Dog Walking

site  and app

Overview

I created a dog walking, boarding, and daycare app where users can find reliable, trustworthy pet sitters to take care of their pet while they’re away.

The problem: Users were in need of trustworthy pet sitters they can drop their dogs off while they work, and have peace of mind that they are well-taken care of.

Role

Lead UX Designer and UX Researcher

Tools

Adobe XD, Photoshop

Goal

The creation of an easy-to-use app and desktop version for users of all ages to use to find pet sitters they trust.

Responsibilities

Starting with user research and wireframing, conducting interviews, designing, prototyping, and testing.

Timeline

September - mid-October 2023

User Research Summary

The research found that people really need a dog daycare they can trust.

They’re looking for something simple to book a reliable dog sitter that keep their worries away. They really want easy steps to find that person and complete the process. I was surprised at just how stressful this is for pet owners. Their dogs are their family members, and they’re not just going to leave them with anyone.

User Research: pain points

  • Who to Trust

    We ensure our pet sitters are vetted and have background checks.

  • Finding Someone Close to Home

    Users have a way to search for a sitter nearby their home, making drop-offs simple.

  • In Good Hands

    Users wanted a way to get to know the sitter and that they will treat their pet as well as their own. We allow a meet and greet to be arranged, and multiple photos of the sitter and their pet to help the users “get to know” them better.

Personas

I wanted to form a deeper understanding of the users' goals, needs, experiences, and behaviors. I created a persona for the user segment that was based on user interviews.

User Journey

The goal here is to get them through the process with very little or no hold-ups. We want to move them through and make a connection with a sitter, that will turn into a booking.

Sitemap

Simplify the process in as little steps as possible.

Paper Wireframes

Develop the best way to display the information, in a simplified fashion.

Digital Wireframes

The design thinking was to simplify finding a pet sitter process and give three choices: boarding, daycare, and dog walking.

Once the user decides on an action, they are guided to next steps to find the right pet sitter. A list of sitters populates for them to review their rates and information. They are able to click into the sitter profile and read more about them.

Low-fidelity Prototype

Mock-ups

Prior to the usability study, I thought that users would just want to get in and start their search. On the contrary, they have greater success starting with what they’re looking for, rather than who.

Before usability study

After usability study

Design Mock-ups

Once the usability issues were resolved, I moved on to design the final screens in Adobe XD.

Learnings

People love their pet as if they were their child. They put a lot of care into the sitters’ hands. It’s important to know that pet sitting is a serious job and owners deserve to know their pets are in good hands.

Next Steps

Conduct another usability study to validate whether the pain points users expressed were addressed. Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of focus.