TreeID
Designed a tree identification learning experience through an Indigenous lens
Our Partner - SNP
Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) is a post-secondary school that offers first-hand Indigenous knowledge, education, and skills training. We partnered with SNP to create this app.
Problem
Currently, there are no tree identification apps that provide an educational experience while fostering a sense of community through sharing Indigenous knowledge of trees, their uses, and stories.
How might we...
curate a tree identification learning experience through an Indigenous lens?
Findings
Differentiating between trees can prove difficult
Location, seasons, and branch patterns are key to identification
AI photo identification provides no additional educational benefit
Solo identification can be dangerous
Competitor Analysis
My team and I looked at AI competitor apps and mapped out their flows, as well as more traditional field guides, such as the Government of Canada's Tree Classification.
All of these competitors left an Indigenous gap.
Nature Walk
To gain primary research my team and I went on a nature walk with an Indigenous nature guide. Here we learned about the unique identification experience of trees in the Carolinian forest and how to identify species and subspecies, through his Indigenous lens.
Prototyping
Timeline
01.22 - 04.22
My Role
UX designer + UX researcher
Distinctions
1st prize in the capstone UX competition + promise of the app being developed and launched soon
Who
6 Indigenous & 2 non-Indigenous community members
How
30-min remote semi-structured interviews
Why
Assess the usability and relevance of the Tree ID App
User Testing
Personal relationships with nature are essential
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Existing AI identification apps are unreliable
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Tree ID provides an opportunity for education
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Insights
Next Steps
Medicinal and traditional uses
Including medicinal and traditional uses will be compiled and added to the information on each page. This will allow for increased learning and appreciation for the trees.
Integration of stories
Including stories will be considered and we will only share stories that are appropriate to put on the app. Indigenous knowledge is sacred and requires community approval to be shared. In our current design, we included it as a placeholder.
Increased language components
Mohawk and Cayuga languages will be included throughout the app both audibly and in written form, based on the language chosen during the onboarding.