PetWise
Designed a responsive web platform that simplifies pet care management and builds a vibrant community for pet lovers.
Role
UX/UI, Research, Branding
Tool
Figma, Zoom, Canva
Duration
8 weeks/ 2 months
Overview
What is PetWise?
Pets bring great joy to our lives. But managing their healthcare, appointments, and finding a community of fellow pet owners can sometimes feel overwhelming. PetWise offers a solution. It's a user-friendly platform created to streamline pet care management and foster a vibrant pet lover community. This case study will delves into the development, features, and impact of PetWise.
Problem
Pet Owners Struggle to Find Streamlined Care Solutions
Pet owners face the challenge of organizing their pet's care efficiently. This includes managing schedules, finding suitable veterinarians, and connecting with a supportive pet community. The lack of a centralized solution forces them to use multiple tools, leading to a time-consuming and potentially frustrating experience.
Product Preview
A Comprehensive Platform for Efficient Pet Care and Connection
This project aims to develop a user-friendly and comprehensive responsive platform that addresses the challenges of pet care management and fosters a vibrant community among pet owners.
All-In-One Pet Care Platform
Manage pet's health history, upcoming appointments, and to-do lists – all organized in one place, with space to customize for pet's specific needs.
Streamline Vet Booking System
Find the perfect vet based on location, specialty, reviews, and appointment availability. Easily book appointments directly through the platform and get helpful reminders.
Fun Pet Lover Community
Connect with other pet lovers for advice, support, and virtual puppy playdates! Share stories, find local recommendations, and make new friends for both user and their furry companion.
Market Research
Opportunity for A Pet Platform That Does it All
I conducted a competitive analysis of platforms like Yummypet, PetDesk, DogLog, and The PetDiaries to identify opportunities for our pet care and community website. While each platform offers unique features, none provide a comprehensive solution that combines robust pet care management tools with a thriving social community. Key findings include:
Yummypet
PetDesk
DogLog
The PetDiaries Feature Gap
No single platform offers a comprehensive suite of pet care management (feeding/medication scheduling, vet appointment booking, etc.) combined with a robust social community for sharing and connecting with other pet owners.
Design Preference
Many platforms prioritize mobile-first or mobile-only design, leaving an opening for a web-based or responsive design that caters to users who prefer larger screens or desktop access for easier navigation and management of pet care tasks.
Audience Focus
Some platforms are dog-specific or cater to niche interests within the pet community, indicating a potential to expand to a wider range of pet owners (cat owners, bird owners, etc.) with diverse needs and interests.
This analysis reveals the gap in the market for a comprehensive pet care platform that combines essential management tools with a thriving social community, all within a user-friendly, accessible design on various devices.
User Research
Pet Owner Desire a Streamlined Approach
User interviews revealed pet owners' need for streamlined medication tracking, reminders, organized records, and a way to find suitable veterinarians. They also expressed a desire for a platform that fosters community connection. I identified key design considerations:
Simplified Pet Care Management
Intuitive tools for scheduling, medication tracking, reminders, and building comprehensive pet profiles.
Enhanced Veterinarian Discovery
Powerful search with filters for location, specialization, reviews, and appointment availability.
Fostering Community
Features like forums, groups, or social sharing to connect pet owners and build a supportive environment.
User-Centric Design
Prioritize a clear, intuitive interface accessible to all pet owners, regardless of their tech-savviness.
How might we create a space where pet owners can simply record and track pet health and schedules, ensuring easy access to pet information for vet appointments, while fostering a strong community?
Building with Empathy by Crafting User Personas
To guide design choices, I created two user personas based on our research: Andrew, a freelancer with multiple pets, and Emma, a busy professional with a dog. These personas represent our target audience: passionate pet owners who want to streamline pet care tasks and connect with fellow pet lovers.
Andrew Jackson
A 45-year-old freelance graphic designer and a passionate pet lover who shares his home with his partner and their three diverse pets: two cats, a dog, and a turtle.
Pain Points/ Needs
Efficiently manage varied care routines for multiple pet types.
Streamline scheduling/tracking vet appointments for each animal.
Connect with a community of pet owners for advice and support.
Utilize a platform that caters to different pet profiles and needs.
Emma Laura
A 32-year-old marketing manager living in downtown Seattle, dedicated to her job and often working long hours. She considers her dog as family and strives to be a responsible pet owner despite her busy schedule.
Pain Points/ Needs
Easily manage her dog's medication schedule and vet appointments.
Access a centralized record of vaccinations and appointment history.
Receive timely reminders for medication and upcoming vet visits.
Quickly find and contact reliable veterinarians in her area.
Solution Ideation
No More Stress! 3 Ways to Make Pet Parents’ Life Easier
After digging into our 'How Might We' questions, I've come up with three key design ideas to make pet ownership easier, enabling users to:
All-in-One Pet Care
Keep everything organized, from vaccinations and meds to vet appointments, making pet care a piece of cake.
Find the Perfect Vet
Say goodbye to endless vet searches. The platform will help users quickly connect with the right veterinarian for pet's needs.
Pet Parent Connection
Building a space where pet owners can hang out, share advice, and find their tribe – think online groups, forums, and maybe even local meetups!
Product Structure
Building a Foundation for Streamlined Care
I designed a clear site map to seamlessly organize key features. Users will easily find tools for finding veterinarians, managing pet care tasks, and connecting with a community of pet owners.
Mapping Out Pet Care Journey
To create an intuitive and effective user experience, I've mapped out three core user flows that will shape the design of our pet care platform. These flows illustrate how users will interact with essential features, allowing us to anticipate challenges and optimize each step.
Adding a Vaccine Record: Streamlined process for adding and updating pet vaccination details, ensuring easy organization and health management.
Finding a Vet & Booking Appointments: Intuitive navigation to find relevant vet profiles, simplified appointment scheduling, and clear communication channels.
Creating a Forum Post: User-friendly interface for starting new discussions, fostering a sense of community and encouraging information sharing among pet owners.
Rapid Prototyp
Building the Look and Feel from Sketches to Wireframes
I started with rough sketches to map out the basic layout and user flow. Think of these as a blueprint of the platform. Next, I created mid-fidelity wireframes. These add colors, fonts, and a more polished look, bringing the design closer to how the final product will feel.
Branding
Crafting Core Values for Brand Identity
Brand identity is key! My research and mood board helped me define five core values that guide the platform's design and user experience.
Convenience: Make pet care tasks simple and easy to manage.
Community: Create a space where pet owners connect and support each other.
Inclusivity: Welcome all types of pets and their owners.
Simplicity: Provide intuitive tools that streamline pet care.
Effectiveness: Offer user-friendly solutions that actually meet pet owners' needs.
Choosing Right Name
After brainstorming many ideas, I chose the name "PetWise." It reflects the project goal to provide smart, practical solutions for pet owners.
Visualizing a Welcoming and Friendly Pet Care Experience
This style tile embodies the essence of our pet care platform. The vibrant orange evokes energy and warmth, reflecting the joy of pet companionship, while the calming blue instills trust and reliability in our services. The "Noto Sans" font ensures readability and inclusivity, making the platform accessible to all users.
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Transforming Concepts into Interactive Designs
After finalizing the branding and UI kit, I proceeded to create high-fidelity wireframes that integrated the visual design and component library. This provided a detailed representation of the PetWise interface, demonstrating the layout, functionality, and user interactions across various pages and features.
Testing
Validating the Design Choices
Usability testing with 5 users revealed positive feedback and satisfaction with the PetWise interface. Participants successfully completed key tasks like adding vaccination records, requesting vet appointments, and creating forum posts. Overall, the testing validated the effectiveness and usability of the platform's core functionalities, providing valuable insights for further refinement and enhancement of the user experience.
Add a new vaccination record for a pet
Request an appointment with a vet
Create a post on the forumUser Testing Question
Do they find process straightforward and easy to navigate?
Do all the features appear clear and easily accessible?
Are there any challenges or issues during the process?
How do they feel about the overall platform?
Are there any areas that they think need to be improved?
User Testing Highlight
Positive:
Simple, clean, and visually pleasing interface
Quick and intuitive overall process
Easy for all users to achieve their goals
Areas to Improve:
Allow direct appointment time selection
Provide breadcrumbs for easier exploration
Sync Calendar for appointment reminders
Final Revision
Taking User Feedback to Heart
In the final revision phase, I incorporated user feedback to refine the platform's usability and overall user experience. Addressing specific concerns and suggestions, I focused on making PetWise even more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable for pet owners.
#1 Simplified Vet Appointments
Users can now directly select their preferred appointment times during the scheduling process, eliminating the need for back-and-forth communication with veterinary clinics. This streamlines the appointment booking experience and saves pet owners valuable time.
#2 Easier Navigation
A breadcrumb navigation system was implemented to provide users with a clear sense of their location within the platform. This visual aid allows users to easily track their journey through different sections and functionalities, and quickly return to previous pages if needed.
#2 Streamlined Appointment Reminders
To ensure pet owners never miss important appointments, an "Add to Calendar" button was integrated. This allows users to seamlessly add their pet's appointments directly to their preferred calendar application, such as Google Calendar or Apple Calendar, without the need for manual entry.
Final Prototype
Introducing You to PetWise
“Making Pet Care Easy, One Paw at a Time!”
Lessons Learned and Beyond
Reflecting on this case study, I've learned three crucial lessons that have significantly shaped my approach to user experience design.
User Are Key
My biggest takeaway is to always put the users first. Understanding what they need and how they think is the best way to build something they'll actually love.
Changes Are Good
I realized that starting simple and getting feedback is a smart way to work. It's okay for designs to change in response to user feedback! In the end, the product is better because of their input.
Keep it Simple
Sometimes it's tempting to add a million features. But with PetWise, I saw how important it is to balance helpful tools with a design that's easy for anyone to use.
These lessons have made me a better designer, and I'll definitely keep them in mind for all of my future projects!
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