01 - Problem:
Through research and interviews, CityPups has discovered that people living in cities struggle to find the right dog to adopt due to their unique needs.
02 - Proposed Solution:
A one-week sprint to propose a new MVP where the product is tailored specifically for urban dwellers and their unique needs.
03 - Analyzing the Research:
People living in urban areas face numerous challenges regarding owning dogs. As opposed to their rural and suburban counterparts, city-dwellers often have tight living quarters, limited outdoor space for the dogs to run around, and their schedules demand much of their time away from their homes.
Based on initial research, people seem to shy away from owning a dog simply due to their living habitat. CityPups aspires to come up with a solution to this problem. The reality is that there are numerous different types of dog breeds, each with other characteristics and physical needs. Highlighting these unique characteristics, especially those more suited for urban settings, will be vital in helping more people become dog owners.
CityPup conducted initial research to gather some more information about users’ adoption needs. They asked the question “tell us about what you consider when looking for a dog to adopt”. Here are some highlights:
Photos are definitely the first thing I notice or make a connection with…I have a pretty small apartment so I want to make sure it will be a good home for them.
I look at basic info - 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.
I want to know how comfortable and trained the dog is when traveling or moving around the city. I definitely need a pup who is ok riding the train with me, around a lot of other people and distractions.
04 - The Persona:
Frustrations:
Ellie hasn't taken action because she doesn't feel 100% confident that a dog will be a good fit for her AND the dog.
Most adoption sites focus on making a connection between people and dogs. This is great for browsing, but it often leads to her falling in love with a dog that needs more space, attention, or activity than she can provide. This leads to disappointment, and more indecision.
Descriptions of dogs on sites are too general - for example, it may say "this dog doesn't require a lot of space" - but how small is too small?
Behavior:
Ellie lives alone in a studio apartment in NYC. Now that she does not have roommates, she finally feels "ready" for the responsibility, and companionship of a dog.
She follows some adoption agencies on instagram, and even "saves" some dogs she wants to adopt.
Ellie has spoken to adoption agency representatives to ask questions. This has been helpful, but is very time consuming to find the right contact, or make an appointment.
She asks friends, and people in her building who have dogs for advice, so she can get some info from people that are closer to her situation .
Goal: 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.
05: Competitive Analysis
I rounded up some similar sites that solve the same problem as CityPups.
FOHA:
The site itself is relatively empty and gives more info on the process vs. actually working to adopt a dog.
Petfinder:
The main feature for finding a dog/cat is well done. It’s front and center, and you start by entering your location and the type of pet. It then brings you to a page with results, and they’re displayed with photos first. One of the main findings of the research was that people found actual pictures of the dogs most important during their search.
Adopt a pet:
Adoptapet.com also does an excellent job pairing you up with a dog based on your location. The search results are not as robust as Petfinder, but a good organization matches them to their desired dog better the homepage to get to the main feature.
06: Some Crazy-8s
I started a crazy-8 exercise to get some quick ideas down on paper. The main problem I want to solve is not choosing a dog but, more specifically, letting the user know what dog would be best for urban dwellers. To achieve this, I came up with an interactive form for users to fill out with their unique situations.
One of the main features we would need is a form-like structure to hone in on the specifics of the user. Afterward, the results would factor in as many characteristics as possible to match the user with their “perfect” dog. The design should ensure that users can edit their answers as needed even after the initial questionnaire without going through the funnel again.
The research has shown that users who live in urban areas have many factors to consider. Hence, the main feature is gathering as much information about the user as possible to match them with the perfect pup for them.
When users first visit the site, they face the large CTA button to start the questionnaire process. The questionnaire will ask specifics about living space, schedules, outdoor space available, and other narrowing topics. Once the user gets through the funnel, the site will showcase most compatible dogs based on the answers. The design should allow users to change their original funnel questions without going through the process again.
07: Creating an Identity
When starting the design, I took the existing logo and it’s main purple and used that as my primary color. I then added an accent of yellow in a pastel shade to give it some extra dimension along with a lavender shade. I stuck with the logo type (Proxima Soft) as the main font of choice for the brand and designed fun and light iconography to round out the UI kit.
08: Going Hi-Fidelity
The homepage design features a good mix of photos and iconography to reinforce that this is a dog adoption site (not any other pet). The focal point is the “get started” CTA button that’ll drive users to start the questionnaire funnel.
The main solution to the design was going to be the form funnel. Once the questionnaire starts, we will get to know the user’s background to better match them to their desired dog. I created a clickable prototype to set up the product for testing. Once the questionnaire starts, we will get to know the user’s background to better match them to their desired dog. Users will answer pre-existing questions and adjust their answers to custom-tailor their experience. A popup modal will give the user several pre-determined answers to click through.
Because we’re dealing with users who live precisely in urban areas, we have to consider the restrictions placed on many complexes. To do this, another pop-up modal with specific regulations appears if the user selects “have dog restrictions.” Users can then select the usual restrictions found in many living complexes within this modal.
Once finished, the user will then start a quick questionnaire on their ideal dog. Based on the information provided, the site will match up the user and potential dogs who are 1) most compatible with the user and 2) available to adoption nearby.
There are filters to customize the user’s search criteria further. When a dog’s profile is selected, it’ll take them to a specific page where you can read over everything about the chosen dog and also have the option to start the adoption process.
09: Let’s Run Some Tests
I set aside some time to interview five users for testing for my last day. Each user selected the following criteria to set as their profile and their ideal dog:
Dog:
Your ideal dog is an adult
You prefer a male
You want a medium-sized dog
You prefer a laid back kind of dog
Your dog must be house-trained
Your dog must also be kid-friendly
Your favorite breed is a Shiba Inu
User:
Adopt a dog for yourself
You’re a first-time owner
You live in an 800 sq ft apartment
You have a fenced yard
You’re near a park
You do not have other dogs
Your apartment has dog restrictions
They don’t allow German Shepherds
They don’t allow dogs over 30lbs
You don’t have any allergies
All participants were asked to go through the website and fill out the form with the same criteria.
10: Final Thoughts and Designs
After my interviews, I gathered some helpful insights and shared pain points with potential users. I will go back into my hi-fidelity design and rework some pieces to make the experience more seamless.