The new herbarium

Medicinal plants, like never seen before

An iPad app that lets users experience the world of medicinal plants like never before.

A redesign of the traditional herbarium that explores the use of digital mediums and data visualization to explain complex processes and provide in-depth information on medicinal plants.

The end result is an iPad app that shows the properties of medicinal plants in a way that not only is accurate but it is carefully crafted to engage readers and reach younger audiences.

Services and deliverables
Content creation
Interactive infographics
Data design
Art direction
iPad app
Information architecture
Interactive infographics
Icon set
Photography curation

About the herbariums

Books are not the only source of knowledge

Medicinal plants have been the subject study for thousands of years for theirhealing properties. This knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation through books called herbariums.

Today, the study of medicinal plants, is not only restricted to books, but we also have technologies that are capable of collecting large quantities of data.

There are also scientific studies being published on a regular basis, but they are generally difficult to understand for a non-specialized audience.

Setting goals

Plants to heal our mind, body and soul

The large amount of the information we have can no longer be condensed into a single book or explained in a physical format like paper.

The goal of the new herbarium is based on three axes:

01. Provide deep level information
Explain medicinal plants in-depth and in a way that is comprehensive, using real-time data and updated information.

02. Reach a wider audience
Renew the visual image of the traditional herbarium, with the aim to appeal to a wider, younger audience, that are not experts in scientific fields.

03. Help users learn something new
Explain processes and large amounts of information in a way that is clear and visual to facilitate understanding.

01. Provide deep level information

The new herbarium is halfway between traditional herbariums and specialized scientific publications. It explains the reality of medicinal plants at a deeper level than magazines aimed at a general audience, while expanding the information we already have in traditional herbariums.

Lifestyle magazines
about plants

Traditional
herbariums

Scientific
publications

The New
Herbarium

02. Reach a wider audience

Interest in the healing effects of plants has increased in recent years.

The General Council of Official Pharmacists, conducted a survey to investigate the use of medicinal plants and found out:

87%

of people surveyed had consumed medicinal plants.

17%

consumed medicinal plants on a regular basis.

Interest of different medicinal plants over time (Google trends)

Calendula

Moringa

Turmeric

Chamomile

Knowing the interest is there, how do we make it more appealing so that we reach an even wider audience?

We researched popular Instagram accounts about medicinal herbs to decode the visual language of the posts that people liked and engaged the most.

03. Help users learn something new

It’s easier to learn with visual content. We used infographics, maps, diagrams, icons and data visualization throughout the app, to make the transmission of knowledge more effective and inspiring.

75%

of the information processed by the brain is visual.

The result: an iPad editorial app

A delighful way to discover the world of medicinal plants

The content of the app is carefully curated so that the user can acquire significant knowledge without getting overwhelmed.

Available offline
There is no wifi in nature! The New Herbarium can be used when and where precisely you need it most: in natural environments, where plants are found.

Sustainable
By eliminating the use of paper in your life, you are contributing to preserving the life of trees. Editorial apps don’t require using paper or toxic ink.

Real-time information
Keep up with all of the latest scientific papers and data. We pick up the most relevant ones and bring it to you so you don’t miss any important breakthrough!

Flow and structure of contents

Storytelling at its best

The app follows a linear flow, from left to right. It is structured into articles that can be read one after the other like a book, or on its own, like a magazine.

App structure overview

1, 2, 3
Cover, welcome, and table of contents.

4, 5, 6, 7
General articles. Common topics about medicinal plants.

8, 9, 10, 11
Plant profile articles. Everything you need to know about each specific plant.

14
Back cover

App structure overview

Cover, welcome, and table of contents.

General articles. Common topics about medicinal plants.

Plant profile articles. Everything you need to know about each specific plant.

Back
cover

Typography

Easy to scan, read and enjoy

3 different typefaces have been combined to establish information hierarchies.

01. Interactive elements: Circular medium.
Sans serif and highly readable at small sizes.

2. Titles and data: Dala Floda.
Beautiful and elegant typeface to embellish big titles and numbers and set a distinct personality.

3. Body copy: Tiempos.
Serif typeface that is comfortable for reading long paragraphs of text on a screen.

↑ We created a grid carefully designed to provide a comfortable reading experience on the iPad.

The use of color in the app

Naturally colorful

Each plant profile has a different accent color, depending on its own natural color. The color green has been used in the general chapters.

Custom icon set

The details that make the difference

Icons help provide a first idea of the content even before reading it.

By going the extra mile and creating custom iconography, we crafted a more recognizable, meaningful, and engaging experience.

Curated images

Photos you can’t stop looking at

All the photos are selected and edited to be consistent throughout the app. The main goal was to achieve relatable images that look organic but that have an artistic intention.

Every image has been carefully selected to match the photos our target audience likes the most on social media.

Infographics and data design

Simpler, user-friendly information

Presenting too much content at once can be overwhelming. We layered the information, instead of forcing the user to absorb it all at once.

↑ A map of the location of the plants over the years.

↑ The user can reveal more information by tapping on the colored dots.

↑ Real-time data of the location of the species by the month and country.

This project has been carried out by the need to redesigning the herbariums, as they have not evolved at the same time as technology. We firmly believe by joining technology and knowledge, great things can happen.

I’m always open to new challenges. If you want to start a project or have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Gemma Busquets