Krop Manager
AI for Greenhouse Operations
Company
Koidra Inc.
Role
Design Consultant
Expertise
Brand & Product Design
Year
'20 – '21
Overview
In April 2020, I collaborated with Koidra Inc., led by Kenneth Tran (former Principal Engineer at Microsoft Research), to develop their first product, Krop Manager, an industrial IoT platform for greenhouse automation. Koidra, just two months old and without a brand identity, aimed to provide intelligent automation solutions for greenhouse owners and operators.
Process
As the sole designer, I tackled both product design and branding, working remotely from Vietnam with the US team. My approach centered on user-centric design, focusing on greenhouse operators with varying tech skills. Their primary challenges were complex control systems, data interpretation, and a need for predictive analytics.
I developed user personas, created user flows, and designed UI kits for both web and mobile applications, synced frequently with Ken so he could share with some connections he had to validate. After validation from prospects, I developed the final UI and worked with frontend engineers and ran the app through rigorous testing.
Simultaneously, I crafted Koidra's brand identity, including the logo, website, and marketing materials, symbolically representing technology and growth.
Outcome
The project ended with the successful launch of Krop Manager, securing eight deals within a month and contributing significantly to Koidra's $4.5 million in funding. I learned so much working with Ken, expanding my limits while structuring my design process for startup nature.
