App Showcase: Verde Finder

What it does

Verde Finder is an AI-powered assistant for plant owners. Its core functions are identifying plant species and diagnosing diseases through a phone's camera or uploaded photos. The app provides detailed care guides, allows users to create a digital collection of their plants, and sets reminders for tasks like watering and fertilizing.

Where it shines

Verde Finder excels in its multi-modal approach to problem-solving. A user can get help in several ways, which is a great design choice. For example, they can use the AI chatbot to analyze an uploaded photo and get a detailed, conversational report on a plant's health (01:13). Alternatively, for immediate feedback, they can use the live camera's 'Diagnose' feature to get a quick assessment of a potential disease (02:41). This flexibility caters to different user needs, whether they want a detailed explanation or a quick answer in the moment.

UX highlights

• Animated Onboarding: The initial feature carousel (00:08) uses dynamic animations on a central plant image to explain its value, which is more engaging than static slides.
• Layered Information: Plant information screens (04:32) present high-level details like 'Toxicity' and 'Watering' as quick-access buttons, with deeper information nested in expandable sections below.
• Helpful Mascot: A cute plant mascot appears in loading states and as the AI assistant's avatar (01:29), adding a friendly and playful personality to the app.
• Multiple Entry Points: Core actions like 'Diagnose' and 'Identify' are accessible from both the main dashboard and an AI chat, providing users with convenient shortcuts.
• Contextual Snap Tips: Before using the camera, the app displays a helpful 'Snap Tips' overlay (02:46) to guide users on how to take the best photo for accurate results.
• Clear Action History: The app maintains a history of diagnoses and identifications (05:17), allowing users to easily revisit past results without re-scanning.

Monetization & growth

The app presents a paywall immediately after its feature carousel (00:24), gating all functionality. The monetization strategy is notable for its use of a 'free trial' toggle. Initially, a yearly plan is shown. Toggling the trial switch at 00:32 changes the offer to a 3-day trial followed by a significantly more expensive weekly subscription. This design might increase trial sign-ups but could feel deceptive to users who don't notice the change in terms. After a successful diagnosis, the app also prompts the user for an App Store rating (03:11), a common tactic for boosting visibility.

Who it’s for

This app is designed for both novice and experienced plant owners. Beginners can benefit from the easy identification and guided care instructions to keep their first houseplants alive. Experienced hobbyists can use the disease diagnosis feature to troubleshoot issues, the plant diary to track growth, and the extensive database to discover and learn about new species.

Notes & opportunities

The app's core functionality is strong, but the onboarding paywall could create friction. The price switch when enabling the free trial (00:32) feels opaque and could harm long-term trust. The app could test moving the paywall to after the user's first successful plant identification, proving its value before asking for payment. Additionally, the 'Plant Diary' feature is empty by default (06:38); pre-populating it with an entry for the first added plant could better demonstrate its utility.