Rich Prospect Browser
The Remedy Rack is a rich prospect browser designed to help users discover and compare medicinal plants based on their healing properties, care needs, and potency. Inspired by seed packets and natural apothecaries, the interface lets users explore 50 native North American plants through an intuitive, playful, and informative experience. This project blends taxonomy, data visualization, and interface design to make discovery feel organic, structured, and purposeful.
The Process:
The Challenge:
Medicinal plants are often explored through static charts or text-heavy articles, making it difficult for users to compare their properties, uses, and care needs in one cohesive place. I wanted to create a visual system that makes this complex information more accessible and engaging—especially for beginners, students, or curious users looking to explore natural healing.
1. Research and Exploration
The project began with a deep dive into taxonomic theory and rich prospect browsing. I explored how taxonomy helps bring order to complex information and supports intuitive classification, drawing from Gestalt theory and readings provided in class. I also analyzed digital examples of Rich Prospect Browsers to understand how design can support comparison, filtering, and discovery. These browsers informed my goals for this project: to make a rich, structured interface that feels approachable, explorable, and intentionally layered.
2. Taxonomy Development
For my dataset, I chose medicinal plants native to North America. Starting with a list of around 100 species, I refined the list down to 50 based on clear healing uses and available care information. I created a taxonomy using eight health-related categories such as Immune Support, Skin Health, and Nervous System Support. I also developed key facets for each plant: scientific/common names, medicinal rating (1–5), plant form, and care needs (sunlight, soil, and temperature). This structure laid the groundwork for a visually navigable and comparable system.
3. Sketching and Concept Development
I explored several layout concepts through hand sketches and low-fidelity mockups, testing ideas like scroll wheels, botanical tag grids, and drawer-style lists. I eventually chose the metaphor of seed packets on a shelf, which felt friendly, tactile, and thematically appropriate. I sketched how the cards might look, how filters would interact, and what care icons could resemble. This stage was essential for visualizing the balance between content density and ease of exploration.
6. Prototyping and Interface Design
Using Figma, I created the full digital prototype. I built a dynamic layout where users can browse plants by category, filter by medicinal rating, and access individual plant details. Each card is clickable and expands into a focused view using an overlay, preventing the background layout from shifting. I developed a consistent visual language with category colors, care icons, and card designs that reflect the seed packet theme. A search bar and rating slider were also added to support recommendation and refinement. To develop the “seed packet” cards, Adobe Illustrator was used.
Final Product:
Results and Impact
The Remedy Rack successfully demonstrates how taxonomy and interface design can work together to simplify complex information and promote user engagement. The final prototype allows users to explore medicinal plants by purpose, strength, and care requirements through a highly visual, intuitive interface. Peer testing and feedback highlighted that the metaphor of seed packets on a shelf was both approachable and effective, making plant comparisons and recommendations feel natural and inviting. Users responded positively to the use of category color coding, medicinal ratings, and care icons, noting that these elements helped them quickly understand and sort through the information. While the prototype was not tested with a broader audience, its structure and clarity suggest potential use in educational or wellness-focused environments. The project offers a model for how interaction design can bring structure and discovery to content rooted in nature, tradition, and science.
Final Thoughts
This project was an opportunity to explore the intersection of visual systems, user experience, and taxonomic thinking. One of the biggest challenges was managing the complexity of the dataset while maintaining a warm and accessible design. Finding the balance between structure and charm required multiple rounds of iteration, both in visual language and interaction. Developing a strong metaphor early on — seed packets — gave me an anchor that informed aesthetic, hierarchy, and user flow. Working through the entire process from taxonomy to interface pushed me to think deeply about how users explore, compare, and connect with content. It also helped me refine my ability to transform abstract information into something tangible and engaging. Ultimately, this experience strengthened my skills in research-driven design, iterative prototyping, and building interfaces that are not only functional but feel thoughtful and story-driven.