gathering that were each geared towards different goals. We began with a survey to set the groundwork for what we would need to ask more about or investigate into more while creating the application. From this point, we interviewed many different people that have all been involved in a Botanical Garden to see what their thoughts were on priorities and features that were needed. This gave a perspective that we were not able to receive from the surveys by giving lots of detail and specifics about primary users of the application. Lastly, we went to the gardens and observed those who were walking throughout them. By seeing how people currently interacted with the gardens on a daily basis, we had a first hand experience in understanding the typical user that we would be targeting.

METHODS What We Did

To fully understand not only how people would interact with our application, but what users would value most from their experience with our app, we conducted survey research, one-on-one interviews, and observational research. These three methodologies combined provided us with a holistic view of our client’s wants, user’s desires, and user’s experience in relation to our State Botanical Garden application.

Survey Methodology We split our survey research into two distinct surveys with two different target

audiences: State Botanical Garden employees and target audience users. The survey sent to all State Botanical Garden employees consisted of nine

questions and primarily probed the employees on what they want their visitors to experience from our app. The survey was emailed to the staff directory by our client contact, the director of horticulture, and was concluded before forming our user research survey. This survey only received six responses; however, when compared to the number of employees at the gardens and when paired with our follow-ups interviews, this was determined to be a fair sample. Please see Appendix A for the Botanical Garden employee survey questions and answer choices.

For our user research, we designed a Google Form survey consisting of ten questions and distributed it among our NMI Capstone class, as well as on our personal Facebook pages. The survey primarily questioned respondents on what they would like to experience from a garden app and what they are interested in learning about the State Botanical Gardens. The questions took feedback from State Botanical Garden employees into consideration. The survey gained 60 responses over the course of a week. From there, we analyzed the findings based on Google Form’s graph and chart generator. We also compared the findings to our interview and observation findings, as well as our initial client research. Please see Appendix B for the user research survey questions and answer choices.

This initial research via survey was a great introduction to our client’s wants and our user’s desires, but additional research was needed to unbiasedly determine how our users would actually interact with a garden app.

Interview Methodology As a follow-up to our survey research, we felt that one-on-one interviews could

provide us with more personal and intricate feedback on user wants and user experience, in addition to further feedback from garden professionals. We interviewed five individuals:

● Pam Butts (Curator of the Herb & Physic Gardens at the State Botanical Gardens - the specific gardens we will be highlighting in the app)

● Patty Gilbert (Master Gardener)● Berkley Boon (Experience UGA Children’s Program Manager)● Shannon Walker (Experience UGA Coordinator)

Since we received ample feedback from our target audience of college students during our user research survey and observation, we felt that keeping interviews to professionals interacting with the garden was appropriate.

Due to our busy schedules, most interviews had to be done individually between the person and one of the group members. Marie, Tram, and Rachael met with Pam Butts at the Botanical Gardens office. Rachael called Patty Gilbert for the interview, as she lives in Alabama and was not readily available. Rachael also interviewed both Berkley Boon and Shannon Walker from Experience UGA while on a field trip to the gardens with the program.

All interviews were structured with five core questions, then interviewers came up with questions for interviewees along the way as the interview progressed and insights were gathered. Please see Appendix C for the initial interview question structure. See the interview results section for details about follow-up mid-interview questions and answers.

Observation Methodology

We went into the observational research with nothing in mind except to simply watch how individuals use the gardens, which provided insights into how an app could assist their experience and where it could be needed.

Our group went on three separate occasions to observe, one of which was unsuccessful because the garden had no visitors at that time. Rachael visited the gardens during an Experience UGA trip, and Shea visited one Tuesday morning with a group of friends to observe how they interacted with the gardens. Both times, with a field trip and group of friends, ensured there would be people in the gardens to observe after our first attempt was unsuccessful. We simply watched and took notes as our targets experienced and interacted with the gardens.

SURVEY RESULTSBotanical Garden Employee Survey Results

One of the audiences we surveyed were people who work at the Botanical Gardens. Our goal for this research was to explore what people working at the gardens wanted their visitors to experience, learn, or discover. While this survey only received 6 responses, compared to the few people who work at the Botanical Gardens, this amount paired with interviews is a fair sample.

When employees were asked why they think an app would be valuable for their garden, the following quotes stuck out the most to us:

“I would like for our guests to be well informed about this beautiful garden.”“Apps are the future and make finding information easier.”

“I want people to learn about all the plants, not just the pretty ones.”Similar to what we discovered from the user research survey (to be discussed in

the next section), employees of the gardens want visitors to be able to easily locate information and learn more about what the garden has to offer than they would have known without the app. They want an interactive interface that assists users in exploration and discovery. In particular, one respondent stated:

“I never like how people act like zombies when they plug in and listen to a narrated tour on a headset. I would rather see them use their device for points of interest, wayfinding, or to take a picture of a plant then use an app to find out what it is.”

This insight is incredibly valuable and, when paired with user research findings, led us to decide on the implementation of QR codes throughout the garden, accessed through our app.

When asked which features they would like most in the app, the survey respondents answered the following:

● 100% - pinpoint to help me know what I am looking at and pinpoint exact plants

● 66.7% - bird’s eye view of the garden● 66.7% - help me understand the layout of the garden● 33.3% - a way to help me interact● 33.3% - different sections for kids and adults● 16.7% - a game

These responses give us some direction when it comes to what the client wants and what our users would benefit from.

The survey concluded with the question: “What do you want people visiting the Botanical Garden to know?” See below for responses.

These responses helped us form answer choices to present to our users in the user research survey. These employees know better than anyone what the garden has to offer and the value visitors can get out of it, so we took their feedback into immense consideration.

User Research Survey Results After initial feedback from the Botanical Gardens’ employees on what they would

like to be demonstrated in the app, we surveyed our potential users on what they could benefit from in a garden application. Our survey garnered 60 results, 86.7% of whom are currently students (our target audience). 75% of respondents had been to the botanical gardens at UGA while 25% had not. 95% of respondents were between the ages of 18 and 25, again within our target audience. We were happy with these demographics, as it truly reflected how our target feels. While people outside our target audience of course can use the application, the app will be made with college students in mind. Additionally, another separate target audience for the app are school children ranging

from late elementary to high school, but we could not survey those ages at this time because they are minors and require additional consent to properly research.

When asked what would make them want to go to the gardens more often, respondents recorded the following most relevant answers among many:

● More events/activities: 18 people● Study areas, comfortable seating, places to do work: 5 people● Plant identification, displays to read about, information on plant locations

and blooms, guided tours: 4 people ● More interactive exhibits: 3 people● If it were advertised more: 3 people ● Information on trails/trail maps: 3 people

These results highlighted a big problem with awareness surrounding the botanical gardens. The majority of respondents said they would like the botanical gardens to have more events and activities, but they already do have weekly events and activities. This shows that users simply are not aware what goes on at the gardens and when, leading us to include a calendar of events and activities within our app. Additionally, users reported that they’d like study areas or trails, a restaurant, places to sit, etc. The gardens offers all of these things. From this, we can conclude that a major feature of our application needs to be easy access to information about what the garden offers.

However, The Botanical Gardens’ website already does offer all this information that users are unaware about. We acknowledge that we need to make our app special and different from the website. Respondents expressed a desire for interaction and information. The below graphic displays how users responded when asked what they are looking for in a garden app:

The majority of respondents noted that they’d most like maps, event information, and education from a garden app. The “other” responses can be categorized under education (“plant species!”) and maps (“know the trails better”). Therefore, based on feedback from the previous question and this question in particular, we can conclude

that our app needs to include information on events, maps of the gardens and trails, and have educational aspects for our users to find out more information on what they are looking at while touring the gardens.

As a follow up to the last question, we surveyed our audience on what kind of educational information they are looking for from the app. The graphic below depicts these findings:

The majority of respondents report that they’d most like to see plant information in the educational section of our app, as well as information on plant care, how plants are used, and history of the plants or garden. This will pair well along with the specific gardens we will be highlighting in the app: the Herb and Physic Gardens. As reported in our client overview, the Herb and Physic Gardens contain the most history of any feature in the garden as a whole. There is so much history, plant use, and plant information about these gardens that can be provided to users through our app that we intend to include and highlight.

To conclude the survey, we asked what app-specific features users would like to use throughout the garden. Respondents were allowed to choose multiple answers, reporting the following:

● 81.7% - a pinpoint to help me know what I am looking at● 46.7% - a bird’s eye view of the garden ● 38.3% - a way to help me interact in the garden● 33.3% - something to help me understand the layout of the garden● 20.0% - separate sections for kids, students, and adults● 18.3% - a game

The fact that 81.7% of our target audience would like some sort of pinpoint to help them know what exactly they are looking at in the garden led us to ultimately decide on the need for QR codes throughout the garden, accessed through our app. This will be a main feature of our app and fulfill many of the wants discovered through this survey.

In conclusion, our survey results gave us valuable insights into what users of our Botanical Gardens app would most like to see and most value from the app. We decided to include ample educational information, event information and maps, and additional interaction and pinpoint location via QR codes to provide the best experience possible for our users.

INTERVIEW FINDINGSPam Butts

Our most crucial interview was with the Herb and Physic Garden Curator, Pam Butts. Being the director of the garden, she provided the most detailed information on what our app could provide for visitors and what we should include in the app.

When asked what she wanted to include in the application, she noted the following:

● Event calendar, event directory● Promotional flyers and information ● Where’s my car parked?● Where am I?● Geolocation (navigation)● Plant information

This reinforced what we were already planning to include in the app based on user feedback and our initial intuition. However, she did bring the need for generic information to light, such as bathroom location, emergency services, accessibility information, FAQs, etc. From her notes, we decided to include these services in the app, as well as a general directory for other locations in the garden, such as the Sanctuary and the Chapel.

When asked what type of visitors she typically sees in her garden, she said the following: young families, mothers with children, visitors coming from outside of Athens, foreign visitors from conferences and travel, students. From these, Pam identified three main demographics: students, families, and researchers. We based our personas off this feedback. An important note from her was that many researchers who come to the garden to conduct research do not speak English. This was a valuable insight into our target audience, and from this, we decided to implement a translating function into our QR codes. This also further emphasized the educational importance of our app.

In conclusion, our interview with Pam Butts provided the most valuable feedback since she is the closest person to the garden. She pointed out multiple things we did not initially think of to include in the app, as well as gave us a full list of plants in the garden. She also revealed our target personas and reformed our QR code plan.

Berkeley Boone: State Botanical Garden Children’s Program Manager Berkeley Boone plans and coordinates field trips from local Clarke County

Schools, including the Experience UGA Pre-K and 8th grade field trips. Rachael shadowed Berkeley on one of the Pre-K field trips, and conducted an interview with him afterwards.

The State Botanical Garden, specifically the Children’s Programs, are quite confident in their abilities running the trips and knowing how to best serve the students. They are eagerly anticipating the new Children’s Garden, which will help meet the needs of younger students.

“The younger kids are easier to rangle in,” Boone said, “It’s the older ones we have to be more mindful of”. According to Boone, while the older students love the activities they plan, it takes them some time to warm up to the idea of particiapting.

“They always have their eyes on those screens”, he joked. He explained that most of the time during the beginning of the trip, while he and the other staff will be excitedly sharing the trip activities, the students will be scrolling through their phones. Rachael asked if having a tool on a mobile application might help mitigate that, and Boone was quite intrigued. She explained our group’s plans of using QR codes, and he thought that was a wonderful idea. He began to ponder ways to incorporate that into the trip, such as a possible scavenger hunt.

At the end of the interview, when Rachael asked if there was anything else he found troubled participants on the field trips, he joked about how the only concern that came up repeatedly was the location of the nearest restrooms. When Rachael suggested a map that participants could access on their mobile devices, Boone agreed that including such a resource would be a great idea.

In conclusion, while the trips are self-sufficient, Boone expressed interest in creating a mobile aid that would show field trip participants where facilities are located and that the Children’s Program could use as an instructional aid on trips.

Shannon Walker: Experience UGA Program Coordinator Along with interviewing the Boone, our group also interviewed the Program

Coordinator of Experience UGA, a partnership between the Clarke County School District and the University of Georgia, which aims to bring every Clarke County student (PreK-12) to UGAʼs campus every year. Through a variety of field trips, CCSD students participate in hands-on, curricular-based learning activities. Increased exposure to college life through Experience UGA fosters interest in the pursuit of higher education among Clarke County students.

Our group asked Walker about her experience in the garden as a visitor and as the executive coordinator of the trips themselves. Walker expressed how when she first began working with the gardens, she was overwhelmed often. She didn’t know where

certain facilities were and often got lost. She feels much more comfortable now at the gardens, but admitted she oftentimes has to guide new volunteers to the nearest restrooms and checkpoint areas. She assured us that she didn’t mind doing this at all, but it always seems to happen when she’s trying to find where a loss bus went or what happened to the 100 missing lunch boxes. We asked if they offered maps of the garden, and while Shannon said they did, she said it wasn’t the most practical resource to use when running around and executing a field trip.

Overall, Walker spoke very highly of the Gardens, but found that as a coordinator she would benefit from having an easier way to direct volunteers to specific locations. If they could use a resource on their own that would answer their questions, should could make sure the trip was running smoothly and safely.

As a visitor, Walker said that while the Gardens host an array of fun events, including concerts and festivals, she oftentimes doesn’t find out about it until it’s too late. “The Facebook events help,” she said, ‘but I still wish I could have a clean-cut calendar to see everything that’s coming up”.

In conclusion, Walker expressed interest in an interactive map that would help volunteers locate facilities, an easy-to-access information section that volunteers could use independently to answer their questions, and a calendar/notification system that would update her on upcoming events.

Patty Gilbert: Master Gardener When looking at individuals that would use the app that we are designing, we

looked for a person that was interested in gardening and would be a major user of the application. This resulted in interviewing Patty as she has completed a master gardener program and is a volunteer at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. She works at the gardens out of a pure love for the environment and plants which made her a great candidate for perspectives about what would be ideal features on an application.

As she was asked about her involvement and communication methods in her own area, we focused primarily on the use of newsletters and calendars to look at any events that were being offered. She mentioned the use of printed publications still and how she believes it would be beneficial to switch to a digital version at some point for more frequent updates and notifications on any changes at the gardens. While talking to her, it became evident that she has not heard of many applications used specifically for gardens themselves, but that there are apps for gardeners in general.

Through the mast gardener program that she completed, those who ran the program referenced a few apps that would be helpful in continuing to stay up to date on everything that they had learned so far. When Patty mentioned this, we continued our investigation into gardening apps so that we could see what was the most useful and asked her which features she found the most beneficial to her. We had already looked at some of the apps in our previous research when we began the project

but to have another person’s perspective that had used the applications was a very valuable asset to the group.

Overall, Patty gave us more insight into what gardeners and involved members of the community would want in an application. She helped to guide us into a direction in our design to make a clearly laid out app that would be simple for all ages to use while also effectively sharing information about the gardens rather than information about plants in general. As we interviewed her then continued our research, it allowed us to have a clearer perspective of what to look for while observing others and questions that needed to be asked while working with our client.

OBSERVATION

Observation #1One group member brought a group of three friends to the Botanical Gardens on

a Tuesday morning, not telling them that they would be observed based on how they interact with the garden. This way results would not be influenced by knowing they are being watched and recorded.

Mainly, the group of three friends Shea brought to the Botanical Gardens simply looked at the plants and took pictures, never really stopping to read the signs. Within the Herb and Physic Gardens, the only sign they read was the large one detailing the history of the Physic Garden; however, they got distracted about halfway through the sign and did not finish reading it. From this, I could tell our app would need more visual, audio, or interactive components to keep visitor’s interest.

This lack of interest or interaction in the garden, and in the Herb and Physic Garden in particular, showcased the need for information and interaction within our app.

Observation #2Rachael shadowed on a Pre-K and 8th grade field trip at the Botanical Gardens

hosted by Experience UGA - a partnership between the Clarke County School District and the University of Georgia, which aims to bring every Clarke County student (PreK-12) to UGAʼs campus every year. The staff at the Botanical Garden did a wonderful job planning the logistics of the trip. However, CCSD teachers and volunteers had a hard time understanding the layout of the garden. They didn’t know where the restrooms or emergency kits were, and it was difficult for them to ask questions with the staff leading the activities.

The Pre-K students were given hands-on, immersive activities with the garden, so Rachael saw the staff had a good understanding of how to keep the students’ attention. However, while the 8th grade students enjoyed the activities they were provided, they lost attention/interest much more quickly. They were almost always on their phones. This prompted our group to explore how to merge the instruction with their devices to better maintain the student’s attention.

PERSONAS

College StudentKatie Radatz is a student at The University of Georgia, a bustling college about six miles from the gardens. She is in desperate need of a place to unwind and escape the chaos of her junior year. She knows the Botanical Gardens are nearby, but is unsure how to get there, as she relies on the bus for transportation. She is looking for a new place to study, too, since the library has become too mundane. She finds out about the new State Botanical Gardens app and decides to check it out. She is amazed at all the information it offers, not only on things within the gardens, but how to get there, hours, and contact information. She takes the UGA

University Village line down to the gardens and spends her afternoon walking the trails and exploring the gardens, utilizing the QR codes to learn more about what she’s seeing. Now she loves bringing her books to study in the greenhouse and taking breaks by walking on the shorter hiking trails to get her mind off things. She even attends some student events here at the gardens and brings her friends along for a night of wholesome fun. Katie owes it all to the State Botanical Gardens app!

Family First A frequent visitor of the Botanical Gardens is Sharon Nichols, a devoted mother of two little girls. They love visiting the gardens during weekdays when its quiet and the girls can explore. They also love coming for the children’s events on weekends with their father, too. Sharon’s oldest is about the start preschool, so she wants to start exposing her to some education in the world around her. Sharon downloads the State Botanical Garden app for both its educational and interactive features, in hopes of bonding with her daughters while also teaching them valuable

science that could inspire them to become scientists one day, too. As a busy mom, she appreciates the app’s convenience in finding information such as hours and bathroom locations. The emergency services and accessibility pages are important to her as well, as she wants to be prepared in case of an emergency and wants to know where her

stroller can and cannot go. Sharon puts family first, so having an app that can enhance their family experience at the gardens is valuable to her.

Dedicated Researcher Brian Kim is a nationally renowned horticultural researcher from The University of Hong Kong. He admires his field colleagues at The University of Georgia so he decides to pay the State Botanical Garden a visit while he’s in town for a conference and do some casual research in the gardens. He is happily surprised to find out he can use the QR scanner on the app to translate information about each plant into his own language. This way he can go about his research and have a positive experience at the gardens. He knows these gardens are a popular destination for researchers worldwide thanks to their medicinal herb and plant collection,

so he can’t wait to report back about this unique feature provided by the State Botanical Garden app.

FUTURE PLANS

As far as research goes, future plans will be centered around app testing. We will want to conduct casual focus groups where we present users in our target audience with our app, and simply observe them using it. We wanted to do this research by now, but feedback from our client has prevented us from doing so at this point. These small focus groups will provide vital feedback on app usability, allowing us to hear what our design looks and feels like to fresh eyes.

We would also love to bring our app “into the wild” so to speak and have people test out the app while using it as intended. Simply observing people using our app for the purposes we designed it for, such as scanning QR codes in the gardens, using the map to find restrooms and water fountains, researching plants via the plant directory, etc., will be a critical point in our research flow.

Additionally, a big target market for our app will be school-aged children (middle school and high school). For consent purposes, we could not readily interview or survey these age groups due to them being minors. We would love to look into how to safely and legally receive feedback from these markets, as an integral aspect to our app is school children using it as a learning resource.

APPENDIX AState Botanical Garden Employee Survey Questions and Answer Choices Do you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, etc.) that you would be interested in downloading this app on?

YesNoUnsure

I am interested in this app because…(Short Answer)

I am not interested in this app because…(Short Answer)

I would like our visitors to be able to learn through…Listening to AudioClicking on points that give me further informationThe use of narratives as I walk through the garden

What do you want people visiting the Botanical Gardens to know? Please provide as much detail as necessary.

(Short Answer)

I would prefer an interactive application over a one-sided narrative application.YesNo

There have been times when I have seen students that had to come to the gardens for a class and were crammed around the information boards, trying to read the content.

Very OftenOftenOccasionallyNever

Please choose the features that would most interest you in the app.Bird’s eye view of the gardenA pinpoint to help me know what I am looking at/ where I amA way for me to interact in the garden without simply reading the information

Something to help me understand the layout in the gardenSome kind of game to play and review the information that you have learnedSeparate sections for kids, students, and adults with specialized information

Feel free to provide any other ideas that have not been presented above.(Short Answer)

APPENDIX BUser Research Survey Questions and Answer Choices Are you currently a student?

YesNo

What is your age?17 or under18-2122-2526-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455+

Have you ever been to the Botanical Gardens at UGA?YesNo

If yes, what was the reason that you went to the gardens?Class RequirementRecreationLeisureOther

What would make you want to go to the gardens more often?(Short Answer)

What are you looking for in a garden app?EducationMapsEvent Calendar and InformationImages and VideosTours of the GardensOther

What kind of educational information would you be interested in learning from the garden app?

HistoryPlant care/MaintenancePlant InformationUse of PlantsOther

Please choose the features that would most interest you in the appA pinpoint to help me know what I am looking at / where I amA way for me to interact in the garden without simply reading the signSomething to help me understand the layout in the gardenBird’s eye view of the gardenSome kind of game to play and review the information that you learnSeparate sections for kids, students, and adults for specialized sections

Feel free to provide any other ideas that have not been presented above(Short Answer)

I would prefer an interactive application over a one-sided narrative applicationYesNoUnsure

APPENDIX CInterview QuestionsQuestions for Pam Butts (Curator of the Herb & Physic Gardens)

1. How do you see the children interact with the gardens vs. how the adults interact?

2. What do you think both groups would value most out of this app?3. What do you want this app to portray/deliver to visitors? 4. Ask for list of all plants and content -- directory of what they’re used for

(medicinal purposes, etc.)5. Do you currently have any garden apps on your phone?

a. If yes, what do you use them for? What do you wish they had that they do not?

b. If no, why not?

Questions for Patty Gilbert (Master Gardener)1. Why did you want to become a master gardener as a hobby?2. What draws you to gardening?3. If you were to use a garden app, what would you hope that it contains?4. Do you currently have any garden apps on your phone?

a. If yes, what do you use them for? What do you wish they had that they do not?

b. If no, why not?5. How do you see the children interact with the gardens vs. how the adults

interact?6. What do you think both groups would value most out of this app?

Questions for Experience UGA people (Berkley and Shannon Walker)1. What type of events do you coordinate at the gardens? What technology do you

use to communicate these events?2. How do you see the children interact with the gardens vs. how the adults

interact?3. What do you think both groups would value most out of this app?4. Do you currently have any garden apps on your phone?

a. If yes, what do you use them for? What do you wish they had that they do not?

b. If no, why not?5. If you were to use a garden app, what would you hope that it contains?

Questions for Becky Griffin (UGA College of Agriculture Center for Urban Agriculture Community and School Garden Coordinator)

1. Do you currently have any garden apps on your phone?a. If yes, what do you use them for? What do you wish they had that they do

not?b. If no, why not?

2. If you were to use a garden app, what would you hope that it contains?3. Name something you wish the gardens contained that they do not.

4. How do you see the children interact with the gardens vs. how the adults interact?

5. What do you think both groups would value most out of this app?