case study: a dog walking app
This marks my second case study, which I've worked on as a part of the Product Design Course at Dribbble. Under the expert guidance of Valerie Downs, I've delved into the nuances of Product Design, gaining a comprehensive perspective from various angles.
A notable highlight has been refining my skills in creating design systems and responsive design. These newfound abilities have empowered me to craft better digital products in a smarter and more efficient way.
💚 I extend my gratitude to my mentors, Valerie Downs and Jesse Showalter, for their instrumental role in fostering my professional growth.
The Problem
To design an app that connects pet owners with trusted local people who would love to look after pets, so that pet owners can easily arrange walks or overnight stays and have a peace of mind while being away. An app that aims to help pet owners when they need it, give pets more exercise and playtime, to allow people without a pet to spend quality time with one and to build an honest and conscientious community.
The Process:
Research
User interviews
User flows & Wireframing
Prototype testing
Trust Issues
Interviews showed that most frustrations and user problems revolved around the sense or security and trust toward the new person.
Users need a sense of security: they are more likely to trust a person that they already know or met. Interview respondents also specified that they would prefer to meet a walker in person before trusting the person their pet. Notably, users tend to trust sitters with their own pets/confirmable experience (reviews, reports, ratings) of successfully handling pets.
The sense of lack of security & trust is the no.1 reasons that stops potential users from using the service
Users often feel that competitors provide too little information, hence they seem not transparent and trustworthy enough. This leads people to turn to a trusted friend or a family member instead, because users want to make sure that the walker has great attention to details and follows instructions (not to let the dog off the leash etc).
Solutions
📲 Photo/video report, GPS tracking, view history features to give peace of mind and help deal with separation anxiety & trust issues
⭐️ Reviews, meeting prior to booking to prove attention to details
🖤 Clear and minimal design to make the first-time users journey as smooth and easy as possible
🎾 Illustrations to create a playful and easy, but trustworthy environment
Wireframing & Design Ideation
🏁 Final Words
This project was instrumental in refining my design system skills and enhancing my proficiency in using Figma.
What I have learnt:
Accessibility considerations: one must design for the user, so careful user demographic research must be made beforehand.
p.s
If you like my dog illustrations - feel free to use my sticker pack on Telegram that I have created 🐶
