Midori Amor/Green Love: Designing for Longevity, Affection, and Behavioral Nudge
A gardening product that fosters a sense of responsibility and self-efficacy in children (ages 5-8) by simplifying the initial step of plant cultivation.
Midori Amor
Simple Product Design - National Institute of Design
Duration : Jun 2021-Aug 2021 (2 months)
Tools : Rhino, Keyshot, Adobe Suite
Discovery: From Artifacts to a Framework
The project began by exploring two seemingly disparate objects, a Terrarium (Gardening) and an old Punching Machine (Durability/Sustained Use) to define the core domains: Gardening & Longevity.
This was refined into two components:
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Durability: The product must be physically safe and last for years.
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Affection: The child must want to continue using it for years (Core memory).
To achieve Affection, the activity had to overcome the high Activation Barrier of traditional gardening (mess, complexity, fatigue). I used the AEIOU Framework analysis to map the environmental and cognitive friction points that prevent sustained engagement.
Key Ergonomic Problem: The First Step
Traditional gardening tools and processes require too much initial effort and parental supervision, breaking the child's sense of self-efficacy. The design solution needed to provide a significant, successful "nudge" to initiate the hobby.
I conducted two experiments with kids to see what they like:
Results :
The kids seemed to enjoy the overall activities, they preferred doing the things themselves rather than being helped.
Having their own separate containers made them be extra careful as it gave them a sense of ownership over something important.
Understanding factors that affect the brief
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Capacity - for kids to be able to handle the set by them-self. Making sure there is little to zero guidance from parents
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Usability - Can they use it for eating the micro-greens, vegetables or leaves once the plants are grown.
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Allocation - how kid friendly is the area. Can they reach the place. Are they usually allowed by their parents to use the particular spot. Should it be something they hold dear and personal.
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Behavioural Aspects - how kids have different moods and finding interest in gardening is gonna be a difficult task.
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Accessibility - How easy is it for them to access these products in a normal household.
Studying products for kids
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Instant results which would help them be invested
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Some grow kits face issues like no immediate results
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Results are a must-this would make them do things more
EXPLORATORY
Requirements to keep in mind during ideation
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Building a system that grows with the child to make them interested in gardening at a young age.
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A product for kids from ages 5–6
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Something that can be carried around temporarily and which wouldn’t damage the plant when handled by a child.
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A self watering system to decrease maintenance.
Brainstorming concepts
Capsule Case : 3 capsules together which would grow micro-greens
A Modular Capsule tray
Plant growth between slides in agar gel and diaper gel
Something the kid can walk around or show case
Transparent cart system
A connecting train like system
EVALUATORY
Testing out concepts
Mood board - Form
Understanding form
Product Solution: Midori Amor Hydroponic Seed Starter
Midori Amor (Green Love) is the manifestation of the "Durability + Affection" framework, engineered to make the initial, critical step of plant growth simple, visible, and mess-free.
- Integrated Hydroponic System: Zero-mess and eliminates risk of over-watering, enabling easy indoor placement.
- Pinch-and-Place Mechanism: Seed holder designed for half-in/half-out water positioning. Guarantees successful germination without precision tools or technique.
- Optimized Container Geometry: The core stucture is an elongated square bipyramid container. Maximizes surface area for root growth and ensures stability.
Behavioral Impact: The Reminder of Responsibility
The product is a targeted behavioral intervention.
By guaranteeing success in the germination stage, the child establishes an emotional connection.
Once the roots are established, the next "nudge" is to transplant the pod into soil. Midori Amor is designed to be a permanent indoor cart with the seed starters, a small, durable reminder of their very first achievement in a long-term hobby, thus achieving the goal of Longevity.
Conclusion
The project demonstrates how identifying and removing small environmental barriers (mess, complex tools) through simple, precise design choices can create a powerful emotional connection, ensuring a product is not just physically durable, but loved enough to encourage a lifelong hobby.
