A redesign initiative to modernize and unify a fragmented product ecosystem while improving scalability within a resource-constrained volunteer-led organization
About organization
Greenstand's app, Treetracker, is used across 56 countries, particularly in developing regions, to help local tree growers document and verify planted trees through geotagged photos. Treetracker enables planting organizations and donors to track environmental impact while providing income opportunities for growers.
Tree growers capture the tree photo.
The uploaded trees are tracked on a map and verified.
Problem
Over time, Treetracker faced growing challenges across its product experience.
Android and iOS had evolved separately, with differences in functionality, interaction patterns, and visual styles. Maintaining 2 different experiences created duplicated design effort, especially challenging for a resource-constrained, volunteer-led organization.
iOS
Android
The product, originally designed for first-time smartphone users, had become outdated as smartphone familiarity grew and UX conventions evolved. Combined with accumulated usability issues, incremental fixes were no longer enough, calling for a more fundamental redesign.
Goal
I saw an opportunity to address both challenges together: unify Android and iOS into one consistent experience while redesigning the app to modernize the legacy UX and address broader usability issues.
Approach
A product-wide redesign would require alignment beyond the design team, as it impacts the broader product and development process. I started with a blue-sky redesign to show the vision, demonstrate its potential value, and build stakeholder buy-in for the broader redesign initiative.
Context
I began by understanding Greenstand’s tree tracking workflows, users, and stakeholder ecosystem through meetings with organization executives, reviewing documentation, and conducting desk research. The research led me to understand the following constraints and roles.
As a field-based tree planting app used in developing countries, many users operate under constraints.
Users often capture trees in remote areas with unstable or no internet connection.
Tree growers do not always own smartphones. They borrow shared devices.
Some users have limited literacy and may not be able to read the app.
There are 3 key user roles. I learned there are multiple operational patterns, from tree-planting organized through organizations to independent tree planting efforts.
Plant trees to get compensated. Often do not own smartphones and have limited literacy or digital experience.
Primary user
Own shared smartphones and help growers use the app. Some work directly for organizations.
Primary user
Track reforestation impact. Manage users within their organizations. Verifies the trees uploaded by growers.
Secondary userBehind the process
I mapped the Greenstand ecosystem by synthesizing fragmented information from multiple sources to validate my understanding with stakeholders.
Design principles
To make the blue-sky vision more compelling, I explored how the redesign could create meaningful value beyond surface-level improvements. I synthesized the available insights into 4 directions to guide the redesign.
The original experience did not fully cover the entire workflow, such as onboarding and tree verification. I aimed to support a more complete end-to-end experience across the user journey.
As mentioned above, Treetracker is used under many constraints, but the existing experience did not fully address them. Addressing these challenges could improve accessibility and ease of use.
The product lacked clear navigation, labels, system status, guidance for completing tasks, and feedback on user actions. Improving clarity could help reduce confusion and increase usability.
A design system could create a more consistent and branded experience and improve ease of maintenance for the team.
* The detail is covered in the design system case study.
Behind the process
With limited access to users for interviews due to regional constraints, I reviewed previously reported UX tickets and audit findings, interviewed organization executives, and used brainstorming and affinity mapping to identify opportunities.
Exploration & decisions
After defining the design principles, I explored several key decisions that would shape the redesign. Here are some examples.
Principle
I redesigned the flow to support users throughout the tree-tracking journey, from learning how to capture a tree to following what happens after submission.
Making planting efforts visible beyond upload
A key goal for local growers is to get paid for their tree-planting efforts. Uploaded tree photos are reviewed and verified by partner organizations, but growers had no visibility into what happened after submission. I extended the experience to help them track their contributions and verification progress.
Principle
Balancing privacy with the realities of shared-device use
Many growers rely on borrowed or shared devices, making traditional individual accounts impractical. I explored shared and individual account models, and chose a shared model to reduce barriers for growers who may not have personal credentials or be able to manage their own accounts.
One account with multiple user profiles
Less friction registering borrower users
Borrower users do not need credentials
Less individual privacy and control
Each user has their own account on the shared device
Each user has clear account control
Sign up/log in process is too hard for borrowers
Drastic change from current flow
While the device is shared, each grower’s work needs to be accurately attributed for fair compensation. I added individual contribution tracking to increase transparency and help prevent unfair attribution.
Balancing seamless uploads with connectivity constraints
Tree photos can be captured offline but need to be uploaded for verification. While automatic uploads are seamless, unreliable connectivity and limited mobile data can make them costly or unsuccessful. I supported both automatic and manual uploads to give growers more control.
Automatically upload photos when a connection is available
Seamless
May use mobile data when users don’t want it to
Users upload photos manually
Control over network and timing
Requires an extra step
By default, manual. Users can also enable automatic uploads.
Balances control and convenience
In addition, upload reminders help ensure pending photos aren't forgotten.
Keep app simple for low-literacy users
Rather than adding more information and functionality, I prioritized simplicity to avoid overwhelming users. I iterated on the interface to keep essential actions clear, progressively revealing or removing secondary information where appropriate.
After team feedback, I simplified the experience further using progressive disclosure and removing lower-priority information.
Guide users visually to rely less on text
Because many users have limited literacy, I reduced reliance on text by pairing key actions with icons and using visual guidance, such as illustrations, to explain unfamiliar tasks.
Icons and visual cues reinforce key actions without relying on text alone.
Principle
I made the experience more explicit and predictable by clarifying navigation, system states, feedback, and guidance throughout the product.
Final design
Coming soon...
Design for constraints
Coming soon...
Improve system clarity
Coming soon...
Outcome
This project created a blue sky redesign vision to help stakeholders imagine an ideal future experience for Treetracker. The work is currently being prepared for review to support discussions around future redesign opportunities and product direction.
Next steps
If the redesign gains stakeholder buy in, the next step would be translating the blue sky vision into an implementation roadmap.
Work with engineers to define a practical cross platform strategy, maximizing consistency across Android and iOS while preserving platform specific behaviors where they support user expectations and technical feasibility.
Because a major redesign could create short term confusion for existing users, I would explore how to make the transition seamless through gradual updates, onboarding, advance communication, and migration support.
Gather feedback to validate the new design. Given the challenges of accessing local users, I would collaborate with partner organizations, contributors, and stakeholders who have direct user access.
PS: How I used AI
To overcome the challenges of limited direct user access, designing for a niche domain, and unique user constraints, I proactively integrated AI. I found AI especially valuable in situations with limited time and research access, while human judgment and refinement remained essential.
Best practices summary which I shared on Github.
I used Claude to explore feature design and layouts.
