Role
LEAD UI DESIGNER
Client
DELTARES
Studio
IBM iX
Area
UX/UI DESIGN
THE CHALLENGE
PROCESS
RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
Conducted initial research to understand farmers’ needs, pain points, and existing practices, through interviews and surveys.
Analysed what Deltares had already built and identified opportunities for improvement through usability and heuristic evaluations .
Worked with a pilot group of farmers, testing early versions of the app and collecting feedback.
Key barriers we uncovered:
Farmers asked “What do I do with the data I’ve collected?”
Farmers struggled to interpret what results meant for their crops and decisions.
IDEATION & CO-CREATION
Mocked up interaction flows for creating, personalising, and storing measurement data.
Facilitated co-creation workshops with farmers and stakeholders to validate ideas and gather input.
Ideated new features based on research and workshops to add value, including:
Onboarding
Group measurements
Saved locations
DESIGN & TESTING
Designed prototypes of new features (e.g., group measurements, saved locations, webshop).
Iterated prototypes in Figma and refined navigation flows based on feedback.
Created design system and style guide for future design of the Aquality App.
Worked on graphics of reference cards, posters and exhibition materials.
Design considerations
All screens designed to smallest iPhone screen due to farmers mainly having smaller phones
App is mostly used outside, therefore contrast of colours must be high due to sun.
As few buttons as possible due to water on screen
THE SOLUTION
The Aquality App provides farmers with:
Quick and simple data input for nitrate, phosphate, salinity and ammonium measurements.
Clear app onboarding for getting started with taking measurements quickly and seamlessly
Saved locations & group measurements to track trends over time.
Integrated webshop for easy access to necessary supplies.
IMPACT
Released on the App store and used by farmers in 20+ countries. 1000's measurements made each week.
Showcased the project to members of the UN and Climate conferences in United States.
Improved farmers’ ability to interpret and act on water quality data at home, rather than just collect it.
Recognised internally as a successful example of combining scientific expertise with user-centred design.
REFLECTION
This project taught me how to:
Translate complex farming processes into meaningful user insights and interfaces.
Use continuous testing with a pilot group to keep design grounded in real-world use.
Lead the design of feature development while collaborating closely with developers and stakeholders.
If I were to continue this work, I’d explore automation and integrated use of GenAI to make data capture even more seamless and understandable for farmers. This could include data visualisation of measurements over time, in depth advice and advisory measures.
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