Jana Buchtova
SkogApp
Project Timeline17.06.2024- 09.08.2024
SkogApp is an accessible forestry management platform, which uses AI to provides essential tools for tracking forest health, CO2 capturing, timber volume/prices, and future Bio-Growth, empowering foresters to make informed decisions and manage their forests more efficiently.In collaboration with forestry experts, government agencies, and academic institutions, SkogApp has proven to decrease costs, increase productivity and be effective in protecting the environment and biodiversity.
My Role
Research
Developing user surveys (in Norwegian & English)
Conducting
competitor analysis
Mapping user flows and information architecture
Requirement management
Creating personas
Leading workshops on design thinking and wireframing
Requirements management and reporting to C-Level executives
Implementation
Building a comprehensive design system
Prototyping
Designed the UI components
THE AUDIENCE
Forest Owners
Forest Experts
THE PROBLEM
Current forestry management apps present significant challenges for forest owners. Users often struggle with:
Complex interfaces that make key features hard to access.
Cluttered layouts and small text, which hinder usability, especially on mobile devices.
Slow data retrieval and lack of guidance, frustrating tasks like updating forestry plans, checking timber prices, and using maps.
These issues make managing forests unnecessarily time-consuming and inefficient.
THE
GOAL
The goal of this project was to redesign SkogApp to address these challenges and create a seamless, accessible experience for forest owners. Specifically, I focused on:
Simplifying navigation to help users complete tasks with ease.
Enhancing accessibility by optimizing layouts and text for both desktop and mobile screens.
Improving efficiency through faster data retrieval and streamlined workflows.
By tackling these areas, the new SkogApp empowers forest owners to manage their forests more effectively, reducing frustration and saving valuable time.
D E S I G N
P R O C E S S
I used a 5-stages Design Thinking model:
Empathise . Define . Ideate . Prototype . Test
RESEARCH METHOS
User Interviews
Surveys
Competitor Analysis
INTERVIEWS
3 face-to-face interviews with foresters to uncover their challenges and workflows.
Key Objectives
Identify pain points in managing forests.
​​
Understand the tools and workflows they currently use.
Some of the Questions Asked:
How important is it to have a tool that lets multiple people collaborate?
What features would be beneficial to have in the app?
What challenges do you face as a forest owner?
How do you currently calculate timber prices?
Interview Findings:
Foresters value the ability to enable multiple users on the same platform.
Monthly summaries are not a priority; detailed, real-time data is preferred.
Tasks like clearing debris and managing maintenance schedules are key frustrations.
Users need tools that help calculate timber prices accurately and efficiently.
S U R V E Y S
To validate insights from the interviews, we conducted surveys in Norwegian and English.
Key Questions Asked:
How long have you managed your forest?
What device do you primarily use for forestry management?
What is the biggest challenge you face?
Survey Findings:
50%+ of respondents have owned forests for over 10 years, highlighting their experience.
GIS integration (Geographic Information Systems) is a critical feature need.
Devices: Laptops and smartphones are the most commonly used tools for forestry tasks.
Challenges: Registering accurate, location-specific data remains a major pain point.
C O M P E T I T O R A N A L Y S I S
I analyzed two of the largest competitors (Allma and Din Skog) in the forestry management app space to better understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
Strengths
The only web-based option available in the market.
Offers a big variety of forestry-related information.
Includes proposed measurements for forest management.
Supports offline functionality.
Weaknesses
Difficult user interface, making navigation challenging with heavy data.
Missing advanced features for map usage.
Needs better menus for handling map layers.
Slow performance in offline mode.
Adding notes to polygons missing
Not optimized for managing age spectrum for different trees in different polygons
Limited language accessibility (supports only Norwegian).
Strengths
Provides educational resources for users.
Includes proposed measurements for forest management.
Includes strategic forest management guides to maximize platform use.
Supports offline functionality.
Weaknesses
Difficult user interface, making navigation challenging with heavy data.
Limited information available about direct technical support.
Limited language accessibility (supports only Norwegian).
E M P A T H Y M A P
Who are we empathizing with?
We are empathizing with foresters, primarily men over the age of 50, who come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds.
A F F I N I T Y M A P
Collaboration and Shared Access Motivation to enable multiple users to collaborate on forestry tasks.
Accurate Decision-Making Users seek reliable tools for real-time data and location-specific insights.
Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Practices A desire to adopt tools that support sustainability and responsible forest management.​
Track and Monitor Forestry Operations Monitor stock levels, maintenance schedules, and long-term forestry plans.
Access Real-Time and Location-Specific Data Use GIS, environmental data, and live updates to make timely decisions.
Simplify Task and Resource Management Get an overview of tasks and manage debris clearing, multi-age forestry practices, and stock tracking.​​​
Data Challenges
Lack of real-time updates for decision-making.
Difficulty accessing accurate, location-specific data.
Collaboration Limitations
Struggles in managing tasks across multiple users and devices.
Complex Tools
Overwhelming or unintuitive interfaces hinder productivity.​