PotPal is a modular and extremely customizable desk plant pot that aims to make the process of taking care of plants easier. Capitalizing on the human process of anthropomorphizing objects, PotPal aims to endear itself to you by having human-like elements such as a face and limbs, thus enticing you to keep taking care of it.

Designed for people who find themselves in cramped environments such as offices or dorm rooms, PotPal is the perfect companion for those who want to take care of something but lack the time or space to do so. The PotPal also comes in a bunch of different sizes to allow you to create your own little menagerie right on your desk.

Process

Our goal for this project was to design a product that would be sustainable and environmentally friendly.

I wanted to create a product that would be beneficial to those currently in unfamiliar dense urban environments. As someone who left New York City to come to a completely new setting, I understood the desire for both companionship and greenery. With this in mind, I began to come up with concepts for products that integrated both of these ideas. The main conceit was to design a product that made taking care of it easy while enticing the user to actively monitor its health.

Prototyping

With the concept refined, I went ahead with prototyping. The prototyping process involved testing what functions the limbs could serve, and which would be most beneficial to the user. I ended up testing a number of limbs, each with their unique purpose, whether it be to hold items or to link up with other products.

Final Product