Designing a digital farming platform that connects farmers and consumers through trust and transparency
SmartFarm - A Case Study by Bijoy Paul
Overview
SmartFarm is a digital farming app built to help small-scale farmers sell their organic produce directly to consumers. The app's standout feature, Virtual Farm Tours, lets users experience real-time farm environments, building trust and emotional connection between farmers and consumers. The challenge was to design a user experience that combines functionality with authenticity while supporting engagement and brand loyalty.
Problem
Individual farmers often struggle to establish a direct connection with consumers due to the dominance of large-scale distributors and intermediaries. This limits their visibility and profits while weakening consumer trust in product authenticity. The challenge was to design a digital solution that eliminates this disconnect, giving farmers a fair platform to showcase their produce and providing consumers with a transparent, interactive buying experience.
Role
As the Lead UX Designer, I was responsible for defining the problem, conducting research, creating user journeys, and shaping a clear, human-centered app experience. My focus was to create an intuitive ecosystem that empowers farmers, educates consumers, and promotes transparent trade.
Design Process
Research and Discovery
Extensive user research was conducted with both farmers and consumers to identify key motivations, frustrations, and needs.
Key insights:
- Farmers lacked digital presence and struggled to build trust online.
- Consumers wanted transparency and proof of authenticity before buying.
- Immersive experiences could bridge emotional gaps between both groups.
User Journey & Information Architecture
TThe user journey was centered on the consumer experience, aiming to build trust and transparency while making organic shopping engaging and emotional. It starts with a clean home screen showcasing featured farms and fresh produce, leading to detailed farm profiles with Virtual Farm Tours that let users explore real cultivation spaces through 360° visuals. This immersive step turns browsing into a story-driven experience. Users then evaluate products, check authenticity, and complete purchases through a smooth, mobile-friendly checkout flow.
Wireframing and Prototyping
The wireframing stage focused on creating a simple, intuitive flow that helps consumers discover farms, explore produce, and complete purchases effortlessly. Low-fidelity sketches defined layout, hierarchy, and navigation, later refined into high-fidelity Figma prototypes with real visuals and interactions.
A standout feature — the Virtual Farm Tour — was integrated early in the journey, allowing users to experience farms before purchasing. User testing confirmed this emotional, immersive touch built stronger trust and engagement, shaping a seamless story-driven shopping experience.
Visual Design
The UI design reflected SmartFarm’s organic brand identity — fresh, simple, and authentic.
- Color Palette: Green, white, and soft orange tones for nature-inspired harmony.
- Typography: Rounded sans-serif for friendliness and approachability.
- Imagery: Real farm visuals and 360° shots for trust and engagement.
- CTA Design: Bright, minimal buttons to guide users through conversion actions.
Testing and Refinement
Usability testing focused on validating the flow, clarity, and emotional impact of the SmartFarm experience. Interactive prototypes were tested with real users to observe how easily they could navigate from farm discovery to checkout. Feedback revealed that users valued quick access to Virtual Farm Tours and clear, prominent CTAs for purchasing.
Based on these insights, navigation labels were simplified, visual hierarchy was improved, and micro-interactions were refined for smoother transitions. The result was a more intuitive, responsive, and emotionally engaging experience — one that helps users explore confidently and connect meaningfully with the farmers behind their food.
Outcome
- Increased browsing time and interaction rates through immersive features like the Virtual Farm Tour.
- Simplified navigation and stronger CTAs led to more completed checkouts.
- Users connected personally with farm stories, making the experience more memorable and human.
- Farmers gained better visibility and direct access to consumers, improving sales opportunities.