User:Oalvarez0/sandbox

Flora (App)
Flora is a mobile application that was launched in August 2017 in a laboratory at a university. This app is user friendly in terms of increasing concentration time when needed. It allows for a custom self-timer placed by the user and at the end, a virtual tree is planted in a virtual garden. If a monetary donation is made, the money goes toward a real tree through the company Trees for the Future.

Application Use
The Flora Application is one that has an aesthetic and appeasing design. The app is of no cost at all and available to users through the Apple App Store. When downloaded, the App requires you to make an account, connected to Facebook, Twitter, or by inserting the user’s mobile phone number. In addition, it also has a feature where the user can click on “break” and the app will not count that time on the concentration timer.

There is feature on the app where the user can invite friends to concentrate together. This can boost up productivity since the user is working with their friend and if one of them breaks the concentration on their phone, they both end up “killing a tree.”

The user has the choice of setting up their own time of concentration. If the individual uses their phone while the timer is going on, the app will notify them that a tree was killed. This is done metaphorically, but the psychological effect it has on the user is negative. This is because through Behavioral Psychology, the developers have made the notification in a way, where the user will actually feel guilty that they went on their phone.

This type of method has been proven to be successful in terms of building a more engaged experience with the Flora App.

Impact
Flora is partnered with a company called “Trees for the Future” where the company uses donations from users and plants actual real trees. This is done by starting the app, as someone would normally do and you can donate $1, which will plant a real tree. Currently, 29,297 trees have been planted in Africa. These donations end up decreasing carbon emissions due to the increase number of trees planted.