Easy Sow is a handheld rolling seed plotter designed to help hobbyist vegetable gardeners translate planting plans into consistently spaced gardening beds.
Developed through user research, sketching, and physical prototyping, this system marks common 4-, 6- and 12-inch planting intervals with an option for swappable rollers for different plans.
FOCUS
Product Design
User Research
Physical Prototyping
PROCESS
10 User Interviews
55 Survey Responses
Sketching + Model Making
RESEARCH
10 User Interviews · 55 Survey Responses
I conducted 10 user interviews and surveyed 55 hobbyist vegetable gardeners to understand how they plan their garden layouts, maintain spacing, and adjust their beds throughout the planting process.
"I never look forward to prepping the beds for planting."
KEY INSIGHT
The challenge was not just knowing recommended plant spacings, but physically transferring that spacing into the garden before committing to planting.
DESIGN OPPORTUNITY
How might we help home vegetable gardeners physically mark spacing and layout decisions before planting to reduce guesswork, overcrowding, and future rework?
IDEATION
I explored a wide range of potential mechanisms for transferring different planting layouts into a garden bed, including adjustable templates, stamping tools, and rolling systems.
CONCEPT DIRECTION
Rolling concepts offered the strongest combination of repeatability and ease of use. I moved forward with an interchangeable roller system that could accommodate any number of planting intervals while keeping the interaction system simple.
DEVELOPMENT
I developed the rolling concept through physical model making. Focusing on refinement of the handle form, roller geometry, and interaction.
INTERCHANGEABLE ROLLERS
The main roller system was designed primarily for 4-, 6-, and 12-inch seed planting intervals. Swappable rollers allow the same handle to support any number of different planting layouts without the need of a separate tool.
FINAL DESIGN
Easy Sow combines an ergonomic handle with interchangeable rollers for varied planting intervals. This system allows gardeners to transfer their desired planting layouts directly into the garden bed with just one easy-to-use tool.
TAKEAWAYS
This project strengthened my ability to move from user research into a focused product opportunity area while developing my skills in concept sketching, physical model making, and communicating a final design.