There are a wide abundance of mobile apps and other digital tools available for species identification today. I decided to review and compare three different apps, only one of which I have used previously. Not only did I look at the functions within the app, but I assessed how user friendly I felt the app was and the design of the app from a marketing/creative lens. I rated these categories and more out of 5 and then gave each app an average rating. If an app did not have a feature being ranked, that was given a 0.
Seek by iNaturalist - 4.2/5
Functionality - 5
Ease of Use - 4
AI Technology - 3
Design - 5
Unique Features - 4
Seek is sleek. The app starts strong by being very easy to use. It works fast, is laid out in a very simple manner, and instructions on how to use are clear. One point was knocked off here because there are areas where the font is very tiny, which may cause challenges for some. The design is very well done also, with a coordinated nature theme of greens against white with nature icons and photos throughout. I gave functionality a 5 out of 5, as not only does it function well, but the different features make it easy to get the most of out researching a species. By location, it can show you nearby species, give you photos, descriptive info, maps, taxonomy, count of observations in app, seasonal trends, and similar species. All of this is very helpful in determining if you saw that species or something similar. The AI Feature, which is where you can take a photo of a species for the app to identify, gets a 3. Seek is an app I have used several times before to identify species, and I often find that in my experience, it can't pinpoint exactly what I have captured. Sometimes it does, but I also often get the message of what class they think the species may be a part of, but that it could not identify the species exactly. Whether this is because the system is still learning (a message they clearly state when you open this feature) or my photos aren't good enough, I am not sure. Back to functionality, one feature I also enjoy with this app is when you take a photo of a species it can register, it will store that information for you. It does also have a unique element to it, where there are challenges in the app that you can meet to achieve badges. The challenges not only encourage the user to utilize the app and help add data about what species are around them, but are also educational as they inform about the species in the category of the challenge. For example, a current challenge is to observe local indicator species, for which it gives a description and local examples.
Audubon Bird Guide - 3.6/5
Functionality - 5
Ease of Use - 5
AI Technology - 0
Design - 4
Unique Features - 4
I have never used this app before, and it did make me create a login in order to access the app. Given the multiple options to log in, this was fairly easy and quick. This app does not utilize AI as the others do, so I marked that category 0 for equal comparison. If I were to take out this 0, the score would be 4.5/5, showing that it is strong in the other areas. The design is similar to Picture Insect, where it is clean but there isn't really any theme to it. The functionality is strong, as it has a lot of identification information and works quickly. When you click on a bird species in the app, there seems to be about a similar amount of information as provided by Seek, but less than Picture Insect. Like Seek, this app also suggests similar species to the one you have selected. The "identify a bird" feature was very neat, as it updated in real time with the choices you put in to the varying categories. An additional unique feature is the ability to sign various petitions in the app in support of different bird-related causes. Ease of use is good with clear ways to use the app.
Picture Insect: Bug Identifier - 4.4/5
Functionality - 5
Ease of Use - 4
AI Technology - 4
Design - 4
Unique Features - 5
I have never used this app before, and my first impression from opening it is that the design is very pleasant, but I am immediately hit with a pay wall, which I do not enjoy. It says that the first 7 days are free, and then it is $29.99 per year. This is not very expensive, but where there are free apps like Seek available, I am more likely to use one of those apps even if it does not work as well. For now, I just hit cancel and am using the app in its free version. This app is also very easy to use and works quickly. Instructions and features are all very clear to use and are well laid out. Ease of use only gets a 4 because of the payment option, as this could be a barrier for some. Design gets a 4 because while it is very clean and eye-catching, it lacks any real theming. Functionality gets full points, as this app is a treasure trove of identification information. There are books, articles, field guides, popular topics, and more. When you click on a specific species, you are given a section called "basic info" which is really anything but, listing fun facts, identifications at different stages, the life cycle, food, frequently asked questions, and so much more. You can also save the species you have identified in the system. The one thing this does not have in comparison to Seek is the similar species listing. There are also a few unique features such as the ability to identify bug bites and a section specifically on pests, where you can see which insects are harmful to humans or otherwise. The AI tool where you take a photo of a species works very well. It was better able to identify a species of butterfly I uploaded than Seek was. This app also has an AI chat bot where you can ask questions, which is unique and helpful. One drawback to the AI feature is you can't take unlimited identification photos without a paid account.
Blog photo source:
Rami Al-zayat. 2016. Free use under Unsplash License. https://unsplash.com/photos/silver-android-smartphone-w33-zg-dNL4
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