ivy by brycerimland

ivy

ivy 4

BRYCE RIMLAND ivy April 29, 2021

ivy BRYCE RIMLAND, SENIOR PROJECT BOOK April 29, 2021 Bachelor of Technology in Visual Communications Visual Communications: Art & Graphic Design Farmingdale State College, State Univsersity of New York

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. THE PRODUCT

5. OUR AUDIENCE

6. CULTURAL RELEVANCE

4. COMPETITION

7. VISUAL BRANDING

8. MARKETING STRATEGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. UNIQUE VALUES

INTRODUCTION 10

OUR STORY

As far back as she can remember, Bryce has always found an

One day during her sophomore year of high school, she had

appreciation and connection to nature and the outdoors. She

an assignment for her biology class that had to deal with plants.

would always help her mother and grandmother garden when

She and her mom went to Home Depot and looked at their

she was younger, and she took a great interest in gardening

entire plant section, and she found it super overwhelming. Even

because of all the types of flowers and plants; it felt endless.

though she had been there before, this time she actually selected

She loved watching the different types of flowers bloom and

plants. She eventually chose two small succulents and felt very

she also enjoyed taking in all the different smells. This was just

excited about owning her very first plants. There was a slight

the start of her love for plants. As she got older, she began to

problem though. She had absolutely no idea on how to care for

notice many plants being used for indoor spaces, whether it was

them. She remembers doing some research about the plants as

in someone’s house or a store she visited. A lot of the plants

soon as she got home, and everything seemed so foreign to her

were ones she had never seen outside before, and the idea of

because this felt different than gardening outdoors. She figured

bringing nature indoors was an interesting concept to her, since

that she would just give it some water and hoped that it would

her own house did not have indoor plants. Seeing plants being

stay alive, but after some time, the succulents were not looking

used as part of interior decor became more common and she

great. On top of that, she had to go out of state for a while,

soon fell in love with the way they look indoors. They made

and when she came back, they were completely unsalvageable.

her feel closer to nature and she enjoyed the aesthetic plants

Each succulent she got, they would die within weeks and she did

brought to an indoor space.

not know why and what she was doing wrong. This made her

OUR STORY lose hope in keeping any other plant alive since she could not

of her interests. She was not sure how she would make plants

even take care of a succulent, which is supposed to be the easiest

her project, though, and how to turn it into a problem that she

plant to care for. After multiple attempts, she decided to give up

needed to solve. Suddenly, she remembered all of the times that

on owning succulents and figured she was not capable of taking

she struggled to keep her plants alive, thus came her project

care of any plants. This made her feel disappointed because she

idea, ivy, which is a service and product that helps others keep

really wanted to succeed. Her break from owning plants did not

their plants alive and thriving. Even today, she still struggles

last long though and she decided to give it another shot, only

with taking care of certain plants, so she knows others need this

this time, she picked out a plant that was not a succulent. She

information and would find her project helpful.

swore to herself that this one would stay alive. Fast forward to about two years later, the plant is still alive and growing and she has since added some more plants to her collection.

To understand her target audience, Bryce did plenty of research on houseplant owners by speaking to them in person, over the phone, video chat, and Google forums. She collected quantitative

When it was time to start thinking of an idea for her Senior

and qualitative data from those who own houseplants and from

Project, she was completely stumped. It was not until classes

those who would like to in the past or would like to in the future.

actually started that she began to brainstorm some vague ideas.

Expanding her audience helped her figure out the way others

She wrote down some things that she does in her daily life and

think when it comes to taking care of plants, and this soon evolved

some things that interest her, and so of course, plants were one

her concept. Through her research, she found out that those who

OUR STORY

do not own any plants worried that they will die in their care. They did not feel prepared to own a plant and some said that they have too much of a busy schedule to give plants their time and commitment. On the other hand, those who already owned plants said that they struggled to keep some alive because they did not know about the plants’ proper care, or they found out about the problem too late. Hearing all these responses, Bryce realized that her project needed to make owning a plant much easier for both audiences and this required her to expand her original idea. At first, she thought that a plant care app would be sufficient, but she learned that it would not be enough after doing her research. With a little help from guest critics, she got the idea of including AI technology into her concept. Imagine an AI plant sensor device that could connect to the app and send out alerts pertaining to the plant’s health. It would be able to sense things like the level of moisture in the soil, level of light, temperature, and more. Right away, she knew that was what she must do for her project. She hopes that her audience will like what she came up with and be able to see themselves using it. Her goal is to help a wide range of people with their plants and those who take an interest in them. She wants people leaving satisfied and help decrease the amount of houseplants that die. Like any other nature lover, she believes that it is important to keep plants looking healthy, so she wants everyone to be able to make that happen.

THE PRODUCT 14

THE PRODUCT

WHAT IS IVY?

Ivy is a product that incorporates AI technology, which then

sensor is placed into the pot of the plant, it will pick up moisture

links to their mobile application, to help those who struggle

levels, light levels, temperature levels, and its soil fertility. When

with keeping their houseplants alive. Bryce knew that there

the plant sensor detects any sort of problem, it will send out a

were many people who have killed houseplants, due to not

notification directly to ivy's app. It also has the option to send out

understanding their proper care. Ivy strives to educate and give

notifications through third-party bluetooth devices. In addition,

people that boost of confidence that they need because taking

the sensor will change colors, going from a crystal white to a

care of plants should not be stressful. Bryce felt like she could

pink color to show that the plant needs help. After the plant is

relate to them because she has killed her fair share of plants as

properly taken care of, it will then turn back to its original color.

well. There had to be an easier and clearer way to understand what plants needed to survive and ivy offers that and more.

Ivy's app is used to monitor the plant's health, but what makes the app more useful are the additional features it has. For

With ivy's smart plant sensor, it directly detects problems with

example, there is a plant identifier, light meter, map of nearby

the plant once it is placed into the pot. It also comes with a USB

nurseries, along with the ability to purchase seeds. One is able

WiFi hub, which would be plugged into a continuous internet

to favorite plants they like from the large data base and log in

source. This makes it easier for the smart plant sensor to send out

plants they already own if they choose to add their own plant

signals within a larger range, whereas a bluetooth connection is

care schedule. Bryce wanted to make sure that the app worked

limited for when it comes to connectivity. Once the smart plant

independently and still be useful without the smart plant sensor.

SMART PLANT SENSOR

2 inches

waterproof light sensor solar powered built in LED light each sensor has a four-digit code on

temperature sensor

5 inches

the back for when it gets connected

moisture sensor

to a specific plant

environmentally friendly compatible with bluetooth

LARGE SENSOR

front

back

SMART PLANT SENSOR

THE PRODUCTS The smart plant sensor comes in two sizes so they can be used for small and large plants. Included with the sensor is a USB gateway which acts as a WiFi hub. This gets plugged into a continuous wireless source, connects with the sensor, and stores data, while also providing a wider range of connection. It can receive data from up to 20 sensors. When the sensor detects a problem with the plant it is connected to, it will light up to a pink color. Prices range from $10 - $30.

1 inch

3 inches

SMALL SENSOR

lights up

USB WIFI HUB

LIT UP SENSOR

back

PACKAGE DESIGN: FRONT

PACKAGE DESIGN: BACK 19

PACKAGING KEYLINES

PACKAGING KEYLINES 21

THE APP

THE APP 23

THE APP

THE APP 25

THE APP ICON

APP ICON The icon design for ivy's mobile application includes the brand’s logo mark on a light green background. It does not include the logotype, this way, the icon is larger and easier to see. It provides a clean and simple app icon and this makes it easier to recognize.

THE SEEDS

SEEDS Within ivy's app, there is the option to buy packets of seeds through the large data base of plants. If one chooses to purchase seeds, the app will bring up a screen that shows the price and the choice to switch to Amazon, which is where the purchase can be made.

UNIQUE VALUES 28

OUR VALUES

Ivy's unique value is to help guide houseplant owners and potential houseplant owners in the right direction when it comes to caring for their plants. There are many people who struggle with keeping their plants alive, whether it is due to improper plant care or simply not knowing how to. Unfortunately, this is a common problem and it should not be because taking care of plants should not cause any added stress and frustration. Instead, taking care of plants should help people relax and it should be something that people enjoy doing.

THE PROBLEM Caring for houseplants can get pretty stressful because every plant requires its own unique care. Giving a cactus the same amount of water as a philodendron plant will definitely kill the cactus, so it is very important to understand a plant's specific needs. Through numerous interviews and research, Bryce noticed that this was a common problem. People did not know what all their plants needed and that led to their plants dying. Out of the 39 houseplant owners she interviewed, 21 people admitted that

Plants and nature have many great benefits, both health wise

a common struggle in keeping their plants alive and healthy was

and for ones mentality. Ivy strives to show why houseplants are

watering. The others said not knowing how much sunlight and

nice to have and that any one can have them. Bryce wanted

fertilizer plants needed was also a struggle. Some said that they

to focus on the relationship between people and their plants

did not even know what was causing the problem or they simply

and help with their frustrations. She wants her costumers to feel

forgot about the plant. With this information, it was clear that

confident when caring for their plants and know that they are

these people could not always rely on the internet to help them

doing the right thing. It is all about growth and satisfaction.

out, so they had to figure out plant care themselves.

INTERVIEWS

WHY DO YOUR PLANTS DIE? “It died because the draingage hole got clogged and it got root rot. I found out too late.”

“Improper position on the terrace, but I feel like sometimes just out of spite :D.”

“Wrong water has given some brown tips, and it takes me a while to find the right place and lighting.”

“Inappropriate environment, neglect, not enough information known, and wrong plant care provided on labels.”

WHAT IS STOPPING YOU FROM OWNING A PLANT NOW? “I have to know exactly what I'm doing before I get it because I want to be prepared.”

“My bedroom window doesn't get enough light, but once I move to my new house, it would be better.”

“Finding a place to put it in my room and I don't know if I'm ready to make any type of sacrifices.”

“I need guidelines slapped in front of me saying, 'this is how you do it; don't mess it up'.”

CONFIDENT

nature

beneficial

AFFORDABLE HAPPY loyal EDUCATE advanced helpful LOVE cute

unique

convenient

CARING

MEMORABLE

ACCURATE GROWTH FRIENDLY SMART PERSONAL guidance

EASY fun welcoming

TONE OF VOICE

RELAXING reliable

TRUSTED

QUICK

CREATIVITY

COMPETITION 32

COMPETITORS

With the plant community growing, especially among millennials,

one just wanted to buy one sensor, it is about $11, but it does not

plant companies are emerging and finding ways to help;

come with the hub, which is a crucial piece because the sensor

whether it is through plant subscription services or plant apps,

cannot work without one. Ivy's prices only range from $10 to

they are gaining a lot of attention. As Bryce researched other

$30 and they offer more specific packages to choose from, in

companies, she paid attention to who her competitors would be

regards to the quantity and size of the sensors, along with the

and saw how they were similar to her idea, while also pointing

option to buy a pack with or without the hub.

out their major differences. She narrowed them down to three major competitors which were Greenses, Planta, and Blossom.

When it comes to their app, Greensens relies heavily on their plant’s sensor, which makes the app limited with its usability

Ivy's primary competitor is a company called Greensens. They

and features. What makes Bryce’s app better is that it works

offer a product called the Greensens Flower sensor, which

independently, so one does not need to purchase the plant

allows someone to monitor the health of their flowers and

sensor to use it. When designing her app, she wanted to make

plants. This is done by inserting the sensor into a pot and then

sure that it provided helpful information that could be used by

connecting it to their hub to receive real-time updates through

everyone, whether they have the sensor or not. She knew that

the app. This is essentially what Bryce is doing, but one major

there would be some people who will only want to use features

advantage that makes her company better is that it is more

on the app and not care to buy the plant sensor because they

affordable. Greensens offers three bundles, and they start at

feel they will not need it.

about $60 which would include three sensor and one hub. If

COMPETITORS

Ivy's secondary competitor is an app called Planta, which is a plant

one comes with a detailed description on how to care for them.

care app that helps people with their plants through their features

The downside to Blossom is that there is a limit on how many plant

like care reminders, step-by-step guides, plant identification, plant

care reminders and identifications one can use. One would need

journal, and more. Planta is considered to be one of the best plant

to make a subscription to continue, and it is slightly cheaper than

apps available because of how much they offer, but they lack a

Planta. Blossom also lacks a plant sensor, so ivy has that advantage,

plant sensor. This makes Bryce’s company more valuable since it has

along with it being the most affordable service and product.

a smart plant sensor, in addition to her app, that has just as many features as Planta. Though, the major feature that sets Planta and ivy apart, is that someone needs to become a premium member to

PRIMARY COMPETITOR

use Planta to its full potential. This means that the features like plant identification, care schedules, reminders, etc., are only available if one pays for them. Bryce knew that a lot of people do not want to spend money for another monthly service, so she made sure that no one will have to pay any extra on her app. An additional feature that ivy provides that Planta does not is the ability to order packets of seeds. If someone finds a plant that they

SECONDARY COMPETITOR

like on the app, they will get the option to order its seeds through Amazon since ivy is partnered with them. Bryce felt that this was very convenient because during her research, she found that there are people who enjoy growing plants from seeds. With this option, ivy adds more value for its users, providing plant care instructions right on the app, so everything is easily in one place. Ivy's tertiary competitor is an app called Blossom, and they offer similar features that Planta does, but not all. Instead, this app is best known for how much information they provide. They have a database of over 10,000 indoor and garden plants, and each

TERTIARY COMPETITOR

COMPETITORS

smart plant sensor

affordable expensive

limited features

OUR AUDIENCE 36

AUDIENCE

When Bryce conducted her interviews, she mainly targeted the

From her data, Bryce found a common pattern within their

community of people who already owned houseplants, along

responses. Many of those who owned houseplants have

with a few who did not own plants, but would like to in the

experienced killing at least one plant sometime in their life, and

future. These people consisted of some of her friends and family

those who did not yet own a houseplant feared that they would

members, as well as people from social media who she did

kill the plant. Through her responses, Bryce found a third type of

not know. She reached her audience through multiple outlets

audience that seemed to be a common one, which is someone

by conducting in person interviews, over the phone interviews,

who recently got their very first plant. With all this information,

video calls, and Google forums. Bryce split her interviews into

she developed three different types of personas that would best

two categories: houseplants owners and potential houseplants

represent ivy's targeted audience. The three personas are, The

owners. She got so many different types of responses from each,

Plant Enthusiasts, The First-Timer, and The Nature Lover.

and she enjoyed hearing what they had to say and learned a lot. She saw that her audience ranged from 16-year-olds to 60-year-olds, and there were a lot more females compared to males. They all had a different level of experience when it came to taking care of plants and the number of plants people owned ranged from 0-200.

RILEY / 26 years old / Interior Designer Riley lives in NYC with her best friend and is always staying productive. When she is not busy with work, she likes to shop, try new restaurants, hang out with friends, do crafts, and of course, take care of her plants. She has loved plants her whole life and she likes to decorate her apartment with plants. Riley now has a large collection of plants that she often struggles with keeping track of them all. She also has a difficult time learning about the care of a plant when it is one that she is unfamiliar with.

Plant Enthusiasts are the primary persona and these individuals

online which makes it difficult. Plant Enthusiasts feel a huge

typically own many houseplants, and have a good amount of

responsibility to keep their plants healthy and thriving. Their

experience. Many enjoy tending to their plants because it has

plants make them feel happy and help them distress, so a dying

become part of their daily routine and a hobby. Even though

plant will frustrate them. Ivy is able to satisfy Plant Enthusiasts by

they have a lot of knowledge with their plants, there has been

giving them accurate information about their plants to prevent

times where they ended up killing them. Sometimes, they will

any more from dying and creating further damage.

have an idea on what went wrong, but other times they struggle figuring out why and the answer to their questions are not always

“ I started just having plants at my office years ago and then one plant ultimately turned into the insane amount I have now.”

PRIMARY PERSONA

THE PLANT ENTHUSIAST

ALEX / 40 years old / Veterinary Technician Alex lives in California with her husband, two kids, and multiple pets. She loves animals and she always has a fun time when she is with them. During her free time, she likes to cook, bake, and spend time with friends and family. She just got her very first plant, a succulent, and she is absolutely loving it. Alex is very knowledgable for when it comes to animals, but for plants, she is unsure, so she needs some guidance. If she does well with taking care of her succulent, she would like to get another one.

First-Timers are the secondary persona and these individuals are

they want to educate themselves about their plants so they

a subcategory to the first group because they own a houseplant,

can succeed. Since they have no prior experience, they need

but only one. Some bought their first plant on their own, while

an easy-to-understand service to help guide them in the right

others got it as a gift. These people are typically satisfied with

direction. Ivy is perfect for First-Timers because of its user-

their one plant, but others would like to look into owning more.

friendly mobile application which includes free services, unlike

Most of these people have had an interest in plants for a while

other applications that require a monthly fee.

or they took up the interest once they actually obtained a plant of their own. First-Timers are still learning about plants and

“ Last week, my friend started getting into it and that inspired me to get into it as well after seeing how excited she was and how many different types of plants there are.”

SECONDARY PERSONA

THE FIRST-TIMER

DYLAN / 22 years old / Biology student Dylan lives in Colorado and will be graduating college soon. He likes going to the gym and staying active like going on hikes or running outside. He enjoys playing video games, thrifting, and going to concerts. Because he has a need for adventure, he loves visiting new places and go sight seeing. Ever since Dylan was a kid, he has always appreciated nature and the outdoors, however, he has never owned plants of his own. He finally decided it was time to get into owning a plant.

Nature Lovers are the tertiary persona and these individuals fall

They do not have a lot of knowledge on what it takes to keep a

into the potential houseplant owner category since they do not

plant alive, so they believe that if they were to own one now, it

own any plants, but would like to in the future. They find nature to

would die in their care, which would be a waste of money. These

be beautiful and calming, and many like to spend time outdoors,

people do not feel confident about the thought of taking care of

exploring new places. They feel that plants are a nice addition

a plant and many feel that they will be too busy to give the plant

to an indoor space because they like the idea of bringing nature

the care it needs. Ivy helps Nature Lovers because the smart

inside with them. Nature Lovers do not own any of their own

plant sensor will make it easy for them to care for a plant and

plants because they do not feel prepared to take care of one.

eventually, they will learn more about their plant.

“ I think plants are a beautiful symbol of nature and they can add vibrancy to any living space. I would like to add a plant to my place, but I wouldn't know where to begin."

TERTIARY PERSONA

THE NATURE LOVER

CULTURAL RELEVANCE 44

Over the years, the amount of people who own houseplants

cheap. There is a hypothesis called biophilia, which suggests

have increased a lot, and it will only keep growing. Houseplant

that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections

sales specifically in the U.S. have risen and this is largely

with nature and other forms of life to connect and care for them.

due to millennials and teens. Studies have shown that plants

This explains why many believe that houseplants create a cozy

have impacted their lives both mentally and physically. With

and welcoming energy to a room.

technology being such a prominent thing in our lives, plants act as an escape from our screens and the plants give people the opportunity to take care of something else. Many millennials like the mental health benefits that plants offer because they can help take away their stress. Taking care of plants become part of their routine and they help them feel a sense of stability. A lot of millennials also experience more delayed parenthood and home ownership compared to previous generations, so by filling up their space with plants, they offer meaning and fulfillment. Plants also come without the large responsibility

Bryce conducted 53 interviews with 39 people being houseplant owners and 14 people being potential houseplants owners. There were way more females than males and their ages ranged from young teens to older adults. When she asked if any houseplant owners experienced killing a plant, 28 people said that they have and it made them feel sad and frustrated that they could not keep the plant alive. This is also what many potential houseplant owners feared. Many believed that they would kill their plant which is why they do not own one now.

and commitment that a pet would have and it can be relatively

CULTURAL RELEVANCE

STATISTICS

DID YOU KNOW... In 2019, the National Gardening Association found that American gardeners spent a record $52.3 billion on lawn and garden retail sales.

5 million out of 6 million Americans

About 33.1 million U.S. households

were between the ages of 18 to 34.

participated in indoor houseplant gardening.

INTERVIEWS

WHY DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN OWNING PLANTS? “I became interested in them in the beginning of 2020. I started out with a few easy ones to decorate my room and I noticed I seemed to have quite a green thumb, so I started gathering a collection.”

“They’re good for you since they clean the air and they’re healthy for your life. Honestly, taking care of houseplants and watching them grow gives me so much joy.”

“I’ve owned plants for about 10 years, but have only gotten more interested in them recently. Probably due to having extra time on my hands and needing something to occupy my time. I suffer from depression and anxiety and having them in my space is soothing and also helps drive me to get up and take care of something. My grandma also had such a green thumb and it makes me feel connected to her in a way.”

“I gardened from a very young age with my mom and I’ve always loved plants and flowers. They’re just very beautiful and colorful.”

“I initially started to become interested in them when I went to an egagement party and they were giving out cute succulents as gifts. So far, it’s been about a year and it’s in a new pot and growing!”

“When I moved out I got them because they really help decorate the apartment and they make me happy.”

DATA

In person FaceTime Phone call Google Forms

Amount of houseplants people own

6 5 4

over 100

only 1 5

over 50

over 2

Interviews

females

over 30

16 - 61

years old

6 10

over 10

males

DATA

39 Houseplant owners

Never killed a plant

Have killed a plant

10 people think they will kill a plant

72%

of people have killed their plants

Potential owners 49

VISUAL BRANDING 50

VISUAL BRANDING

When coming up with the logo, Bryce sketched out 30 different

The typography for ivy includes three different fonts, a display

logos and then narrowed down to 15 to digitalize. Many of her

font for titles and headlines, the body copy font, and the

logo ideas were leaf shaped and had an organic feel to them

logotype. The display font is a rounder, thicker font, while the

with lines that flowed and soft edges. She chose her current logo

body copy is more sharp and has a lighter weight to it. The

as the final one because of its simplicity and fun take on a leaf

logotype is a very bold and dark font, so Bryce made the type

illustration. The logo includes three colors: a bright green, a light

all lowercase to balance out the delicate logo for ivy.

forest green, and black for the main outlines.

For ivy’s branding colors, it was important for Bryce to have

The logo has a horizontal and a vertical version and there are

shades of green in the color palette because green represents

four different color variations. The logo's toolkit includes the

nature and plants, but she also wanted to add some accent

minimum sizes that they could be used and the preferred clear

colors as well. This is why she added pink and burgundy to the

space, as well how not to use the logo. This is important to follow

color palette and they create a good contrast.

because if the logo is too small, it can be harder to read whether it is on the screen or on paper. Providing a minimum size ensures that it will stay legible. The clear space helps make sure that the logo stands out wherever it is being used or else it could get lost with other design elements.

Illustrations and photography make up a lot of ivy's branding. The illustrations are fun and simple vector graphics that are used throughout advertisements, collateral, and the app. The photos are used more in the app and web and social media ads.

LOGO PROCESS

SKETCHES When it was time to figure out the logo for ivy, she made 30 sketches and then narrowed it down to 15 of her best ones. She wanted the logo to express a natural feel to it, which is why a lot of them incorporate leaves. She also wanted it to feel organic by using simple, curved lines. This soon led to her choosing sketch number five as her final logo.

ivy

LOGO VARIATIONS 53

LOGO TOOLKIT

MINIMUM SIZE ivy’s primary logo, vertical logo, should be presented at a minimum size of 1 inch when printed and a minimum of 72 pixels on screen. The alternative logo, horizontal logo, must be presented at a minimum size of 2.5 inches when printed and a minimum of 180 pixels on screen. Do not go smaller than these sizes. 1” 72 px

2.5” 180 px

CLEAR SPACE There is a required clear space that should be followed when using ivy’s logo. The safe space can be measured by using the width of the “v” in the typeface for both the primary and alternative logo.

X X

LOGO MISUSE

DO NOT LOWER OPACITY

DO NOT ADD A DROP SHADOW

DO NOT CHANGE COLORS

ivy

ivy DO NOT CHANGE TYPEFACE

DO NOT STRETCH/DISTORT

DO NOT FLIP LOGO

DO NOT MAKE LINES THICKER

DO NOT CHANGE THE SCALE

TYPOGRAPHY

Title / Display Copy

Body Copy

Korolev Rounded Bold

Futura PT Medium

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 (.,:;!@#$%^&*?)

Logotype

Poetsen One Regular

Aa 56

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 (.,:;!@#$%^&*?)

CMYK: 44 13 37 0 RGB: 148 187 169 HEX: #93baa8

CMYK:43 0 56 0 RGB: 1151 207 146 HEX: #96ce91

CMYK: 12 2 9 0 RGB: 222 234 229 HEX: #ddeae5

CMYK: 0 30 23 0 RGB: 250 191 178 HEX: #fabeb2

CMYK: 47 80 76 73 RGB: 59 22 17 HEX: #3b1611

BRANDING COLORS

CMYK: 86 54 78 73 RGB: 1 40 27 HEX: #01271a

ILLUSTRATION STYLE

PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE 59

MARKETING STRATEGY 60

Ivy's marketing goal is to help houseplant owners who struggle

place where more older people are. TikTok has been a growing

with keeping their plants alive and to show that this is a common

platform, so advertising on there will gain a lot of attention

problem, and they are not alone. Taking care of plants should

for the brand. Lastly, YouTube is great for making reviews and

be easier and not cause people any stress. The target market

providing helpful information, so having ivy present on here

is mainly for these people, but not limited to them. Ivy markets

increase sales and trust. Bryce wanted posters and in-store

to people who are new to owning plants, as well as those who

marketing since the smart plant sensors would be sold in stores

wish to own a plant soon. When it came to ivy's market strategy,

like Home Depot, Target, Lowes, and Whole Foods, along with

Bryce wanted to market both digitally and traditionally.

local nurseries. The advertisements could be seen by many

She knew there had to be a strong social media presence for ivy, specifically on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

people who may not use social media, which is why it was important to have both.

Instagram is the main outlet because of the many influencers

The promotional items for ivy include a lot of fun merchandise.

on there. Influencer marketing brings in new customers because

When Bryce asked her audience what their hobbies were, many

the people can post that they use ivy and say how helpful it has

expressed interests in reading and writing, hiking and spending

been for them and their followers will listen. Facebook is the

time outdoors, making crafts, watching movies, and going

second most important social media platform for ivy because of

out with friends. She had to make sure that the merch fit their

the many houseplant Facebook groups on there and it is also the

interests, while also making the items look fun and unique.

MARKETING STRATEGY

INSTAGRAM ADS

FACEBOOK AD 63

LANDING PAGE

WEB BANNERS 65

POSTER

GIF 67

BUSINESS CARD

STATIONERY 69

MERCHANDISE

MERCHANDISE 71

EXHIBITION

DISPLAY BOOTH Ivy creates a brand experience by having a full exhibition set up to help with promotion and marketing. These types of set ups can be seen at trade shows and a smaller version can be seen at stores that are selling the product. Creating an exhibition stand helps facilitate partnerships and they also bring in more potential customers by having the product and service that ivy provides be displayed for people to take a closer look. The display booth represents the branding and design for ivy and it is how potential customers will view the company, so it needs to create a good first impression. Placing multiple plants around the booth creates a welcoming environment and it shows that ivy has something to do with plants right away. It is important to have a large standing banner of the smart plant sensor and its functions because that is what makes ivy unique and it needs to be visible. There is a banner that is full of the brand's illustrations because ivy's brand identity relies heavily on their illustrations. A plant, or multiple plants, are used to show how the smart plant sensor works and this will encourage people to interact with the product and service, this way they can see the whole experience. Ivy is branded as a fun and welcoming company that is here to help people with their houseplants, so the design of the booth had to convey that message.

EXHIBITION 73

THANK YOU

Thank you to everyone who has helped me get through these four years of college. Thank you to my professors who have taught me so much about art and design. Before college, I never would have imagined that I would be able to create the kind of art that I have made over these years. You guys helped me become a better designer and each day I have learned what I am capable of. Most importantly, thank you Professor Wild for guiding us throughout Senior Project. I enjoyed all the classes that I have had with you and you definitely helped me improve my skills along the way. Thank you to all my friends and loved ones who believed and supported in me. Without all of you I would have felt even more stressed, so you guys helped me get through the years. Big thank you to my mom who suggested that I major in Graphic Design in the first place and believing in me that I could do it and strive. Lastly, I want to thank myself for accomplishing everything that I have and not giving up. I cannot wait to see what else I will achieve. <3

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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theringer.com/tech/2019/5/23/18636629/plants-apps-florish-plant-optimizer-horticure-instagram-succulents. 14. Moshakis, Alex. “House Plants: the New Bloom Economy.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 30 June 2019, www.theguardian. com/global/2019/jun/30/house-plants-bloom-economy-wellbeing. 15. Peck, Barbara. “Plant Doctor: How to Save a Dying Houseplant.” Gardenista, Gardenista, 17 Apr. 2020, www.gardenista.com/posts/12tips-save-dying-houseplant/. 16. Plant Mama Tatiana. “My top 3 Plant Apps Every Plant Parent Needs | Reviewing Every Free House Plant and Gardening App.” YouTube, 9 July 2020, https://youtu.be/P-6ruW6jpNk. 17. Revitsky, Luke. “Gen Z Houseplant Ownership Stems from the Desire to Care for Something Alive.” CivicScience, 21 Apr. 2020, civicscience. com/gen-z-houseplant-ownership-stems-from-the-desire-to-care-for-something-alive/. 18. Sabharwal, Puneet, and Bryana Sortino. “A Plant Subscription That Builds Confidence in Plant Care.” Horti, heyhorti.com/. 19. Schwab, Katharine. “The Hottest New Wellness Startups Are Selling Houseplants.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 1 Apr. 2020, www. fastcompany.com/90310002/the-hottest-new-wellness-startups-are-selling-houseplants. 20. Shults, Stanislav. “Greensens: Smart Houseplant Sensor.” Indiegogo, 20 Oct. 2019, www.indiegogo.com/projects/greensens-smarthouseplant-sensor. 21. “Smart Plant Moisture Sensor WiFi Enabled & Real-Time.” Life Falcon, 9 Oct. 2020, lifefalcon.com/smart-plant-moisture-sensor-wifi/. 22. The Sill. “Why You Need Plants in Your Life.” The Sill, The Sill, 14 Feb. 2018, www.thesill.com/blogs/care-miscellaneous/why-you-needplants-in-your-life. 23. Williams, Molly. “How to Buy a Plant That You Can Actually Keep Alive.” Apartment Therapy, Apartment Therapy, LLC., 18 July 2020, www.apartmenttherapy.com/first-house-plant-buying-guide-267293. 24. Wisotsky, Athena. “The Layman’s Guide to Becoming a Houseplant Person.” InsideHook, 6 Apr. 2019, www.insidehook.com/article/ home-design/buying-houseplants-keeping-houseplants-alive.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

13. McHugh, Molly. “Let It Grow: The Appification of Plants Is Helping Owners Keep Them Alive.” The Ringer, The Ringer, 23 May 2019, www.