Looking for gardeners who are active online!

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by MGardener, Nov 19, 2022.

  1. MGardener

    MGardener New Member

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    Hello gardeners and plant lovers!

    I am a user experience design student currently working on a project designing an online networking community for gardeners and plant enthusiasts. I'm in the early stages of my project identifying the persona of would-be end users. If you have a few minutes, please fill out the form linked below. It does not ask for any identifying information and is 100% anonymous. I am not sharing or profiting off of the collection of the information- I’m just looking for your opinions and insights!

    Please take a look this Google Form here: https://forms.gle/GoNy3G4QUmVvXAdQ8

    The questions inside are along the lines of “What level of experienced gardener do you consider yourself?” “What online communities (such as this one!) do you visit regularly to discuss gardening?”

    For clarity, this is purely a conceptual student project I'm making a portfolio project for. This will most likely not be turned into a real project, and I am not looking to make any money off the community nor turn anyone into any sort of customer.

    Thank you very much!
     
  2. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Approved by admin as a posting on the forums, as we support student work.

    I'll add a general reminder to be very careful what you share re: personal information online.
     
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  3. MGardener

    MGardener New Member

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    Thank you to all who've already submitted responses to the form! I really appreciate the warm welcome.
     
  4. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    hello - can you tell us more about your research portfolio project?

    where is the general area of your school ?
    (Continent / country / région — just curious so be general )

    i definitely value the UBC forums because they are moderated — i do not (on purpose) look at FBook etc — i think it can go a bit sideways and there are people here counting on Sound advice

    I like that this forum is associated with a reputable botanical university garden
     
  5. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Further to above — botanical gardens earn accreditation, correct? @Daniel Mosquin

    and I like that this forum is associated with such an institution

    please also explore the specialty areas of this overall forum venue

    such as - Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival — it’s amazing how various participants chime in with observations and learning points (petal of plum vs cherry for eg)

    garden maples

    mushrooms truffle fungi

    Cacti

    And more

    very well organized
    And reliable software
     
  6. MGardener

    MGardener New Member

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    Yes absolutely! My focus is on app and website design, I'm currently obtaining my UX design certification through Google's online courses. Although I'm located in Texas, US, the course is global and my peers and coursework covers global audiences. I was given the prompt to create a networking website for gardeners. Part of the process is to define who the users would be- identify what demographics I'd be designing for. It makes no sense to build a website designed for teenagers when I'm discovering the target demographic of gardening forums and online networks are actually most often 30 years old or older!

    Thank you for the advice, I've been exploring forums such as this and found that this one is definitely one of the most reputable. The majority of posting boards I've discovered are casual and informal.
    Facebook is definitely a tricky beast. While I agree the conversations can often contradict and confuse people who are seeking help with their concerns, there is a sense of community and ease that users gravitate to there as well. But with any online community it's my personal opinion that any advice be taken with a grain of salt and each person should do their due diligence to vet any information they take in!
     
  7. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Can earn, depending on what organizations the garden belongs to. We have accreditation for some of our collections through the American Public Gardens Association and Global Conservation Consortia.
     
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