Buddy is a pet resources and social networking app for dog owners. Dog owners are able to connect with other dog owners, follow communities, learn dog tricks and commands, and find dog parks and emergency clinics.
End-to-End UX / UI Designer
Figma, Whimsical, Maze
4 weeks ( 20 hours / week)
Competitive Analysis, User Research, Logo / Brand Design, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing
According to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 23 million American households acquired a cat or a dog since the beginning of the pandemic. Many of these Americans are new pet owners. For someone with little to no experience of raising a pet on their own, it can feel like an overwhelming and alienating experience.
Currently, there is no app in the market that provides all the resources that new pet owners need. Many need to go to different platforms and websites to find information that they need.
Pet owners need a pet resources mobile app that includes everything they will ever need to be an effective and confident dog owner.
I set out to understand the challenges of being a pet owner and to deliver a product that takes the pressure away, leaving users connected and confident when taking care of their dog.
I conducted user interviews virtually and uncovered important insights about user struggles and habits:
🔍 Dog owners go on different platforms like Facebook, Google, YouTube or Reddit to find solutions to problems
🏩 Two pet owners find it difficult to find emergency vet clinics
🗣 Word of mouth is very important. (4 out of 5 pet owners rely on recommendations by other pet owners)
🐶 Pet owners spend at least one hour at dog parks daily
🌲 Dog owners are selective to which dog parks they go to
🔗 View In-Depth User Interview Notes
David represents the group of dog owners who adopted a dog during the pandemic. David has a 6-month old Dalmatian puppy named Zeke. Even though David and his partner have an older dog, it is their first time raising a puppy on their own.
In the past 4 months with Zeke, David has already experienced many difficulties as a new dog owner.
Informed by David's goals, motivations and pain points, I created a User Journey Map to outline the processes needed to achieve individual goals within Buddy app. This allowed me to focus on possible critical pain points and plan how to address them
Most apps in the market only provide one or two specific resource
Booper - Dog Social Network & Dog Park finder
Puppr - Catalog of Dog Training & Tricks
Bring Fido - Finding pet-friendly places, events and local pet establishments like vets, pet stores, groomers, etc
Looking into other pet apps, I got a sense of what services and common features were being offered in the market. I generated a list of features to prioritize based on user needs.
I listed 4 main features that will be required for a minimum viable product (MVP)
1. Discover Dog Parks
2. Find nearby vets and emergency pet clinics
3. Social Networking for dog owners to connect
4. Catalog of Dog tricks and Commands
➡️ View Comprehensive List of Features
Based on the main features I listed, I created a sitemap with 4 main features placed on the navigation:
After understanding the important features to add and having a layout of the app, I began drafting low-fidelity wireframes using Whimsical. I built out the basic structure of 13 screens which includes the 4 main features of the app.
After completing the wireframes, I focused on the look and feel of the app. To showcase a friendly, inviting and playful app, I used the colors orange and blue. I also incorporated playfulness in the app by adding icons that are unique to the app such as using bones instead of stars for user reviews.
I put every piece together to create high fidelity wireframes after completing the branding of the app. The high fidelity wireframe below is the first version as I plan to do usability testing to uncover necessary design changes.
To help validate my design, I created a clickable prototype using Figma.
With my prototype completed, I started working on a usability testing plan. I recruited participants and conducted usability testing in order to see how users interact with my design and identify where improvements to the design can be made. I conducted testing with 13 participants to see how they interacted with the prototype and completed the tasks.
Method: Remote, Online Usability Testing tool (Maze)
Participants: 13 (7 dog owners, 6 who are previous and future dog owners)
1. Navigate through the onboarding screens and create an account
2. Select groups of interest
3. Navigate to the Dog park screens and select a specific dog park
Usability testing was a success! Users were able to complete the tasks with over 91% success rate. There were still design issues that needs to be resolved but they were all minor and can be easily addressed in the next iteration.
➡️ View Comprehensive Usability Testing Report
When users were asked about their overall experience on navigating the app, the average score was 8.5
Users also mentioned how very likely they are to download the app if available.
After conducting usability testing, users have offered insights on the concept of the app. Users mentioned how much they liked and need the app. Current dog owners like Heidi mentioned how much she would love to download the app when developed.
Based on feedback from conducting usability testing, here are 2 design changes that I initiated to improve overall user experience.
One key takeaway that I learned about this project is the importance of properly doing user research and usability testing. As a new pet owner myself, I had assumptions and biases on what I want to see in the app based on what I need. I had certain features that I want to have to benefit me as a user. If I had not done 1:1 user interviews, I would not have uncovered pain points that are unique to other people. It would have been harder for me as a designer to emphatize and help dog owners like David who have unique struggles.
Conduct another usability test to validate the design changes and determine what changes are needed to be made. Then prepare the design for developer handoff.