Aquarium Enthusiast’s Best Friend

Aquapage

Background

An aquarium is a captivating and calming addition to any home or office, bringing charm and a sense of tranquility to the space. When I recently took up this hobby and set up an aquarium at my home, I quickly discovered how delightful fish can be as pets. However, I also realized that the maintenance can be quite tedious and time-consuming. This inspired me to seek a solution to simplify the process and make the aquarium hobby more enjoyable and accessible. I did detailed research and decided to design a mobile app which will be a handy tool. I am excited to highlight that this design is augmented by AI.

Role: UI/UX Product Designer

Timeline: 10weeks

Tools: Figma, FigJam

Understanding the Aquarium Management process & challenges

My Journey started with lot of questions in my mind.

  • What can be done to simplify aquarium maintenance?

  • What all tasks are involved in maintenance?

  • Are there any common issues every aquarium owner faces?

  • Will any application be helpful?

  • Are there any existing application related to aquarium maintenance?

I started my research research found out that there are some very common tasks every aquarium owner needs to carry out. Also found few applications, which addresses some of the issues that are commonly faced by aquarium hobbyists. Some of them are paid and some offer few features free. I explored - Aquarium Log, Aquarium Manager, Aquarimate mainly. AI helped me find some of these apps. But I still have some of the areas in mind where I needed some help, so I continued with my research.

Aquarium Management

Aquarium Log

Aquarimate

Key Takeaways-

  • Easily organize and track aquarium data, including test results and multiple tanks.

  • They provide lot of small tools/utilities useful for maintenance of the aquarium.

  • Huge scope for improving their overall design in terms of usability for Aquarium Log.

  • Aquarium management is restricted to Apple devices only

  • Aquarimate is a paid app that provides a well rounded experience, at the same time features are little overwhelming

  • The aquarium hobbyists need to have lot of knowledge about fishes, water and their environment for proper aquarium setup and maintenance.

  • Maintaining optimal water quality is essential for a healthy aquarium, yet many hobbyists struggle with consistent monitoring and management, leading to potential risks for aquatic life.

  • Live plants help create a self-sustaining aquarium by providing oxygen and reducing nitrogen, but their high initial cost can make them difficult for some hobbyists to afford.

  • While larger tanks require less frequent maintenance and are more durable, their larger space requirements can make them less accessible for some aquarium enthusiasts.

  • Many aquarium enthusiasts abandon the hobby due to the time and effort required for regular upkeep, making maintenance a key challenge in sustaining long-term interest.

  • Saltwater aquariums enthusiasts struggle a lot due to their strict maintenance requirements, leading to a higher risk of failure and discouragement from continuing the hobby.

  • Maintaining an aquarium can be time-consuming, but hiring professional maintenance services offers a convenient solution, allowing hobbyists to enjoy their tanks without the burden of upkeep.

I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by aquarium owners, as well as learn about their best practices, routines, and maintenance schedules. To do this, I interviewed three experienced hobbyists who have been maintaining aquariums in their homes for 9–10 years. Their expertise spanned both freshwater and saltwater tanks.

One surprising insight was the existence of professional aquarium maintenance service providers, something I hadn’t been aware of before. Additionally, I discovered that most aquarium owners face very similar challenges when it comes to managing their tanks.

Here are some of the key takeaways from these interviews-

User Interviews

To gain insights from the perspective of aquarium service providers, I conducted thorough research and visited several aquarium stores to learn more about the services they offer. I discovered that service appointments are typically arranged either in person or over the phone. This highlighted a potential opportunity to streamline the process by enabling users to schedule appointments online, offering greater convenience for both service providers and customers.

Problem statement -

Aquarium hobbyists face multiple challenges in maintaining a healthy and sustainable tank, including the need for extensive knowledge of fish care, water quality management, and environmental balance. Many struggle with consistent monitoring, high maintenance demands, and the strict requirements of saltwater setups, often leading to frustration or abandonment of the hobby. While larger tanks and live plants can improve sustainability, their cost and space requirements pose accessibility barriers. Professional maintenance services can help reduce the burden, but they are not always widely known or easily accessible. Addressing these challenges with intuitive tools and support can enhance the aquarium-keeping experience and encourage long-term engagement.

Goals & Objective

After conducting thorough research and user interviews, I gained a clear understanding of the challenges faced by aquarium enthusiasts and identified potential solutions to address them.

Key objectives include:

  • Simplifying the aquarium maintenance process by allowing users to record aquarium configurations, which can then generate alerts and notifications.

  • Providing detailed information on fish care, plants, corals, gravel, and other aquarium essentials.

  • Enabling users to log maintenance activities with specific dates for better tracking.

  • Offering a feature to record and monitor water quality test results.

  • Allowing users to easily search for aquarium service providers and book appointments directly through the platform.

  • Creating opportunities for aquarium service providers to advertise their services on the platform.

These features aim to streamline aquarium management while creating a comprehensive, user-friendly experience. Moreover after brainstorming

Potential Users

This application is designed to benefit two main user groups: aquarium hobbyists and aquarium service providers. Hobbyists can enjoy features that simplify aquarium care and management, while service providers can advertise their offerings directly to hobbyists. Service providers will be charged for displaying their advertisements on the platform, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem for both user types.

Information Architecture

I dedicated significant time to developing the information architecture with the goal of creating an application that is highly intuitive and user-friendly. My focus was on simplicity and ease of navigation, ensuring a flat hierarchy of pages so users can access information within just one or two clicks. Additionally, I designed the layout to consolidate as much relevant information as possible on a single page, minimizing excessive scrolling and enhancing the overall user experience.

Basic Sketches

When I began sketching the initial screens, I aimed to keep the designs closely aligned with real-world. My first concept focused on water parameter testing, where paper strips change color based on the water's composition. Typically, you compare the strip with a chart on the box to determine the measurement. I envisioned a screen allowing users to hold the strip next to their phone and record the parameters. In the future, with AI integration, this process could be fully automated by simply analyzing a photo of the test strip.

Also the bottom menu was given good attentions while deciding menu items. Instead of a ‘Home’ as a menu, here I decided to call it a ‘Tank/Aquarium’, to match the real world.

Preliminary Screens

With the help of research conducted and referencing the task flows I came up with wireframes which I went over with few users. After consuming their feedback I came up with these basic screens.

Branding

I truly enjoyed working on this logo design! I experimented with a variety of fish and tank shapes, ultimately selecting bright, vibrant colors to reflect the lively and captivating world of aquariums. My goal was to bring the same mesmerizing look and feel to the application, ensuring it complements any aquarium. While the colors are bold and vivid, I carefully balanced their use to maintain a clean, professional, and polished appearance for the app.

While developing the name for this app, I collaborated with AI tools to brainstorm ideas. Following are some names suggested by AI - AquaSphere, TankKeeper, AquaHaven, Fishfolio, which are very interesting names. There was the concept of one pager help in my mind, one page fish information, one page to record water parameters. Also like yellow pages, a page for aquarium service provider information. Hence I used name ‘Aquapage’

Final Screen Designs

I chose a black background to create a sleek, modern look while enhancing the vibrant colors of the aquarium elements. The contrast allows fish, plants, and other features to stand out beautifully. Additionally, many aquarium enthusiasts use black backing on their tanks to make their aquatic life pop, making this background choice visually cohesive with real-world aquarium aesthetics.

Not enough contrast for bottom bar

Not enough contrast for bottom bar and CTA

Nice contrast with modern look

High Fidelity background color Iterations

Aquarium Services Provider Login and add/Edit Information screens

Hobbyist Login, Sign Up and First time Login page

These screens are for Add/Edit Aquarium

At the beginning I designed the service provider’s page containing a simple listing . But after considering lot of user feedback this page design was updated to a page with map with pins showing locations of service providers. That way one can choose a nearest possible service provider.

Before Page, showing Service providers list

After Page, showing map with pins for Service providers

Pages to search for aquarium service provider, their detailed information, reviews and ratings. Hobbyists can write reviews as well. They can book the appoint.

Usability Testing

“I would love to reach out to wider customers through this app”

Service provider

“Wao, Recording water parameters is so easy.”

Hobbyist

“This is very easy to use and handy tool”

Hobbyist

Goal -

Test if application is intuitive, accessible, visually appealing, and simple to navigate, allowing users to easily accomplish their goals with minimal effort and frustration, while providing a positive and enjoyable experience

Usability test was conducted with 5 participants. Four of them were aquarium hobbyists and one was complete novice to aquarium world. The novice participant was recruited on purpose to understand how user friendly the design is for a complete out of context user.

Before

Success factors-

  • Users were able to complete assigned tasks without any hand holding

  • Each Task completion time is less than 5 seconds

  • No cognitive load and can repeat tasks smoothly

Two step approach-

  • Participants were given a brief overview of the app and allowed to explore it while thinking aloud as I observed their behavior.

  • They were asked to complete specific tasks.

Users were highly impressed with the app concept and were excited to try it. They appreciated the app's simplicity and intuitiveness, successfully completing all tasks without assistance. While enthusiastic, they also shared valuable suggestions based on their experience with the hobby.

Key feedback includes:

  • Excited about uploading their own aquarium pictures.

  • Loved the idea of service providers and suggested adding a map feature to find nearby options.

  • Mentioned that some icons for maintenance and water tests were too small.

  • Appreciated the alerts but wanted an option to add custom reminders.

  • Suggested including a "Beginner’s Guide" for new users under the Guide section.

  • Requested an "Other" option under “Add Fish” and “Add Plant” for custom additions.

  • Found water test recording slightly confusing but appreciated its alignment with test strip bottles.

  • Wanted the ability to create custom maintenance schedules with reminders.

  • Proposed integrating an aquarium monitoring video camera with vacation notifications.

  • Suggested a calendar view to track completed and upcoming maintenance tasks.

Additionally, with the help of AI heat maps were generated for key screens to evaluate user interactions. Below is a sample comparison of the Home screen design before and after updates. The initial design revealed that notifications were not receiving sufficient user attention. After updating the design, we observed a significant improvement in engagement with the notifications.

After

Future Enhancements

This application has a huge roadmap ahead. and can be improved day by day. Received lot of ideas after usability testing that will be added in future. But apart from these one major feature that will be in pipeline is integration of this application with ‘Alexa’ and ‘Google Home’, so that alerts and reminders can be accessed remotely.

Thank you!

Thanks for having a look at my project. Please leave your valuable feedback.