Hachi

Project Overview

6 Weeks

Individual Project

Spring 2025

Hachi Hydroponic Gardening System Render

Research

Hydroponics are a great option to bring purpose and nature into senior living homes. Hydroponic planters are also utilized for horticulture therapy programs, especially when full gardens aren’t feasible. Most hydroponic systems on the market are not adapted for older users and have many ergonomic issues.

elderly woman sitting next to plant
elderly man and child watering plants

elderly woman

User: Lin

Bio:

76 year old female
Living in assisted senior living
$-$$

Lin loves gardening but has trouble with traditional gardening now as it requires too much bending down and digging. She needs help sometimes with various tasks and now lives in assisted living.

Pain Points:

  • Small fine motor actions
  • Bending and reaching
    • Tech heavy interfaces

Wants + Needs:

  • Simple gardening activity without too much physical strain
  • Small scale personal product

User Journey

NOTE: Need to recrop and size these images to fit better.

depiction of small UI screen and pouring into a small cap
  • Small screen
  • Unneccessary information
small pouring target area and pinch lid lift
  • Pour into cap to measure
dificult to adjust height and fragile construction
  • Small target area
  • Pinch lift lid
difficult to grasp/lift caps and lights are easy to strike
  • Difficult to adjust
  • Breaks easily
tray is difficult to grasp and pull out
  • Difficult to grasp/lift
  • Easy to hit lights
fingers pinching a small plant
  • Difficult to grasp and pull out

How can we create a more ergonomic hydroponic system for seniors that increases interaction and the benefits of gardening?

Concept + Ideation

Collage of plant pots, lamps, etc. with the words 'simple', 'natural', and 'functional'
Concept drawings of the plant pot

Prototypes

Ergonomic Testing

Clay prototypes
Ensuring that the plant pods and other features were easily accessible and ergonomic.

Concept drawings of the plant pot
How to incorporate a fun, functional form without looking like a handle?

Elderly people sitting around a render of Hachi Hydroponic System

Final Design

Final design indicating ways it improves on the interface, pod replacement, cleaning, and light adjustment with facial happiness indicators for old and new designs

Final design closeup of light switch on-off button and PH water indicator

Final design with small plants and microgreens