providing pet owners with reliable information through an engaging community
tools
my role
ux research
ui design
branding
prototype
duration
12 weeks
1. overview
the problem
In 2023, around 66% of American households reported that they owned at least one pet. Living with a pet comes with many responsibilities that range from everyday tasks such as purchasing supplies to more stressful tasks such as handling medical emergencies.
When dealing with these stressors, most owners go online to find answers, or go to the vet for more serious concerns. With the Internet being such a vast space full of conflicting information that takes time to filter through, many pet owners end up feeling frustrated and isolated.
the solution
Tailored is a digital app that serves as a forum for pet owners and alike to share and receive information about pet care. The brand encourages the users to feel more empowered in the choices they make for their pets.
By highlighting discussions that are verified by professionals, Tailored reduces the feeling of uncertainty that glooms over the life of taking care of a pet. Although the app may not be the tangible medicine that makes an ill pet feel better, it can guide the owners during their pursuit of knowledge within a caring community.
design process
I just wish I could go to a single reliable source, as opposed to filtering through so many online.
This visual representation of the design process may appear linear, but the reality could not be further from the truth. Especially when it came to the ideating, designing, and testing stages, there was a continuous back-and-forth - which was only natural given the nature of iteration.
2. research & discovery
competitive analysis
The competitive analysis process of the three major products below allowed me to better record what’s already working or lacking in the market.
Facebook groups and Reddit are popular platforms that foster online discussions. They both utilize the post and comment features as the main tools for communication. Furthermore, they have admin / moderator features to enforce community-specific rules.
Rover is an app specifically designed for matching with sitters and walkers. Even though its main mission is different than that of a forum, their design is faithful to the needs of the pet owners - thus bringing great value to the analysis.
research questions
Without setting up specific research goals first, the the discovery phase has the potential to become aimless and unintentional. Therefore, I came up with some research questions that should lead the project towards tangible solutions in the long run. At the same time, it was essential to start being mindful and cautious about not preemtively brainstorming solution ideas just yet. After all, these were merely supposed to be questions and not answers.
research methods
The dive into the research process was a healthy mix of observation, reference checks, and self-directed data collection. In order to navigate the problem space, I first conducted secondary research via articles, journals, and existing applications. I learned more about the most relevant concerns of pet owners as well as their preferences regarding Internet behavior. The screener survey opened the door for me to collect participants that would be suitable for user interviews. The interviews were perhaps the most important element that aided the “define” stage of the design process.
some useful analysis were:
affinity maps
empathy maps & personas
Unlike the affinity mapping process, the empathy mapping process Involved more back-and-forth when it came to solidifying how the actual users will be differentiated. I eventually came up with two different user types:
The Caregiver with a high anxiety level focuses on the best possible care for their pet with an added goal of community building. They shed further light on community management and how it should be empathetic and safe. Because the desire to provide the best care is grounded in love, safety, and communication, the Caregiver wants the same ideals to be reflected in the space that she will be engaging in.
The Achiever with high efficiency level focuses on the ideal balance of life with a pet with an added goal of low-stress online interactions. They’re more concerned about efficiently finding content that’s helpful to their unique situation - so they don’t necessarily care to foster connections beyond their immediate problem space.
Both reflect the desire for a fast and reliable source of information, while each prefers a different level of engagement with other users on the platform.
“Going through the process of setting up a vet appointment, going in, and paying a fee often leaves me feeling fatigued - especially when it comes to minor concerns.”
The affinity mapping process proved to be quite intuitive - since the product is supposed to be an informative community for pet owners, the categories naturally centered around pets and technology. This step streamlined the different facets of the problem space, and I was able to simplify and digest the most essential needs of the users.
searching
posting & browsing
sign up & log in
Following the user stories, I laid out the user flows of the red routes that will be included in the product. They are: Signing up & logging in, posting & browsing, and searching & posting. This process allowed me to get a visual sense of the exact points that branch off into multiple options of selection.
user flows
The biggest challenge of the previous step was conceptualizing the product’s MVP while simultaneously attempting to sequentialize the features. Creating the sitemap allowed me to visualize the minimal information architecture for the product’s initial release.
sitemap
Creating the user stories was a tangible first step in laying out the exact actions, in chronological order, that a user would take in achieving a certain goal. For my purposes, I created the two different stories that each focus on community-building and information-seeking, per the previous user personas.
user stories
3. information architecture
4. design & testing
branding
Whilst going from sketching to high-fidelity, I created the style guide that would serve as the standing reference point during the final design process. The color palette consists of high brightness and low saturation colors in order to convey the feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and approachability. The dreamy pastel hues create a welcoming yet whimsical atmosphere.
The rounded corners of the cards and icons add to the cheerful nature of the brand.
design evolutions
From sketching to high-fidelity, all the screens went through multiple iterations after two rounds of usability testing - some more than others.
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home page
- Top bar navigation options reduced to only “home” and “following” for clarity
- “Trending” carousel shapes taken from the onboarding screens for consistency
- Bottom navigation bar redesigned for the overall product for brand identity
- Enlarged card sizes for accessibility
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search results
-Search bar extended all the way to the right to reduce clutter
-Separate option bar for filtering between posts, comments, tags, and accounts for more user control
-Addition of “vet approved only” filter for reliability
- Enhanced visual hierarchy within the cards for clarity
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title page
- “Continue with Facebook” option phased out for simplicity
- Existing account log-in moved to the bottom as an auxiliary option for when users are signed out
the problem
People don’t want to filter through multiple platforms on the Internet to find a meaningful solution.
the solution
tailored lets you look up discussions and resources on many different topics and animals and lets you follow said topics to stay on top of the game.
the solution
You can use the “vet-approved only” filter within search results. Vets’ user profiles are also tagged with a special icon.
the solution
Profiles are tagged with icons that represent the animal’s traits (i.e. age). Users can also follow topics to connect with those who may share similar predicaments.
the problem
Going to the vet can be time-consuming and expensive, but pet owners still want a reliable source of information.
the problem
Pet owners crave connections with like-minded people who care just as much.
testing
Some users experienced difficulty with following a tag - this was resolved by providing an option to follow tags directly on the search results page.
testing
Some users felt that it looked like another social media platform - this was resolved by prioritizing trending topics on the home page & creating the “vet-approved only” filter.
testing
All users agreed that having the option to filter the search results gives them more of a peace of mind.
5. what’s next?
If Tailored is further developed, it would incorporate & test the following elements:
An “other” community that still feels close-knit and cohesive. Owners of pets that do not belong in the existing categories also deserve easy access to information. If anything, being an owner of a rare / exotic pet would make them crave a community like Tailored even more!
A curated resource tab of blog posts, articles, and links for more information-gathering. This would enhance Tailored’s mission of spreading reliable knowledge and information. The inclusion of this feature deserves careful attention to detail so as to not become an unorganized, miniature version of the Internet.
A system of compensating the professionals that contribute to the vet-approved system. Without them, a supply of reliable information would not be possible. This may have to be one of the most essential first steps to configure if the Tailored were to be backed up.
