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Project Overview
The Grains Research and Development Corporation wanted an exciting new app that grain growers could take into the field to identify weeds. This app was intended to replace their popular ute guides for the field- cumbersome and unwieldy bound books. The app enables users to easily identify weeds in farming land, with all the information they need readily available in the palm of their hand. The new apps needed to be easy to use for farmers and offer helpful practical advice when no data connection was available.
Project Commissioner
Grains Research and Development Corporation
Project Creator
Adelphi Digital - Reading Room Australia
Team
Art Direction: Michael Zrobok
App developers: George Bills, Sung-Jae Lee
Project Director: Ian Laslett
Project Brief
Mobile application built for Apple iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android to include:
• Single design unified across platforms
• Photo/compare functionality to enable users to compare their weed to the library
• Predictive search, intuitive navigation
Project Innovation / Need
Our challenge was to understand how farmers would use the app while out in the field, we needed to keep it simple and intuitive and enable offline access of a wide variety of weeds data. By innovating the ute guide- traditionally a bulky ring bound printed document- into a smartphone application we made it possible for farmers to take the guide with them in their pocket wherever they went, with all the information they needed as part of their daily work instantly accessible through use of the app.
User Experience
The user interacts with a simple navigation structure, enabling them to quickly identify the type of weed that they may be interested in. Each category offers a range of similar weeds which can then be directly compared to what the farmer is seeing in the field. They can take photos and email their library of weeds through to friends. The app also offers predictive search and the ability to quickly refine the weeds found based upon state, flowering pattern and a range of other distinctive characteristics. Each weed also contains photos of the weed at different life cycle stages and detailed descriptions of the weed.
The glowing comments on the AppStore say something about how our users rate their user experience. For instance:
“Great application - a must download for grain growers”
“Perfect application, one of a kind for our grains industry. It's well categorized, has the great idea of the compare functionality, and it's easy to navigate. Something to keep in the phone for farmers out there! Easy to use“
“It's great to have this info in your pocket all the time.”
Project Marketing
GRDC launched their first iPhone application – The Ute Guide: Weeds – late last year, with both an Android and iPad version to follow. Since their launch, the apps have been downloaded 4000+, 500+, and 1000+ respectively. The reception to these apps has been enough short of a success, with an overall rating of 4.4/5 on the iTunes App Store. During the main website’s launch earlier on this week, farmers and the general public mentioned about how useful and interactive the app has been in identifying and comparing weeds, as well as sharing this information with their colleagues. With further updates set to increase the functionality, the future of the apps is in a strong position to improve the overall user experience.
Best Audience Migration to Mobile Technology
This category recognises migration of an audience from a traditional media to a mobile platform.
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