CityPups
A website to match NYC residents with their perfect pup.
Timeline
1 week
The Problem
The Solution
The Process
Project Type
Design Sprint
Role
UX Research, competitive analysis, wireframing, high-fidelity mockups, prototyping, user testing
Many people want to adopt dogs, and shelters and rescues want to get more dogs adopted. However, finding the right dog online can be a challenge. People have certain needs and criteria for their dog, including size, age, activity level, socialization level, etc. While this information can be obtained by calling or speaking with someone from the shelter, the process can be time consuming and cumbersome.
CityPups is a website to connect adopters with available dogs in NYC. Using an interactive quiz, CityPups streamlines the adoption process and provides personalized recommendations. Once users have found their perfect pup, they are linked to the appropriate rescue or shelter to complete the application process.
Day 1: Map
Day 1 of the design sprint included research and discover with user interviews, affinity mapping, and user personas.
Affinity Mapping
Interviews showed that while building an emotional connection with a dog is important, having access to information about the dog to determine the right fit is more important.
User Personas
Solution Mapping
Once research concluded, I mapped out the process of potential solutions. Each map started with the user and ended with that user submitting an adoption application. With a few drawn out, I picked the best one to proceed.
Day 2: Sketch
Day 2 consisted of sketching potential solutions. This started with lightning demos, before moving to a round of Crazy 8s and a solution sketch.
Lightning Demos
Petfinder.com
Since the leading pet adoption site is Petfinder.com, I evaluated the site for how well it met my users’s needs. I used both their ‘find the perfect match’ quiz as well as their general dog search.
Pros:
easy to filter
good photos
a variety of questions about adopters’ needs
Crazy 8s and Solution Sketch
I ran through a round of crazy 8s to sketch out solutions. Since users prioritized seeing a dog’s information to assess fit, I focussed on the dog profile first.
Priorities:
information and quick facts > photos
users need an easy way to reach out to shelter/rescue staff
clear CTA button for adoption
only show dogs that will be a good fit for the adopter
not enough shown on info card
too many options (overwhelming)
too cluttered
eHarmony.com
Cons:
Next I looked at one of the leading dating websites, eHarmony.com. Since they focus on matching people based on compatibility, I looked at their profile layout and matching process.
Pros:
icons to quickly see basic info
depth of questions/answers
easy to edit and update
Cons:
info is too spread out - quick ‘facts’ interspersed with longer text
UI is not exciting
does not list priorities
Day 3: Decide
With a solution sketch chosen, day 3 was spent sketching out the remaining screens. Since the sprint is limited to MVP, extra features were kept to a minimum.
Storyboard
Day 4: Prototype
Using Figma, I created a working prototype based on my sketches. This starts with a homepage, moves users through a compatibility page, shows matching dogs, and ends on the dog profile page. From the profile, users can choose to adopt and are sent to the rescue or shelter website to complete the application.
Day 5: Test
Rounding out the Sprint week I conducted 5 moderated usability tests. Users were tasked with going through the compatibility quiz, locating a dog they were interested in (Pretzel), and taking the first step to adopt.
Lessons Learned and Next Steps
Areas for Improvement:
users want additional filters for dogs (ie favorite activity)
further functionality (login process,
sending profile information to rescue/shelter organization automatically
As a Design Spring this project was highly successful. The main question - how might we connect people with the perfect dog for them - was answered with a visually appealing website. Further iteration could include additional features such as a login, saved searches, and automating the adoption process.
Successes:
layout is simple and easy to use
visual design is appealing
process to inquire more is quick and simple