Puppos
Dog Adoption Match Maker
Studying Design Sprint
#ux # ui #designsprint #webdesign #studentproject
Puppos is a facilitator for dog adoption, catering to individuals residing in urban areas with limited space and time. Our mission is to aid in finding the ideal furry companion for each person.
My Role
As a UI/UX designer, I ran a design sprint aimed at finding and validating a solution that can enhance the users' experience.
Project Duration
5 Days
Overview
Set the stage
Problem
Living in the city can often present challenges such as limited space and a busy schedule, making it difficult to find the ideal dog to adopt.
Goal
Suggest a solution for people living in the city with limitations to make it easier for them to find the perfect dog to adopt and enhance their overall experience
Constraints
Puppos is not a physical shelter or organization. Rather, it is a platform dedicated to assisting adopters in finding the perfect dog that matches their unique circumstances.
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
I conducted interviews with the participants I had recruited for the sprint, and identified some quotes that could be useful for our project. These quotes helped us understand the reasons behind the low adoption rate.
I really enjoy browsing through numerous photos and videos of pets. It helps me establish an immediate connection with them, and also gives me a better idea of their size and energy level. This way, I can easily picture whether or not they would be a good fit for my small apartment.
Photos and videos to see their size and energy for small apartment
Back in the day, I used to hit up animal shelters and go visit them in person to see about adopting some furry friends. It was a whole process where I had to tell them about my life, what my schedule was like, and where I lived. It could take a while, especially if I was interested in adopting more than one doggo.
Time consuming when calling to inquire about multiple dogs about limitations
When looking to adopt a dog, I make sure to consider my lifestyle and the amount of space and activity I can provide. I tend to gravitate towards breeds that are typically less hyper, but ultimately, I base my decision on the individual dog's personality.
Never adopt a dog that needs more space and activity
Persona
She is struggling to find the perfect match for herself and her furry friend. The process of reaching out to shelters is proving to be too time-consuming, and adoption websites seem to prioritize building human connections rather than fulfilling the dogs' requirements.
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
I made a small adjustment after reviewing the sketches. It is important for users to meet their chosen dog before adoption, as per Tammy's persona. Tammy emphasized the need to feel confident that the chosen dog would be a suitable fit in terms of emotional connection and practical considerations related to her lifestyle. Therefore, it would be illogical to adopt a dog before meeting them in person. Consequently, I revised the process to scheduling a meeting with the dog instead of adoption.
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Meeting with the chosen dog before adoption is a crucial step for users. Additionally, both the adopter and the shelter should be prepared for the adoption process to take some time.
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
Taking into account Tammy's persona, Map 2 accurately addresses her concerns and requirements. The search results are customized to suit the user's specific needs, as determined by their responses to the questionnaire. Additionally, it offers the assurance of time efficiency.
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. If I had to do it again, I would focus more on the user interview and really delve into their needs and limitations. This would allow me to create more accurate questions and obtain more precise test results.
2. Implementing this new process would require effort from shelters and organizations to provide available timeslots and confirm appointments.
3. My first experience with the design sprint was both enjoyable and exciting. The process has a strict timeline, which prevented me from getting stuck on one step for too long. As a result, I was able to efficiently validate my solution and generate effective ideas throughout the process.
*This project was developed during the Springboard UX design course.
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