digital work.
I. overview.
THE CHALLENGE: Create a mobile app that will provide a more intuitive and enjoyable experience for pet adopters.
THE OUTCOME: A mobile app that seamlessly facilitates the search for and adoption of shelter pets.
MY ROLE: Lead UX Strategist (research, interaction design, visual design)
II. research.
During the research phase, I sought to understand the trends that set the standard in the pet adoption space. I also needed to uncover the needs and frustrations of the target user to better understand how to appeal to them.
RESEARCH GOALS
Define the shelter pet problem
Learn why individuals bring a companion animal into their homes
Understand why some consumers prefer to buy a pet instead of adopting one
Define common behaviors of consumers when trying to adopt a pet
Determine user needs and frustrations when trying to adopt a pet
Understand the characteristics of an animal that adopters care about
Identify areas where the pet adoption space could be improved
SECONDARY RESEARCH: MARKET RESEARCH
First, I conducted secondary research to familiarize myself with the animal adoption apps that are already on the market. I gathered data on the shelter pet problem in America and the use of technology to tackle the issue.
SECONDARY RESEARCH: HEURISTIC EVALUATION
A competitive analysis was performed to understand the strengths, weaknesses, similarities, and differences between competitor pet adoption applications
My competitive analysis produced the following insights:
There are are a handful of competitors in this industry, but I found that even the most popular applications aren’t a great match for the real needs of the user
Many pet adoption applications have too much or too little information
The tone of the applications felt uninteresting and uninspiring
There is little incentive involved in the existing pet applications for a user who would typically purchase a pet from a breeder. They are left out of the equation entirely.
SECONDARY RESEARCH: EMPATHY MAPS
I created three provisional personas that reflected the data I had collected through user research. Understanding the target audience helped me think about how the app would appeal to different demographics with varying needs.
PRIMARY RESEARCH: INTERVIEWS
To better understand the perspective of the target user, I screened 45 potential users. Of those users, I interviewed six people- four female users, and two male users ranging in age from 33 to 67 years old. The users I interviewed had a few important characteristics in common:
They were open and willing to share their experiences with me
They have owned a pet and/or are open to welcoming a pet in the future
They are free of physical limitations that would prevent them from owning a pet
AFFINITY MAPPING
Following each interview, I noted each individual finding and created a series of notes. Each individual interview was assigned a color
Then, I worked to define umbrella layers based on the various insights I gained from each interview, filing the information into its correlating layer. Ultimately, I ended up with 4 layers.
Participant Status → Here is where I filed details regarding each user’s history as a pet owner, and what their current obstacles are to pet ownership.
Pet Notes → In this layer, I filed insights regarding how each user feels about adopting a pet versus purchasing one, how they have searched for a pet in the past, how important age and disability are when choosing a pet, and what qualities are important when selecting a pet.
Application Preferences → Here, I filed details about each user’s favorite mobile apps (and why), what turns them off when using an app, how they feel about swipe apps, and what features they’d want to see in a pet-search application
Brainstorming→ Lastly, layer 4 took the most important and common insights from the other 3 layers and incorporated a number of potential solutions in response to user needs and pain points.
Through this process I identified several user insights:
What users say is important to them in a pet may be different than what is actually important to them
Users often feel that they would need to live somewhere different, work differently, or have a different financial situation to adopt a pet
Users connect with animals, and want one “under the right circumstances”
Expense, lifestyle, and adoption misconceptions are roadblocks to rescue
Breed, age & personality are of utmost importance in “matchmaking”
PERSONA CREATION
Next, I used all of the qualitative data I gathered during the research process to create my user personas: the ambivalent adopter, the ready rescuer, and the pet purchaser.
POINT OF VIEW STATEMENTS & HOW MIGHT WE QUESTIONS
How might we convert users who would purchase a dog from a breeder to rescue animal adoption?
How might we help make the homeless pet search easier and more efficient for users?
How might we provide resources to users that make owning a pet more affordable and lifestyle compatible?
How might we change the tone of homeless pet shopping from depressing to exciting?
How might we balance privacy and social sharing in the pet search space so that users feel comfortable?
III. define & ideate.
BUSINESS & USER GOALS
Next, I reflected on the business goals, user goals, and technical considerations for all stakeholders. Once I had identified common goals, I could decide what product features were necessary for the prototype.
USER MAPS
To help me align my ideas with the user’s goals, I crafted user stories that showcased what the user might need to do to accomplish a task and why they need to accomplish it.
IV. information architecture.
A high-level list of app features was created to further define and guide the vision for the product. Prioritizing the features with supporting research created a clear order of execution.
SITE MAP
Next, I created a site map for Paw Lab that outlined the app’s navigation and information hierarchy.
V. test.
WIREFRAMES: LOW FIDELITY
I began the process of wireframing with sketches of several of the main screens for Paw Lab. During this process, I thought about how the layout and content could be structured to satisfy user and business goals in a technically feasible way. The sketch I chose served as a guide for my digital wireframes.
GUERILLA USABILITY TESTING
In order to test this iteration of Paw Lab, I sourced six volunteers to work through my low fidelity sketches. I provided each volunteer with a link to the wireframe (HERE) that I prepared on Marvel. Then I conducted various Zoom conferences where asked each user to work within the following scenarios:
You’re a new user and have never used this application before.
How would you sign up for an account?
You’re a returning user.
How would you login to view adoptable pets?
How would you change your pet preferences?
How would you view your favorites?
How would you request an adoption?
My goal, through each of these interviews, was to ensure that our users are able to easily and intuitively accomplish the core tasks associated with the application: signing up and/or signing in, specifying their pet preferences, perusing pet profiles, viewing and saving favorite pets, and requesting an adoption.
WIREFRAMES: MID FIDELITY
I created a UI requirements document to outline all of the features and elements I wanted to incorporate into the design. Once this was complete, I started creating digital wireframes for the main screens in Adobe XD.
VI. next steps.
VISUAL DESIGN: HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPES
Incorporating color scheme, typography, and a brand identity. I’ll be posting updates soon!
