HOTA
The award winning UI for the innovative new gardening app.
Client
HOTA
Problem area
Getting a new product idea off the ground.
Services provided
Market and user research, user journeys and wireframes, technical exploration of API's and mobile–native functionality, design system creation, UI design and the building of a clickable prototype.
Awards
London Design Awards Silver Winner 2025
HOTA's founding team had a strong vision: use AI and expert horticultural knowledge to help beginners design tailored garden plans based on their space, sunlight, soil, and preferences. But turning that idea into a compelling digital product was a complex challenge — especially on a tight six–week timeline.
We partnered with HOTA to translate their early concept into a high–fidelity, mobile–first prototype designed for investor demos, user testing, and community building. The result: a tangible, guided experience that made expert planting advice feel creative, personalised, and accessible.
Finding ways to simplify and communicate key gardening concepts was an exciting challenge.
The status quo: an ambitious vision without a tangible product
HOTA had a strong idea but no product. The founders knew there was growing interest in gardening, but recognised that most people lacked the confidence to get started. Without a usable prototype, it was hard to test the concept, pitch to investors, or build community momentum. The risk? Losing time, traction, and the chance to lead a new category of AI–driven gardening tools.
An innovative approach to picking where to plant.
An AI-enabled concept for plant picking.
The challenge: simplify complexity and deliver fast
Our brief was clear: build a clickable prototype in just six weeks. The challenge was to make a concept rooted in natural variables — like sunlight and soil — feel intuitive to beginners. We needed to reflect future AI capabilities, simplify the journey for users with little horticultural knowledge, and create something that felt as enjoyable as it was informative — all under time pressure.
Stat
6
Weeks to deliver
Stat
82
UI's designed
A clean and simple UI which packs in a long list of innovative features.
Our approach: guided flows, real–world relevance, rapid delivery
We began with market and user research to understand barriers and motivations for first–time gardeners. From there, we mapped a step–by–step onboarding flow to gather garden details and preferences. We then designed high–fidelity screens that guided users through an experience combining care advice, product links, and AI–powered planting suggestions. We drew on feedback from the HOTA community and consulted expert horticulturalists — including one from Kew Gardens — to validate our logic. A mobile–native design and modular system helped keep the prototype grounded in real use and ready for handover.
Client quote
"Working with Spinning Fox was a game–changer. Their expertise in product design and prototyping brought our vision to life, exceeding expectations."
Toby Gale, Co-founder, HOTA
The final prototype is fully interactive.
Exploring UI's for different gardening concepts.
Designing features which leveraged the camera and AI.
The outcome: a clickable product that's driving momentum
In just six weeks, HOTA went from an early–stage idea to a polished prototype. The app included onboarding, real–time guidance, AI–generated planting plans, and contextual tips tailored to the user's garden. The prototype is already helping the founders pitch with confidence, engage users early, and attract investor interest ahead of launch.
Client quote
"The prototype Spinning Fox produced exceeded our expectations and was great to work with."
Toby Gale, Co-founder, HOTA
+44 (0) 7862 024 527
"Everyone on the Spinning Fox team is truly dedicated to their craft and passionate about user-centric design. They're an absolute pleasure to work with."
SANS Institute
