Pet_Adoption | Portfolio

UX Case Study

A platform promoting stray adoption and post-adoption support for new pet parents

Year

2018

Client

Personal Project

Role

UX and UI

Team

Solo

Scope

UX Strategy, Visual Design and Website Design

Background

I have longed for a pet for as long as I can remember, but my family has always been hesitant due to concerns about the deworming process and the possibility of aggressive behavior if we were to adopt a stray. Moreover, the online adoption process has proven to be quite challenging, with fake or outdated listings, and unexpected costs after the adoption.

While searching for my perfect furry companion, I came to realize that many new pet adopters face numerous challenges, such as questions about training, veterinary clinics, and financial considerations. However, the most crucial aspect of the process is deciding which animal would be the best fit for their lifestyle.

As a user experience designer, I decided to address these pain points by creating a website that empathizes with potential adopters and offers solutions to these common issues. Through my website, new pet owners can navigate the adoption process with ease, from finding the perfect pet to understanding the financial and logistical considerations that come with pet ownership.

The Challenge

How can people adopt without putting in a lot of time and effort? Also, making it easier for pet parents to care for their pets by having all of the necessary information in one place.

Design Process

Double-Diamond

The project started by examining the strategies utilised by various adoption websites to attract potential adopters. This initial phase was followed by conducting interviews with individuals who expressed interest in adoption to gain a deeper understanding of their expectations and preferences.

Competitive Analysis

To develop a more effective marketing strategy and identify untapped market opportunities, we conducted a thorough analysis of our competitors. Interestingly, our research revealed that as of July 2018, none of the pet adoption websites in India prioritised simplifying the overall journey of a pet family, which presented a significant gap in the market.

The abundance of information presented on the website is causing visitors to become disoriented while browsing.

The information provided about the animal is inadequate.

The adoption feature on some websites has been concealed or made difficult to find.

The promotion of adoption drives is insufficient.

Surveys and Interviews

I conducted a survey of 50 potential users, including both first-time and experienced pet parents interested in adopting pets, to gain insights into adoption attitudes and ideas for adopting stray animals. The survey yielded several notable inferences, including the following:

Surveys and Interviews

Dog food focuses on non local breeds as ideal pets to own

There is less awareness for adopting stray animals in India and very few shelters have online presence

Animal lovers buy pets due to its appearance and to increase one’s status in their social circle

Stray dogs line in streets and thrive on garbage which makes them unlikable by people

User Persona

To guide design decisions, prioritise tasks, and cultivate empathy with potential pet parents, we constructed personas based on the findings from the survey and interviews.

Customer Journey Map

To identify potential pain points in the design, I utilised my personas as a guide to envision the paths that pet parents would take, and created a customer journey.

Information Architecture

I used card sorting with three participants to establish the information architecture. This aided me in constructing the website's structure and deciding what to include. Finally, I designed a sitemap to ensure that the information I gathered and categorised flows well and is intuitive to pet parents.