Oslotrær
Collaboration: Oslo Municipality (Plan- og bygningsetaten), with Maria Th. W. Grensemo
Duration: 10 weeks
Output: Interactive Figma prototype, report
Role: Drove the design process end-to-end, from research and fieldwork to concept development, prototyping, and iteration, with an emphasis on user-centered interaction design.
Impact: After delivery, we were hired to continue development and further exploration of the service.
Trees are crucial in cities: they regulate stormwater and temperature, provide green corridors for insects, birds, and other animals, and create healthier environments where people thrive.
Yet, in most urban building and planning projects, trees are often deprioritized.
With the Oslotrær initiative, our task was to explore opportunities to make Oslo’s trees more visible, increase public engagement in tree planting, and make better use of existing municipal data.
Research → Fieldwork → Ideation → Concept development → Prototyping → Testing → Iteration
Interactive map designed with trees in focus
Diving into this project, we investigated the role of trees in Oslo through interviews, desk research, and conversations with municipal staff, arborists, and engaged citizens.
We found that:
Tree data is abundant but scattered.
Expert networks exist but remain invisible to the public.
There is a strong need for a digital service to connect people and initiatives.
Such a service should highlight the cultural and emotional value of trees, not only facts.
Many tree-related activities lack a shared platform.
The Oslotrær project itself seeks greater visibility and engagement.
Shaping these findings into a holistic digital service, we wanted to explore trees as primary users.
By treating trees as one of the main users, we challenged assumptions and explored new forms of digital interaction between humans and nature.
To do this, we needed to prototype early and often. Prototyping from the start gave us concrete artifacts to test and iterate on, leading to richer feedback and a more refined final design.
With abundant data, engaged citizens, and eager experts, we shaped the network around trees into the digital service Oslotrær (Oslotrees) through research, fieldwork, and iterative design.
The result was a holistic service featuring interactive maps centered on trees, a “Wishmap” where citizens can suggest new plantings, detailed profiles for old and beloved trees, and a dynamic landing page with activities, news, and a highlighted “Tree of the Day.”
The tree profile was developed through multiple rounds of ideation, iteration, and testing. It makes Oslo’s old and significant trees visible and accessible in the digital sphere.
Citizens can read expert-written descriptions and, if they wish, “like” a tree, signaling to the municipality which trees are particularly valued by residents.
Landing page with updates and the highlighted Tree of the Day.
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Profile with "liked" trees
