Terra is a smart garden microphone system paired with companion apps that let bird-lovers stream, identify, and track bird activity 24/7 — both in their own backyard and at curated birding hotspots around the world.
The Terra Project had been successfully funded in a kickstarter.
The concept was an outdoor physical device called 'The Terra Station', that picks up sound streams and bird tags with an app to listen, setup and control the experience.
Whilst the physical Terra device (later named the 'Terra Station') was being developed, the scope and design and build of the app needed to happen too.
The map below is a recording of the live bird identifications map, which is available on the Terra Listens website. This is possible since the product sendout in Q3 of 2024, now that many Terra devices are capturing sound data. I've included it here because it allows you to visualise the power of the data being collected and how it can be used to understand bird populations via accurate identifications by sound.
Initially, the CEO of the Terra startup approached me to teach him how to use the design thinking process and figma to create an MVP app.
I taught him how to do user research, prototyping, user testing and creating a unique brand, using Typography, Colour, Hierarchy, Layout and Grids to finish up with a viable app.
After the first iteration, I took over as Principal Product Designer and took the app through many more iterations and feature updates - both designing and product managing the developers which I also helped to source.
This lead to a successful product launch in Q3 of 2024, and the Terra Listens business is now scaling and continuing with user research and product improvements.
IMPACT: The investors in the Terra Listens project have received their Terra Stations, can connect up the station to wifi using the native apps and bluetooth. They can now stream nature and birdsong from their backyards, whilst seeing live bird identifications.
Once the 'teaching the CEO' phase was done, enough user research had been completed, that we needed to design and deliver the essential functionality so that customers receiving the Terra Stations could setup the device using the partner app and bluetooth.
Sourcing and managing competent developers was difficult and became a major crisis and risk to the launch which was averted via hard work and extended hours.
I designed the Sound player function and animation. The functions around the edge are only relevant when a location is playing, so it was possible to minimise and simplify the interface controls. This player automatically collapses after 5 seconds and 'pulses' if sound is playing to show the user that it's active.
After the app style had been worked out, I created a design system file and linked it into all the figma design files we used in each phase. All new designs used the new global colour and typohgraphy styles that I set up to maintain consistency and ease of updating any style.
I created layered components with elements that can be turned on or off and location image sets that could also be made visible as required for faster designing
These illustrations are used as default headers in the users backyard screen and in the homepage tiles - tile seen above. I created 12 versions quickly in midjourney for the client to choose from.
Add image here of the backyard screen
The icon needs to look good in many places, one users phone & tablet homescreen and throughout many marketing materials like this. I took screenshots of all the places the icon would be seen and placed my icon design within it to check readability.
Favicon in browser
Favicon with loading spinner
This is just one example of design elements I created in figma to communicate design changes to the developers
The Terra Station also picks up birds that are carrying a radio tag, and so a design was needed to make those detections distinct.
