How I helped launch the Smart Tree Inventory: simplifying urban forestry

I was the lone-wolf Product Designer on the Smart Tree Inventory project. When I joined greehill, the product had an early launch in Singapore, but my responsibility was to refine the concept, identify areas for improvement, and create a scalable, user-friendly in-house version. My role encompassed both UX and UI design, tackling complex challenges in collaboration with the product team.

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Since both projects are under NDA, this case study focuses primarily on my contributions and role within the project, with very limited assets to showcase.

The primary challenge was to design a system that could display over 100,000 trees efficiently, while remaining intuitive for both technical and non-technical users. Additionally, projecting 3D point clouds of trees into real images for inspectors was crucial to enhancing user engagement and functionality. Another challenge was ensuring the tool supported decision-making, forecasting, and maintenance planning for urban planners.

Our research phase started with analyzing feedback from Singapore’s National Park. Weekly feedback meetings helped us iterate quickly on the user experience and fix pain points. Meanwhile, our business team gathered insights from urbanists and municipalities, which highlighted key needs such as simplified tree management, better visualization of tree data, and integration with forecasting systems for maintenance and planning.

We began from scratch, spending weeks brainstorming and iterating on whiteboards, discussing every possible scenario, persona, and use case. My focus was solving complex problems like:

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• Tree Navigation: Displaying 100,000+ trees efficiently was a major challenge. I researched map solutions capable of handling large datasets and built an intuitive navigation system to prevent users from getting overwhelmed. We developed features to allow users to focus on specific work areas and efficiently navigate through tree data.

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• 3D Scan Integration: I worked on enabling users to view 3D scans of individual trees, helping them make virtual adjustments. The goal was to allow inspectors to view trees as though they were physically next to them, making the point cloud projection as realistic and actionable as possible.

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• Forecasting and Decision-Making Tools: Collaborating with scientists, I helped incorporate decision-making, forecasting, and warning systems based on tree health and other parameters. The interface was designed to ensure these tools were easy to use, providing actionable insights for urban planners.

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• Simplifying the User Experience: To cater to non-technical users, I separated complex functions into more manageable steps. For instance, we broke down tree inspection into smaller, actionable tasks, while providing intuitive feedback to guide users through the process.

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While I didn't create a formal design system for this project, I focused heavily on ensuring that the interface was consistent across all functionalities, which allowed for smoother development and user interaction.

The result was a powerful and scalable Tree Inventory System that enabled cities to scan and manage their trees efficiently. It provided urban planners and inspectors with tools to make data-driven decisions and forecast tree maintenance needs. Despite leaving the company, I continued to root for the product's success, knowing it would help cities improve their green infrastructure and create healthier urban environments.