Pet Adopt is a mobile app that allows pet lovers to find their new best friend, build a community with pet lovers, and/or foster animals in need. It is designed in a way for users to build a connection with pets right on their device.
The Challenge
The goals for the app were to:
1. Allow pet lovers to find their new best friend based on specific preferences and lifestyles.
2. Create a stress-free and seamless adoption process.
My Role
I led the product design including user research, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) for my capstone project. Throughout my design process I sought feedback from participants to gain valuable insights and to improve on exceeding user's pet adoption experience.
Design Process
User Research
Ideate
Prototype Design
Test
THE PROBLEM
Secondary Research
ARTICLE ONE: INCREASING ADOPTION RATES AT ANIMAL SHELTERS
6 - 8M
dogs and cats enter animal shelters every year
OF THAT 6-8M...
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nearly 3-4 million are euthanized
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10%-25% are put to death specifically because of overcrowding
1/4
of all animals living in the shelter are adopted
overcrowding
behavioral issues
medical issues
reasons for euthanization
ARTICLE TWO: WHY ARE PETS GIVEN UP?
Recent study conducted by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, researchers went into twelve selected animal shelters in the U.S. for one year to find out why.
Top 10 Reasons for Relinquishment
dogs
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Moving
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Landlord not allowing pets
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Too many animals in household
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Cost of pet maintenance
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Owner having personal problems
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Inadequate facilities
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No homes available for litter mate
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Having no time for pet
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Pet illness(es)
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Biting
cats
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Moving
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Landlord not allowing pets
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Too many animals in household
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Cost of pet maintenance
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Owner having personal problems
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Inadequate facilities
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No homes available for litter mate
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Allergies in family
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House soiling
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Incompatibility with other pets
RESULTS
The study results show that the top seven reasons for relinquishment for both dogs and cats are the same.
Competitor Analysis
The three competitors (PetFinder, WeRescue, and Bumble) were used to conduct a heuristic evaluation that offered similar solution(s) to the one I intend to define when coming up with an idea for my project.
PetFinder
PROS
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users are able to see their pet matches based on compatibility
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essential buttons featured on the pet profile like share, favorite, and view
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easy access to change filters
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bottom navigation bar with clear icon and name for high use screen interfaces
CONS
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not as user friendly when beginning the adoption process
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"training" and "breeds" could be merge together as a resource section for direct and clear user journey experience
WeRescue
PROS
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all pets saved in one place and easily shared
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large images
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simple text details without being overwhelmed with too much information
CONS
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confusing icons on top bar when viewing the favorites or main discover page
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bottom navigation bar does not emphasize important features
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spacing and visual balance of bottom navigation bar
Bumble
PROS
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simple bottom navigation tool with essential screens - account, profiles, and messages
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users are given clear guidance to which way to swipe on each profile
CONS
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lack of names under icons which could provide clearer guidance
USER RESEARCH
Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative research was conducted individually to gather information about the motivations and behaviors people have towards pet adoption. I sought feedback from pet lovers (new to experienced) on which elements of the adoption process were successful and what needed better solutions. I began with pet shelter studies, conducted an online screener survey, followed by five personal interviews (both in-person and over-the-phone).
OBJECTIVE
The purpose is to design a positive and joyful experience to connect pet lovers and pet adoptees in order to increase and retain the adoption rates at animal shelters.
SURVEY LENGTH
2 weeks
QUESTIONS
12
RESPONSES
28
QUESTIONS ASKED
RESPONSES
What resources do you use to begin your adoption process?
If you have adopted a pet, where have you adopted from? (Select all that applies).
Important factors when adopting
KEY FINDINGS
01 The adoption process is stressful
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The adoption process contains little to no pet description/background information.
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The adoption process is time consuming.
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The adoption process has limited resources to access.
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The adoption process is poorly managed.
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Pet lovers feel disconnected with the lack of communication and transparency.
02 There are an overwhelming number of shelters and resources
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Majority of pet lovers use pet shelter website or apps to begin their adoption process.
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Other pet lovers research through social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
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The endless shelters and resources can be frustrating and overwhelming.
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Pet lovers have stated that they struggle on where to begin.
03 People want to adopt pets
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Pet lovers are looking for a companionship in their pet(s).
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Pet lovers want to make sure they are prepared in caring for their new pet.
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Pet lovers will reach out to friends and family members when pet searching.
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Pet lovers believe that adoption is more rewarding.
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Pet lovers want to provide a loving home to animals in need.
TAKEAWAYS
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There is a huge responsibility for designing good digital platforms.
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Pet lovers want to find the right pet for them based on compatibility and lifestyle.
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There is a need for a simple and stress-free adoption process
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Community engagement is essential.
Affinity
Mapping
I gathered notes based on my five personal interviews. With the notes taken, I created an affinity map to identify similarities and patterns. This visual map helped organize my findings and uncover insights into our users.
01 The adoption process is stressful.
NEEDS
02 There is an overwhelming number of shelters and resources.
PURCHASING EXPERIENCE
03 People want to adopt pets.
MOTIVATIONS
Empathy
Mapping
Creating an empathy map guided me to better understand my user's pain points, goals, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors from the insights and observations from my user interviews. I summarized my findings into two main user types - one focused on animal rights/resources and one focused on the adoption process.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
User Flow
The next step toward developing the Pet Adoption app was the user flow. The user flow is a visual representation of how users might experience the app. I kept in mind essential takeaways from my research to come up with potential tasks and goals for Pet Adopt.
Ideate
Developing user research, interviews and feedback allowed me to identify finalized problem states for Pet Adopt.
How might we provide a sense of bonding between pet lovers and pets during the adoption process?
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Ensure that users feel confident and comfortable navigating the app.
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Allow users to easily communicate and connect directly with shelters.
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Provide a safe and respectful environment.
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Include an "interaction" pet profile page to get to know the pet well.
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Allow users to save pet profiles and stay up to date on interested animals.
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Encourage multiple pet visitations.
How might we help pet lovers seamlessly match with a compatible pet based on lifestyle and preferences?
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Redesign a simple pet filter for easy search.
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Include customized filters beyond standard factors (ex. special needs/care, shedding, allergy).
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Promote users to participate in a matching survey.
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Encourage multiple visitations at a safe and respectful environment.
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Create a community space.
DESIGN
Low Fidelity Sketches
I began ideating and sketching early wireframes - keeping in mind of the pet lovers' journey when interacting with the app.
Wireframes
Keeping in mind of my users, I created two types of user tasks - scheduling appointments and sharing pet resources. These tasks would be achieved by the users of my app. The wireframes allowed for a more developed version of sketches with a general layout and potential features.
Scheduling an Appointment
Learn and Share Pet Resources
Typographyand Colors
Creating a simple design meant expanding that element into the visual design of the app interface. I created a mood board that captured essence of the bond with pets. The color selection was derived from the images from my mood board. The typography selected was Nunito font for its rounded visual to provide a playful and friendly feel yet simple design.
About Projects
Pet Matching Survey
Possibility to find pet matches based on your preference and lifestyle by taking a ten question survey.
Clean and informative pet match cards are shown for pet lovers to explore.
Interested in a pet? Click "view profile" for more detailed information and book a visit!
Home Page
This project is centered around pet adoption and social media. PetAdopt wants to encourage people to connect, learn, and share by providing a community supported space.
News Feed content shows posts/videos relating to pets you follow.
Group pages are spaces where pet lovers connect and share resources.
Feature pets highlight pets of the week or recommended to you.
Search
There are many search options. Click on accessible tags by choosing pets, people, posts, or photos.
It is possible to filter pet search by location, breed, age, size, and gender. For more specific searches, users can click on "show more filters".
Home Page
This project is centered around pet adoption and social media. PetAdopt wants to encourage people to connect, learn, and share by providing a community supported space according to user's interest.
News Feed content shows posts/videos relating to pets you follow.
Group pages are spaces where pet lovers connect and share resources.
Feature pets highlight pets of the week or recommended to you.
Pet Profile
Pet profiles contain detailed background information with tags.
Accessible "like" button for users to keep track of interested pets.
Book Appointment
USABILITY TESTING
User Testing
I conducted my user testing with five participants (one in person and four on Zoom). My selected participants were individuals who have had either experience adopting a pet or are seeking interest in adopting their first pet. I assigned the same tasks to each participant - sign in, find a pet, book a pet appointment, and learn more about breed/care.
Reflection
I am jubilant to see how my capstone project came to life. People who interacted with my app design stated that they would love to use an app like PetAdopt to help them find their new furry friend. The feedback I have received such as high usability and positive user experience is key to developing a successful app design.
Big thanks to Emily Holmes (mentor) and Christina Ryman (advisor) who provided me support, guidance and feedback on my UX design journey.