Helping city pet parents find their perfect pup
A Modified GV Design Sprint Case Study
Alyssa Rogers
THE PROBLEM
Users are having difficulty finding a dog to adopt through existing sites, based on the following constraints:
lack of space - indoor and outdoor
busy schedules/time away from home
amount of care, time dedicated to training
CityPups will facilitate possible pet owners in finding a dog to adopt in a clear, easy, and concise fashion. This will increase adoption rates, and create happy, forever homes benefitting owners and their new pets alike.
HOW MIGHT WE?
As the issues are addressed, we pinpoint the questions that require the most attention to achieve the end goals of the user. So, how might we…
USER RESEARCH
It was necessary to incorporate Competitive Analysis within our User Research. A Lightening Demo was chosen to assist in this task in order to address the similar sites in the industry, and their attributes and challenges.
Pet Finder, Homeward Bound and Petco all had different insights. Takeaways included lots of filters, the need for emphasis on realistic care levels, and future needs of the pet. This information, paired with our How Might We questions, allows for the synthesis to address the goals and pain points of the users.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Meet Ellie, the encapsulation of our Persona.
She’s 37 years old and lives in Manhattan.
Goals:
Ellie wants to find a dog to adopt. She wants to feel confident that they will be a great fit for each other - both in emotional connection and practical factors related to her lifestyle.
Behavior:
Ellie lives alone in a studio apartment in NYC. Now that she doesn’t have roommates, she feels “ready” for the responsibility and companionship of a dog
She follows some adoption agencies on Instagram and even “saves” some dogs she might want to adopt
Ellie has spoken to adoption representatives to ask questions. This has been helpful, but very time consuming to find the right contact or make an appointment
She asks friends and people in her apartment building who own dogs for advice so she can get some information from people in her situation
Frustrations:
Ellie hasn’t taken action because she’s not 100% confident that a dog will be the right fit for her AND the dog
Most adoption sites focus on making a connection between people and dogs. This is great for browsing, but often leads to her falling in love with a dog that needs more attention, space, or activity than she can provide. This leads to disappointment and indecision.
Descriptions of dogs are too general. For example, it may say “this dog doesn’t require a lot of space” - but how small is too small?
“I look at the basic information - size, age, etc. Photos and ‘bios’ are so great to get an idea of the dog’s personality. Some things are harder to figure out - like how much attention the dog needs. I would need a dog that could be left home for a while if I’m at work or get home late due to my commute.”
SKETCHES, DESIGN AND IDEATION
So, what would the typical user experience look like when navigating through the CityPups site? We sketched a Site Map to take a city dweller who is looking to adopt a dog through the process from start to finish…
…and sketched out several possible solutions using the Crazy 8’s method. Ultimately, the 8th sketch was chosen as the final solution, as it addresses the initial emotional connection with the pet, gives a short “bio”, as well as addresses the options for filters.
How will the story be told?
Within a series of 11 (ish) screens that encompass the process of looking for a new pup to adopt. The user will create their profile, set their important preferences to suit their lifestyle, and screen new possible companions. They have the ability to save their favorites, read through important paperwork, fill out forms/applications, schedule meet and greets, and complete the process of finding their furry friends - all in one convenient place - the CityPups site!
That storyboard led to the design of the following screens, and a prototype thereafter.
USABILITY TESTING
The prototype was tested by a pool of users that consisted of current and previous pet parents who live or who have lived in small city spaces. The outcome was successful, and here’s what the participants had to say…
CONCLUSION
In summary, the users like the parameter filtering feature and the idea that CityPups’ main priority is assisting in finding the perfect pup. The ease and convenience of providing links to applications and documents to the adoption provider (Homeward Bound) was highly appealing, especially for those who have time constraints. CityPups is a site they would be happy to utilize in searching for their next four-legged pal.
Helping city pet parents find their perfect pup
Alyssa Rogers
UX/UI Designer