PawPatrol

Trusted care and community for pet lovers

Dribbble Product Design Course | Case Study | Product Design

My Role

Product Design
User Research
Product Thinking
Narrative/ Storytelling

Tools

Figma
G-Suite

Timeline

April - August 2023

Project

Problem

  • Quickly finding a reliable and trusted individual to care for their pet is a pressing concern for dog owners.

  • Navigating numerous options is time-consuming, and leaving one's dog with an unfamiliar person feels daunting.

  • While friends and family might be the first choice, their availability is unpredictable.

    The challenge is connecting dog owners with walkers and sitters and ensuring a foundation of trust and security in those connections.

Goal

To create an intuitive platform where dog owners can effortlessly engage with trusted and verified dog walkers and sitters, ensuring their pets' safety and well-being and building a thriving community for pet lovers.

Solution

PawPatrol: The top dog care app for busy pet owners

  • Connect with trusted walkers and sitters in your area.

  • Ensure your pet's well-being, even in your absence.

  • Engage in a community of dog enthusiasts sharing advice, making pet care simpler.

Design Process

Double Diamond Framework

Design Principles

Using the double-diamond framework, I expanded my research to explore various issues. After this exploration, I honed in to define our specific "How Might We" question and the desired outcomes.

“PawPatrol prioritizes your pet’s health and happiness by connecting pet owners with reliable caregivers. We aim to build a trustworthy community where pets receive the best care, owners feel at ease, and caregivers thrive.”

  1. Personalization: Empower users by enabling a customized experience tailored to their needs.

  2. Control: Entrust users with authority over their own experiences, promoting a sense of ownership and agency.

  3. Community-Centered Design: Designing for inclusion means designing with the users, not solely for them.

  4. Behavioral Consideration: Recognize and consider that individual biases influence user expectations and interactions with a product or service.

User Research

I conducted secondary research through journals and scholarly articles to validate some of my assumptions:

Assumptions: Dog owners prioritize their pets' safety and well-being but lack interest in reliable and adaptable dog-walking services when needed.

Findings: The adoption of pets during the pandemic brought joy and companionship to many American households; however, as life returns to a semblance of normalcy, these pet owners are now grappling with the unexpected financial and logistical challenges associated with pet ownership.

Primary Research

“78% of users prioritize background checks and walker credentials, while 60% express the need for better trust-building features. Around 40% have concerns about handing their pet to a stranger.”

I conducted user interviews with 15 participants, all identifying as pet owners aged 35-55. Interviews were conducted remotely through video calls (10 participants) and in person (5 participants)

Assumptions/Unknown: Dog owners have difficulty finding the right Dog walker for their needs. What are the key pain points that dog owners experience when seeking a walker?

Findings: Dog owners, driven by concerns for their pet's safety and well-being, heavily value trustworthy and flexible dog-walking services that offer real-time tracking, professional care, and a sense of community, all while adhering to a reasonable pricing threshold.

One of the hardest parts for the owners was often dealing with the learning curve of using the app and managing trust in the dog walkers.

Key pain points include finding reliable walkers, ensuring pet safety, and coordinating schedules with busy lifestyles”.

Competitive Analysis

Key Takeaways:

  • Most dog-walking apps offer core features like real-time tracking, in-app messaging, and user reviews.

  • Differentiation often comes from personalized matching, additional services, and trust-building measures.

  • Some platforms focus on specific niches like urban areas, dog training, and walking.

  • Availability and geographic coverage can vary significantly among competitors.

  • Caregiver qualifications and background checks are emphasized to ensure user trust and safety.

User Journey Map

User Persona

Design

Before diving into designing the app, setting a business and user needs (Dog Owner, Dog Walker) is valuable. 

Due to the limited time, I focused on achieving the user (Dog Owner) needs to match the business goal. To gain insight into a dog owner’s thought process of searching for and hiring a walker, I met friends and neighbors and talked to people at the park who own pets. 

Below are some of my findings:

Design Explorations

I began to explore the various visual aspects of the design to satisfy business and user needs.

Design Iteration 1

I interviewed six participants to receive their feedback

  • On average, 40% of users found the app confusing.

  • On average, 35% of users expressed frustration with the app's user flow.

  • On average, 70% of users felt tasks took too long.

Design Iteration 2

As a part of the design critique technique, I Interviewed 10 Dribble classmates to get feedback on the app.
I redesigned and rebranded the app, improving product design and visual elements and elevating the user experience.

The goal was to expedite task completion while delivering a seamless, native iOS-like interface.

Final Design

In the final design, I iterated to enhance the user experience by reducing a few more steps to reach the user and business goals:
Find a dog walker and connect with like-minded to be a part of the pet community.

So, What went well?

  • User-Centered Approach: The design process began by understanding the user's needs and pain points through research, interviews, and competitive analysis, ensuring a user-centric approach.

  • Iterative Design: Based on user feedback, the design underwent multiple iterations, showcasing flexibility and responsiveness to user needs and preferences.

  • Visual Enhancement: The final design focused on improving the product's visual elements, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly interface.

That's nice, but what would I do differently if I had more time?

  1. User Engagement and Gamification: Implement a rewards and gamification system within the app to incentivize users to engage more actively. This could include earning points for completing tasks, badges for achievements, or discounts from local pet-related businesses as rewards.

  2. Local Business Partnerships: Forge strategic partnerships with local pet-related businesses, such as pet stores, groomers, or trainers. This collaboration can provide exclusive discounts or promotions to app users, fostering a stronger sense of community and loyalty.

  3. Community Engagement: Create dedicated community spaces within the app where pet owners can share stories, advice, and experiences. Host virtual events, webinars, or forums to encourage discussions and build a supportive pet owner community.

  4. AI-Powered Pet Health Insights: Leverage AI and machine learning to offer personalized pet health insights to users. The app can provide proactive health recommendations and alerts by analyzing data related to pet activity, diet, and health records, positioning it as a valuable tool in the pet health industry.

These additional elements would enhance the user experience and expand the app's value proposition, making it a comprehensive platform for pet owners, caregivers, and businesses.