Yara FarmWeather
Designing a global agtech product used by farmers across diverse and challenging environments.
The brief · Yara International
Define, design and launch a new digital product to support farmers in managing daily agricultural activities.
Build a core experience that works globally, while allowing adaptation to local contexts and specific needs across different countries.
- From
- 2018
- Span
- Idea to launchand evolution after it
- Users
- More than5 millionshipped by the team
- Design team
- 32 UX designers, 1 UX researcher
My roleLed the research and design
As a new member of the Smallholders digital team, I led UX across the project and helped establish it as a key driver of product value, from early idea through launch and evolution.
I defined the right UX strategy and resources for each phase of the product lifecycle, keeping user needs central and building long-term engagement.
What the team didInside the product team
2 UX designers and 1 UX researcher worked fully integrated within the product team. The product team ships it.
- 2 UX designers
- 1 UX researcher
- The product team
Outcome
Research and design I led, shipped by the team to more than 5 million users.
User research as a core
We conducted research across multiple countries, working directly with smallholder farmers operating in hard-to-access environments where access to technology is limited. To ensure success in such challenging conditions, we partnered with local researchers and field agents to bridge cultural gaps. This collaboration resulted in deeper insights and genuine openness, allowing us to truly understand pain points and opportunities.
The rapid iterative design process that followed helped our team test solutions and better understand how real-world needs and constraints were being addressed. This ensured the product remained grounded in how users actually work, rather than in office-based assumptions.
This deep user research plan demonstrated clear business value, proving to stakeholders how UX research can be a driver in the early stages of a project and guide key strategic decisions.
Designing for real‑world journeys
Farming workflows vary significantly depending on location, infrastructure and access to technology.
We mapped detailed user journeys to understand how decisions are made in different contexts, including low-connectivity environments and the use of basic devices.
Properly understanding the interactions between real-world situations and a new digital product was key to deciding how best to design it, so that what we showed the user mattered at the right moment.
These journeys became the foundation for defining the product experience, ensuring that key interactions supported real tasks and decision points.
Evolving the product through user feedback
After the initial launch, user feedback became a key driver for product evolution. Because the UX team was fully integrated within the product team and working in an agile setup, we were able to iterate quickly and continuously.
This allowed us to leverage integrated analytics and feedback channels to observe real user behaviour as it emerged. By understanding how needs shifted as users matured with the product, we were able to introduce new capabilities that addressed their evolving requirements.
This ensured the platform grew in line with validated needs rather than initial assumptions. It also gave the business clarity on how to add new functionality to the app without breaking the positive experience of users.
An Agtech success story
A global product launched and adopted by more than 5 million users across multiple countries, and a key tool supporting farmers’ daily work and decision-making.
It demonstrated how a collaborative, user-centred approach can bring real value to an underserved community, turning complex needs into a solution that users actively rely on.
The app is superb to me because it has helped me a lot, especially in my farming practices.
The decisions
Three decisions, across three chapters.
Select a decision to read what I chose and why.
Chapter 01Research
Chapter 02Journeys
Chapter 03After launch
Decision 1 of 3 · Chapter 01 · Research
Partner with local researchers and field agents
WhyTo bridge cultural gaps and get honest insight. It also showed stakeholders that research could guide strategic decisions from the start.
A global Agtech product that turned deep user understanding into a solution adopted and valued by farmers across multiple countries.
Contact
Open to design leadership roles.
I’m based in Singapore and can work in Singapore and the EU without sponsorship. Available now.