An indoor planter that gives seniors full control of the gardening process without the strength it takes to garden outside. Danji means both flower pot and apartment complex in Korean: a garden that belongs in the home.
TOOLS
Rhino
KeyShot
3D PRINTING
Woodworking
Adobe Suite
ASSET
AR FORMAT
SCALE
RENDERER
FINDING 01
FINDING 02
FINDING 03
JOURNEY MAP
WATERING A GARDEN, FOUR HURDLES
01 LEAVE HOME
For seniors with mobility issues, just leaving the home to reach a garden is already an obstacle.
02 FILL THE CAN
Seniors with arthritis can struggle to lift a watering can, and heavy objects are a real risk.
03 WALK AROUND
Walking from plant to plant is uncomfortable with arthritis and tiring at an older age.
04 WATER
Controlling the flow of a heavy can takes strength and reflexes that fade with age.
MOOD BOARD
Natural minimal: Scandinavian rooms, wood and porcelain, and soft matte finishes that sit quietly in a home.
CENTRAL THEMES
SEAMLESS
ORGANIC
VINTAGE
COLOR PALETTE
#EEE9E3
#72895C
PROJECT SCOPE
Tailored to seniors’ physical limits, controlled by the user instead of automation, and built for physical, intellectual and emotional wellness. Danji sits where all three overlap.
TAILORED
IN CONTROL
WELLNESS
MARKET TRENDS
Five gardening trends, from AI smart gardens to biophilic design. Danji takes on four of them and leaves the automation out.
VERTICAL · BIOPHILIC
4 TRENDS / WHAT DANJI TAKES ON
Vertical Gardens
Indoor Herbs
Biophilic Design
Sustainable Gardening
VERTICAL GARDENS
Grows up walls and shelves to save space, and doubles as decor.
INDOOR HERBS
Herbs, microgreens and small vegetables, grown at home.
BIOPHILIC DESIGN
Natural elements indoors, in a garden that blends with the decor.
SUSTAINABLE GARDENING
Less water waste, recycled materials and sustainable practice.
BLENDS IN
STANDS OUT
AUTOMATED
MANUAL
TOWER GARDEN
SMART COUNTERTOP
SELF-WATERING POT
GROW SHELF
DANJI
DESIGN OPPORTUNITY
The top right was empty. Smart gardens automate the work away, and the hands-on options stand out in a room instead of blending in.
MUST HAVE
All interactions analog, with knobs and sliders
Usable with limited mobility and arthritis
Hands-on control at every step
SHOULD HAVE
Comes apart easily for cleaning
A form that fits in many places
COULD HAVE
A warming base to support growth
Grow lights built in to assist sunlight
SKETCH IDEATION
Eight concepts sketched before narrowing to one direction to iterate on.
MODEL IDEATION
Quick 3D printed forms, to judge each shape in hand and catch flaws early.
RHINO
KEYSHOT
3D PRINTING
CHIPBOARD MODEL
A chipboard template model, quick to build, to see the footprint and the curves at full size.
SHELL STUDIES
3D printed shells sat on the chipboard base, making each terrace form easier to compare in person.
CHIPBOARD
3D PRINTED PLA
QUICK MODELING
TERRACE MODELS
Using the chipboard model as the base, I quickly 3D printed organic surface modeled forms to test out different designs simultaneously.
FLAT SIDED TERRACE
I actually ended up using the bare chipboard model as the direction to go forward.
TERRACE STUDIES / 4 VARIATIONS
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
Six inches of soil over a built-in water vessel, with the battery and processor below. Grow lights, a warming base and the smart slider handle the rest.
SECTIONED PRINTS
Each tier was larger than the print bed, so it was printed in sections and pinned together before finishing.
FINISHING
Every printed part was filled, primed and sanded until the seams disappeared and the pieces read as one.
ASSEMBLY
The final model came together from multiple printed components, finished in a vintage palette chosen to feel approachable to seniors.
WOODEN BASE
A wood base grounds the planter and carries the smart slider, cut to the same organic outline as the tiers.
USER TESTING
Some people tested the model in person; others saw images when the model couldn’t come along.
FEEDBACK
The water compartment was understood right away. The main notes: add handles, and swap the slider for physical radio buttons.
3D PRINTED PLA
PAINTED FINISH
INSPIRATION CREDITS
Andy Cho
Amiti Arunmozhi
Heidi Pineda Meza
Kyle Hagerty
Jett Lopez
DEDICATED TO
My late grandfather
IMAGERY
Kevin Park
Alex Trimmingham
Kathryn Hoang
StorySet (illustrations)