Kauri Friends Video 

The research background of this project revolves around the transmission of viruses by human behaviour, which leads to the continuous infection of Kauri trees. Kauri trees are beneficial in many ways to us, including societal, environmental and economic aspects. Currently, Kauri tree's website only promotes the protection of Kauri trees, but the publicity is not high because of the lack of interaction. Hence, the project question appears as, "How might we create awareness for the public and help them know and protect Kauri trees?".

The research method of double diamond design is adopted in this project to help solve this problem. The solution is an app named 'Kauri Friends' that allows users to request a free real tree through activity points and plant it in the real world. Kauri Friends also features science, maps, forums and activities to facilitate people's interaction with the Kauri tree. The project cannot fundamentally solve the problem of Kauri tree dieback because, potentially, the scope of solving the problem is for biologists. Kauri Friends aims to attract more people to protect the Kauri tree through fun and unique features. The features aim to reduce Kauri dieback disease by preventing the spread of the virus from humans, further creating a bond between humans and the Kauri tree. Eventually, the central vision of this project is to increase the intimacy between humans and the natural environment to ensure sustainability for future generations.

Figma Prototype

I am grateful to all those with whom I have had the pleasure to work with during this project. I especially want to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Gabriela Baron. She has provided extensive personal and professional guidance and taught me so much about scientific research throughout the project.