Baram
A Mac app that grows a plant in real time over weeks. Water it, wait, and it grants one wish.
MAC APP STORE↗WHY I BUILT IT
No surprise that I spend the majority of my day in front of my MacBook. I’m also a minimalist when it comes to my work setup. So why not grow a plant on my MacBook, without the commitment(?) of a real plant?
“Baram” means both wind and wishing in Korean. It takes weeks of real time to grow, and the waiting is the point. Once it’s fully grown, you get to make a wish. A cute little warm touch to my workdays!
WHAT I WOULDN’T COMPROMISE ON
Given that this plant is always on your screen and that each person’s plants are bound to look similar, I wanted to make sure the design looked good, and that each plant really did grow differently. Not a set shape for the vine. Each plant grows uniquely! There are also some nice custom touches, especially when you’re done fully growing the plant!
WHAT WAS HARD
Making it interesting despite being a ‘slow’ growing thing. Nothing really happens the majority of the time. But that is the reality of actually growing plants as well. On a day-to-day basis, it’s hard to notice how much your plant has grown. But I didn’t want the app to be forgotten after the initial install, so I tried to make little touches that still kept it interesting. And that it didn’t take TOO long to grow.