In 2017, I produced a concept for a pet adoption app called PetPals as part of an interview process. This project tested my skills in efficiently producing wireframes and a full user flow. I completed the project in one day, excluding the time spent waiting for survey results.

When looking for pets to adopt, there are not many well-designed software tools that are available to help facilitate the process. The goal of this case study was to propose a product that can help with that pet adoption process.

I started off by distilling what I needed to know into a few guiding questions:

I distributed a Google Forms survey to address these questions and distributed it in various Facebook groups. My research would have been more accurate and well-rounded if I had distributed the survey to a greater variety of people, but I was constrained by the required project turnaround time.

I received 87 valid survey responses.

Average importance of various factors when choosing a pet (scale of 1-5)
· Species: 4.66
· Temperament: 4.17
· Health status: 4.01
· Amount of care required: 3.83
· Breed: 3.62
· Distance from me: 2.88
· Gender: 1.99
Also noted: age, color, size, adoption fee

I then starting fleshing out a variety of possible solutions.

Idea 1 - grid app: A user can view a grid of pets in the app that meet their filter requirements. After tapping on a pet, they are then able to contact the owner or begin the adoption process.
Pros - Simple navigation, can view a lot of pets quickly without needing to do much
Cons - Pet pictures in a grid may be too small, very similar to a lot of other apps

‍Idea 2 - matchmaking website: A user completes a personality survey. Pets are then presented to the user based on a personality match score.
Pros - A great pet personality match, can view a lot of pets at once (after taking personality test)
Cons - A lot of user effort is needed to complete the personality test, the test may not be very reliable, and pet pictures in a grid may be too small

‍Idea 3 - swiping app: An app that allows users to swipe left or right on one animal at a time. If a user swipes right, they will be given more info on how to adopt the animal.
Pros - Unique, pictures of pets are large, has a fun/potentially viral activity aspect
Cons - Users only see one pet at a time, accounts may be required because the app focuses on saving your favorites

‍Idea 4 - dream pet website: A user defines their “dream pet” on a website, answering a number of questions. They are contacted when a pet exactly matches their dream requirements.
Pros - User does not need to do anything else after submitting, provides shelters with a database of potential adopters
Cons - No guarantee of a user being contacted, users cannot look for pets on their own

I decided to move forward with Idea 3, the Swiping App.

It is simple, unique, fun, and also shows large pictures of the pets which is a critical decision factor. In regards to an app going viral, I could see this catching on very easily (especially among recent college graduates - a significant group of potential users). I believe those benefits outweigh the drawbacks of needing to create an account and only viewing one pet at a time. Users are still able to pace themselves at a decision speed they want.

In addition to the features I sketched, I also included a personality test (similar to that in Idea 2, the matchmaking website). This would contribute to the app’s pet-finding formula and may make favoriting a pet feel more special to users. The personality test can be optional so that the time needed to complete it is not a deterrent for users.

I based my wireframes on Google Material UI.

I usability tested my first draft wire frames with four participants using an InVision project. This usability testing process was relatively quick and informal. I mostly hoped to find out if there were any glaring difficulties for users with this app.

Usability testing process
1.  Introduction and explanation of process
2.  Ask participant to create an account
3.  Ask participant to view filter options, favorited pets, and notification preferences (in a randomized order)
4.  When a user has difficulty with a task, record what caused the confusion

Results
·  Creating an account: no participants encountered difficulty
·  View favorited pets: two participants had difficulty figuring out how to view favorited pets
        - Pain point: it is not clear enough that the white swiping area can slide down
·  View filter preferences: two participants attempted to filter their search results with settings, not filter
        - Pain point: The icon for the filter is not clear - "looks more like a list"
        - Pain point: The settings and filter pages are too similar
·  View Notification Options: No participants encountered difficulty.

Design actions taken
·  Renamed the "Settings" page to "Account"
·  Changed the filter icon
·  Improved the favorite pets text on the home swiping screen to look more like a drop-down
·  Improved the drag icon at the top of the home screen swiping area
·  Improved the action button locations on the pet detail screen
·  Other minor UI improvements

My final deliverables included an InVision prototype of the revised wireframe designs, along with a user flow.