ff a Calf Care App
Project Goals
Given my limited knowledge of the agriculture industry and livestock care, I made it a priority to immerse myself in the subject before beginning the project. To build this foundation, I explored industry articles, reviewed relevant documentation, and analyzed existing applications designed for the agriculture sector.
Most applications designed for farm animal management were business-to-business solutions, making them inaccessible for direct download or use. This limited my ability to explore their functionality firsthand and understand their workflows.
Given our limited domain knowledge, we aimed to gather as much information as possible directly from the stakeholders.
To address this, we conducted a discovery workshop with stakeholders including clients, designers, developers, and project managers. After a brief icebreaker session, each module of the application was examined to identify existing limitations and propose improvements. Together, we created mood boards for each feature, capturing contributions from both sides.
The discovery workshop fostered a collaborative environment where ideas were generated, debated, and refined in real time. Since the client’s team represented diverse perspectives, we were also able to reach compromises where priorities differed.
By the end of the session, the brainstorming outcomes provided a clear understanding of how each feature should support caretakers in the field, while also identifying elements that needed to be generalized to enable future white-label distribution.
Based on insights from the discovery workshop, we created a user flow diagram to map the steps a caretaker would follow to monitor calf health and manage the herd. This visualization helped identify potential bottlenecks and areas for optimization in the user journey.
We also revised the existing information architecture to improve the overall user experience. The updates focused on presenting information in a clear, efficient, and easily digestible way, while taking into account the larger interface and interaction patterns of a tablet.
The design process followed an iterative approach, incorporating feedback from both the client and the development team at each stage. This continuous refinement ensured that the final design met user needs effectively while aligning with technical feasibility and business goals.
The client wanted to maintain consistency with the existing mobile application to minimize the learning curve for users. As a result, it was suggested to reuse mobile components for the tablet interface. However, these components lacked adequate spacing, clear visual hierarchy, and proper organization, which needed to be addressed in the redesign.
A slide deck was prepared to highlight the UI component issues identified in the mobile application during the initial audit. Alongside this, slightly modified versions of the components, addressing the identified issues were presented as potential solutions. With the client’s approval, the design team proceeded to implement these updates in the tablet interface design.
Midway through the design stage, after completing several modules, we conducted a progress review workshop with the client. The goal was to collaboratively discuss the new features and enhancements added to the app, gather feedback, and identify any issues or limitations that might still exist.
During the progress review workshop, the overall layout and features such as the QR scan, split view, and floating action menu received positive feedback from the client. However, certain areas were identified as needing improvement to reduce user frustration and confusion. Based on these observations, the following recommendation was made to enhance the user experience:
The visual designs focused on a selection of modules identified in earlier sessions. The interface is minimal, intuitive, and consistent with the mobile application. Developers were consulted throughout the iterative process to ensure feasibility and address any limitations with UI components and icon libraries.
The Health Dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of the herd’s health. It visually categorizes calves as high, medium, or low risk and displays historical trends, enabling proactive decision-making. The dashboard also offers a concise summary of current health issues and highlights calves requiring specific supervision, giving caretakers quick access to actionable insights.
The Today View is designed to help users focus on the most relevant tasks for the day, optimizing their workflow in the field. It provides an overview of the herd’s health, including fluctuations compared to the previous day. The primary focus is a set of cards highlighting calves that require attention, ensuring caretakers can quickly identify and act on priority tasks.
The Livestock Management module serves as the central hub for managing calves within the system. It organizes calves by age groups, enabling efficient monitoring and management of different cohorts. Users can access detailed information for each calf, equipping them with the insights needed to provide personalized care and make informed decisions.
The Calf Card View presents key health-related information for each individual calf. It includes basic biodata, detailed records of any health issues, and supporting images and comments from caretakers. An edit option allows users to update biodata and add notes, ensuring that information remains current and actionable for ongoing care.
The Settings module allows users to customize the application to suit their specific needs and the unique requirements of their herd. Users can manage critical problems and symptoms relevant to their livestock, and the Add Issue functionality provides a simple way to include new health issues or symptoms as they arise.
What went well
What Went Wrong?
What Could Have Been Done Differently?
