Spore
A mushroom cultivation application - case study
The Spore app is the first of it’s kind - think home plant care and gardening apps for fungus. Spore is a Seattle-based company dedicated to bringing education on mycology and mushroom cultivation to the masses.
Challenges
Spore found a hole in the market for gardeners, DIYers, and amateur mycologists. The hole being no app to teach users how to grow gourmet mushrooms. While learning to growing mushrooms is a feat itself, documenting the process though photographs, metrics (temperatures, substrate material, mushroom spores and strains), and personal notes is pertinent to bigger and better future flushes.
Within the DIY growing process for gourmet mushrooms, many people fail on the first few tries. This amount of failure can be cut back significantly if the grower is documenting their progress and finding and identifying issues.
Researching
While learning to grow mushrooms myself, I struggled to find an all-in-one place to log my metrics, find information, and be walked through the growing process. That is because this app did not exist! Searching for an app like this led me to many gardening applications that provided what I was looking for but lacked the necessary facets needed for the mycological aspect. Researching the mushroom growing and cultivating process uncovered many areas that seasoned and amateur growers - myself included - struggle with.
Research Goals
Competitor Analysis
Mushroom Grower by the American Mushroom Institute focuses on large-scale and industrial mushroom farms.
Seed to Spoon has amazing personalization features that help users curate the best growing processes for them.
In Seed to Spoon, users can log all their personal garden information in one centralized location. Many users state they love having a ‘one-stop-shop’ app.
Goal 1
Expand Understanding of Mushroom Cultivation
Learn the processes most suited for beginner mushroom growers to implement in the framework of the app.
Create a list of the most important metrics to prompt users to log in to their grow journals.
Compile a comprehensive supplies list to incorporate in the shop feature of the app.
Goal 2
Reddit Forums Support User Insights
Forum-based social network, Reddit, houses a plethora of information and communities centered on growing mushrooms. These communities, or subreddits, get granular enough to be focused on specific mushroom strains and techniques.
Through these subreddits, users can:
Find scholarly articles on mycology
Troubleshoot with group members
Ask for advice
Share their wins/success
Find community
Spending time in these subreddits allowed me to get insights into the potential users of the Spore app in place of traditional user interviews.
Find & Analyze Common Challenges
Identify any friction or issues users face, including challenges with sticking to routines.
Explore the current channels that growers are using to aid them in the mushroom cultivation process.
Evaluate what features of current channels are beneficial to users and which features hinder their success.
Goal 3
“I tried tubs, blocks, and buckets.
Tubs gave me the worst, as I got very leggy mushrooms. Blocks were next, and buckets seemed to go ok until they started reaching to the sky.”
Demystify Fungus: Spore will offer a complete growing guide and will teach users everything from the basics of mushroom cultivation and terminology, to harvesting their first flush of gourmet mushrooms.
Journaling & Tracking Powerhouse: Within the app, users will be able to track their progress and metrics, take notes on what is working and not working, and compare previous grows.
Objectives
Common Themes Found Through Research
Overall, contamination is the most prevalent issue experienced by seasoned growers and amateur enthusiasts.
The sterilization process must be strictly followed, no exceptions.
Contamination
Many first-time mushroom growers will want to rush each stage of the process.
Not thoroughly completing preparations or not following the technique will result in contamination.
Following the Timeline
Each strain of mushroom is different and will require different growing environments. Air and ground temperatures, humidity, light conditions, and fresh air exchange are some of the critical components. This is a lot to remember!
Grow Environment
When mycelium decomposes organic matter, thermogenesis occurs. This is when the substrate will begin producing its own heat.
Rising temperatures within the substrate can kill the mycelium - even if the temperature of the air in the room is optimal.
Thermogenesis
Many shroomie-newbies lack an understanding of the mushroom life cycle. While you don’t have to be a professional mycologist, learning the basics is pertinent.
First-time growers are often overwhelmed by the new phrases, facts, and information they re trying to learn on top of the already complex growing techniques and processes.
Lack of Life Cycle Knowledge
It is rare for a first-time mushroom grower to see much success - let alone success at all - from their first attempt. Because of this, many people give up.
The failures are often ambiguous and the shroomie-newbies can’t pinpoint the reason(s) for the failure.
Discouragement
The audience was built from scratch since Spore is a new app concept. Detailed user personas were created to ensure the recommendations and features are tailored to and benefit users.
Building Empathy
Maddie Roma - Shroomie Newbie
“When I attempt to grow mushrooms again, I want it to be fun. I want to enjoy the process and have everything I need to succeed in one easy to access place.”
Recommendations
To address this, the app should offer a robust personalization engine that tailors workouts and recommendations based on individual user profiles, including age, height, weight, and specific fitness goals.
In addition, the app could integrate a customizable tracking system, allowing users to select and prioritize the data they wish to monitor, such as steps, weight, calories burned, heart rate, standing hours, alcohol consumption, and daily mood. This would enable users to receive more targeted advice and insights, enhancing their overall engagement and satisfaction with the app.
Personalization
The app should incorporate more dynamic visualizations for reminders, progress tracking, and trend analysis. Users appreciate visual representations of their data, so offering customizable charts and graphs that track their progress over time—such as fitness milestones, health trends, or goal achievements—would be highly beneficial.
Additionally, the reminder system should continue to be a key feature, with the option to personalize reminders based on user preferences and goals. Given that users find these reminders helpful rather than annoying, maintaining their presence while allowing for customization in timing, frequency, and format would further improve user engagement and adherence.
Visualizations
The app should offer quick, efficient workout options that can be completed in short periods, such as 5, 10, or 15 minutes. These "micro-workouts" would cater to users who struggle to find time for longer sessions, making it easier to integrate fitness into their busy schedules.
Additionally, the app should offer users fluid routines - that is, users should be able to pick a routine for each day based on their free time, energy level, and mental space.
Finally, incorporating suggestions for how to integrate physical activity into daily routines—such as stretching or quick exercises during breaks—can help users make the most of their free time without feeling like they're sacrificing it.
Time