Puppos
Dog Adoption Match Maker
Studying Design Sprint
#ux # ui #designsprint #webdesign #studentproject
Puppos is a dog adoption matchmaker for people who lives in the city with space and time limitations to find the right dog
My Role
Running a design sprint as a UI/UX designer to find and validate a solution to provide a better experience to the users.
Project Duration
5 Days
Overview
Set the stage
Problem
People who live in the city often have limited space and time due to their busy schedules. Due to those limitations, it could be challenging for them to find the perfect dog to adopt.
Goal
Find a solution that improves the experience of finding the right dog to adopt for those who live in the city with limitations.
Constraints
Puppos is not a physical organization or shelter. It is a platform that focuses on helping adopters find the right dog that’s suitable for their situations.
Long-term goal
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Increase adoption rate
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Happier owner
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Better forever home for dogs
5 Day Design Sprint Schdule
Day 1
Understanding the users
Day 2
Lightning Demos & Ideation
Day 3
Storyboard and User flow
Day 4
Prototype
Day 5
Validate
Methods
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User interview
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User Persona
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Pain Points
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HMW
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Lightning Demos
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User journey map
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Crazy 8s
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Storyboard
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Prototype
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Usability Test
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Feedback and Iterations
DAY 1
Understanding the users
6/8 participants did not go through/gave up with the adoption, why?
User Interview
After interviewing the participants I recruited before the sprint, I picked out some quotes that I found helpful to our project. They help uncover the 'why' behind the low adopting rate.
I like to see lots of photos - or even better, videos! They help create an instant connection, and it’s a little easier to see how big they are, get a feel for their energy level, and imagine if my small apartment would be a good home for them.
Photos and videos to see their size and energy for small apartment
I have called and visited shelters before - speaking to someone and describing my lifestyle, schedule, and space - it takes a long time, especially if you want to inquire about multiple dogs.
Time consuming when calling to inquire about multiple dogs about limitations
I would never want to adopt a dog that needed more activity or space than I could provide. I try to find breeds that are generally less hyper, but it all depends on the dog's personality.
Never adopt a dog that needs more space and activity
Persona
Struggles to find the right fit for her and the dog. Contacting shelters is time consuming, and adoption sites focus on making a connection instead of the dogs’ needs.
Tammy
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Tammy lives alone in a studio apartment in NYC. Now that she does not have roommates, she finally feels “ready” for the responsibility and companionship of a dog.
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She follows some adoption agencies on Instagram, and even “saves” some dogs she wants to adopt.
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Tammy has spoken to adoption agency representatives to ask questions. This has been helpful, but it is very time consuming to find the right contact or make an appointment.
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She asks friends, and people in her building who have dogs for advice, so she can get some info from people that are closer to her situation.
Behavior
27 years old
New York City
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Tammy wants to find a dog to adopt.
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She wants to feel confident that they will be a great fit for each other - both in emotional connection and practical factors related to her lifestyle.
Goals
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Tammy hasn’t taken action because she doesn’t feel 100% confident that a dog will be a good fit for her AND the dog.
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Most adoption sites focus on making a connection between people and dogs. This is great for browsing, but it often leads to her falling in love with a dog that needs more space, attention, or activity than she can provide. This leads to disappointment and more indecision.
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The description of dogs on sites is too general - for example, it may say, “this dog doesn’t require a lot of space” - but how small is too small?
Frustrations
Pain Points
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Not confident that the dog will be a good fit
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Inquiring about dogs from the shelter is time consuming.
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Descriptions of dogs on adoption sites are too general.
DAY 2
Lightning Demos & Ideation
Lightning Demos
Takeaways
adoptapet
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Users browse pets through distance, breed, sex, age, size, and color.
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The Ask About Me button helps users connect with the shelter or organization directly.
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Questions about the users for the shelter or organization to get to know the adopter better
PawsLikeMe
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Twenty questions quiz about themselves as a dog owner and the dog's personality they preferred.
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A summary about their ideal dog
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Matches user with available dogs
How might we...
Let’s start with some How might we questions to spark creative solutions.
HMW help users feel confident enough to take the next steps to adopt a dog?
HMW help users find a dog that is tailored to their unique situation?
HMW help users conveniently collect info about the dog they are interested in adopting?
Possible solutions - User Journey Map
Map 1
Enhanced Filter Search
Enhanced Filter Search such as living space, good with kids/other pets, energy level etc.
Adopter
Filter
Choose
Contact Shelter
Search
Browse
Redirect to site
Map 2
Match with dogs
Adopters complete a questionnaire about their limitations and personalities. They will be matched based on their preferences. Submit their questionnaire and profile as the application
Adopter
Questionnaire
Browse options
Adopt
Set up profile
Match with dogs
Choose
Crazy 8s & Solution Sketch
Made a minor change after the sketches because it is crucial for users to meet with their chosen dog before adoption. Per our persona Tammy, she mentioned that she wants to feel confident that they will be a great fit for each other - both in emotional connection and practical factors related to her lifestyle. So it let me think that it wouldn't make sense for users to adopt before even meeting their pup in person. So I changed from adopting to scheduling a time to meet with the dog instead.
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It is crucial for users to meet with their chosen dog before adoption.
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The adoption process takes time to complete for the adopter and the shelter.
Consideration
Recruit Users for Friday’s Test
Recruit potential users for Friday’s usability test.
Targeted Users
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Have experience with adoption sites
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Want to adopt a pet
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Lives in the city
DAY 3
Decision and storyboard
Referring back to our persona Tammy, Map 2 aligns with Tammy's pain points and needs. The match results will be tailored to the user's needs based on the questionnaire. Furthermore, it provides peace of mind on time savings.
Storyboard
DAY 4
Prototype
On day 4, I spent most of the day creating a realistic prototype for tomorrow’s testing section.
Landing Page & Create Account
Creating a Puppos account to have their profile and match results saved.
Questionnaire About The User
Understand users’ limitations and personalities to find the perfect dog
User Preferences About The dog
Understand user preferences about the dog and find them the perfect match.
Results and Summary
Expand the side tab to view a summary of the results and edit their preferences.
Schedule to Meet and Submit Your Profile
Schedule to meet with your ideal dog and submit your profile and questionnaire as the application
Prepare for testing tomorrow
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Prepare test scripts and tasks.
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Remind users about tomorrow’s test
DAY 5
Validate
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In-Person
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5 Participants
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Direct Tasks
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Explore the prototype
01.
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Go through the complete process from setting up a profile to submitting the profile to meet the dog
02.
Results
90%
of the participants shows interest in using the product
80%
of the participants are confident that they will find the perfect dog with this design
70%
of the participants are satisfied with the new adoption process
I like how this process is different from all the other adoption websites.
Oh! The profile is the application, interesting.
Oh wow, I can make an appointment here instead of calling. That’s cool
I really like how it matches you with the dogs, but is there a filter option?
Next step
Most people like this new process of adoption. I would add some basic filtering options like distance, breed, color, and sex so users can filter the matched pups instead of going through all of them.
Final Comment
1. One thing I would do differently is the questionnaire. I would spend more time during the user interview and dig deeper into their needs and limitations so that my questions and the test results are more accurate.
2. It needs some effort for shelters and organizations to accommodate this new process to provide available timeslots and confirm the appointments.
3. My first design sprint experience was enjoyable and exciting. I was able to validate my solution very efficiently. This process has a stringent timeline, preventing me from spending too much time on one step so I can come up with effective solutions quickly and move along with the process.
*The project was developed during the Springboard UX design course.
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