Greg
Bringing an AI-powered plant care app to life, quite literally
Plant care app, Greg, was searching for someone to come in and lead all things Brand. While they initially sought a full-time VP, they were interested in my community-building experience from Waze, so changed course. I came on as a consultant, and we collaborated for a full year. With a truly amazing CEO and team, plus so much exciting work to tackle, it became one of my favorite engagements to date.
Digging in during my research and discovery period, I wanted to gain a better understanding of the app’s users, and here’s the thing I discovered about plant people: they’re passionate. Many lovingly refer to themselves as ‘plant moms’ and ‘plant dads’, and caring for their plants ends up being a central part of their daily routines.
While other plant care apps were focusing on plant beginners, new to indoor gardening, Greg wanted to double down on the more dedicated plant parent with at least a dozen plants in their care. Targeting them in messaging was one thing, but I wondered a little deeper into how we could create a novel product experience that would truly delight them.
The product team focused on practical tasks, like developing AI-powered smart care schedules to help users determine optimal watering times for their plants. And because my role was positioned as part of the product team, but not directly on it, I had the freedom to think bigger and broader than even the already ambitious product roadmap.
While users could name each plant they were managing in the app, that was where the personalization ended.
I felt we could take it further. If plant parents paying for access to the app could see a kind of personification of each of their plants, it seemed like that could become a powerful differentiator—creating an emotional connection that would keep them loyal not just to the app, but to these new ‘avatars’.
The team was on board, and we designed a playful little blinking ‘plant soul’ for each plant a user uploaded. When a plant was thirsty, it would look sad and move slowly, pleading for water. After being watered, the plant would become buoyant and joyful, expressing gratitude to its plant parent. The app transformed from a simple tool of utility into a space where users could form even deeper connections with the plants they loved so much. (See animation, below)
What I love about being so integrated into a team is the ability to create meaning beyond the language aspect I’m responsible for. I get to collaborate closely with designers to elevate their work, and they can ‘cross lanes’ to make mine better, too. This is the good stuff—real creative collaboration to deliver the best work possible. While some of my contributions are significant, others are delightfully small. For example, I still smile when I think about how passionately I argued for that particular icon when setting up fertilizer reminders, and to arrange the buttons in the screenshot, below, into rainbow order. Did either really matter? Not exactly. But I’m always on the lookout for ways to infuse bits of humor tiny sparks of joy for the user, wherever their eyes might land.
I like to think that bringing a meaning maker like me into the product and design trenches takes the work to the next level. It’s the sort of thing team leads might not realize they need—until they experience the benefits firsthand. But here’s what Greg’s Chief Product Officer wrote to me at the conclusion of our work together:
”Thanks for everything you've done to open doors in our brains for what the Greg universe can be. Feels like we took two huge leaps forward in creating a unified, unique, bespoke brand. It's been tricky to imagine while simultaneously building, and be able to step outside the headsdown-ness, but you helped us to do that. Lots to do to realize the future, but the time you've been here has given us the strong footing, and sturdy and shiny shoes we needed to feel good about the steps forward that we take.”
And words from the Lead Designer
“You're the reason we have a clear picture of what the brand can be and should be. We've gone from neon purple crayons to natural, organic, and fun with elevation and consistency. You opened the door to an entirely new universe of gregdom for me, and I really believe we laid some serious foundation with the team & product for seeing that vision through.”
Pretty sweet, right?
My year-long engagement with Greg spanned brand, product, design, marketing, and general communications like newsletters, ads, video scripts, and other marcom assets. We capped it off with a naming exercise to explore possible extensions for their new ‘plant soul’ feature. After two comprehensive rounds of exploration, we landed on Greenbeing. I loved that it was a little playful—sounding like “green being”—while also speaking to the more devoted plant parent. These are the folks who already understand that plants aren’t just aesthetic additions to home decor, but cherished members of the family.
Greg is still out there, plugging away, and I check in from time to time to see their progress. With some impressive partnerships with big-box stores and an extraordinary team of heart-centered entrepreneurs, I can’t wait to see what’s next for them.