Weaning Design

Tailoring. Embodiment. Autonomy.

These are the foundational principles of Weaning Design— a design framework developed in response to the overwhelming landscape of conflicting advice, tools, and shortcuts that often dominate skill-building experiences. Weaning Design proposes a structured, self-directed approach to learning, where users begin at their own skill level, submit progress, and build competence through foundational tasks. Over time, they move toward independence by “weaning” off tools and external guidance, ultimately cultivating mastery and confidence. 

Rather than designing for dependence on products or apps, Weaning Design advocates for designing through tools—positioning products as transitional supports that enable learning, rather than solutions in themselves. The framework prioritizes cognitive engagement, tactile interaction, and intuitive feedback loops to support embodied learning. 

The LeafIQ Houseplant Learning Kit demonstrates how Weaning Design can be applied to a specific domain: plant care. Through a series of analog tools that teach placement, watering, and maintenance via physical interaction, LeafIQ transforms plant care into a guided, hands-on learning experience. Each product is paired with a specific plant and skill, creating a clear and intentional progression path—for example, a plant pot that changes color based on light conditions to teach optimal placement. As users move through the system, they gain confidence and competence, eventually caring for their plants independently and intuitively. A companion app supports this journey by enabling progress tracking, achievement badges, and access to a learning community—serving as a space for reflection and connection rather than instruction or dependency.