Terraware Visual Updates - Michael Ernst Design

Summary

Mission

As Terraware matured, the platform needed a comprehensive visual refresh to improve information hierarchy, enhance data visualization, and create a more cohesive user experience — across dashboards, maps, onboarding, and consumer-facing features.

My contributions

I led visual design across multiple product areas: the Accelerator Console MVP, home screen transformation, new user onboarding flow, and a consumer-facing tree subscription service with landing page and user dashboard.

Visual Update 1

Accelerator Console

Accelerator Console Results

212

Projects in Accelerator pipeline

Productivity for Accelerator Team

Problem

Migrate our internal Accelerator Team's workflow into Terraware, named Accelerator Console with views into all project profiles in our pipeline.

Objective

Create a unified, intuitive workspace for the Accelerator Team to manage and track project progress.

Project Data Hub

When I joined Terraformation in 2024, all internal Accelerator projects were managed in the Project Data Hub. My job was to design the Accelerator Console MVP to move all projects into our core Terraware product.

Accelerator Console MVP

Project Profile Update

We continued to iterate on the project profile and gave it an updated visual presence with photos, maps of the planting site, and highlighted key metrics. This was also our first step in mirroring the profile page on our newly designed Founders Hub.

Visual Update 2

Home Dashboard

Home Dashboard Results

63%

Increase in user engagement

+7s

Average time spent on Home

Problem

Create a dashboard of a forestry project including planting site map, overview metrics, and species, seeds, and seedlings tracking.

Objective

Increase user engagement on the Home screen and create more intuitive entry points to sections of Terraware.

Home Screen Transformation

The original home screen was simply a list of redundant links. I transformed it into a content-rich interface that surfaces critical project information — a map, planting site selector, key metrics, and a mobile app banner — giving users meaningful context from the moment they log in.

Onboarding Experience

I created an initial onboarding flow to help new users set up their seed banks, nurseries, and species lists. The empty state serves a functional setup purpose while guiding users through essential configuration steps.

Visual Update 3

Tree Subscription Landing Page

Tree Subscription Results

57,000

Trees planted

90+

Subscribers

Problem

Create a consumer-friendly way for people to purchase a monthly subscription to plant trees.

Objective

Create a quick and easy way for people to make payments for planting trees.

Tree Subscription Service

As part of Terraformation's consumer-facing initiatives, I designed a landing page for recurring tree sponsorships and a dashboard where users can view photos of their sponsored trees and manage their accounts.