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Project Overview
Paw Patch
Paw Patch is an end-to-end app created for urban dog owners seeking alternative and private exercise spaces for their dogs. Designed to bridge the gap between dog owners in city areas and yard owners willing to share their outdoor spaces, Paw Patch simplifies urban pet life.
Tools
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Figma
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OtterAi
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Maze
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Google Forms
Role
Sole designer and researcher (academic)
Personal Goals
Explore ideation techniques, experiment with UI design
Duration
5 Weeks
RESEARCH
Hypothesis
Users may benefit from a platform which allows them to book land (e.g. backyards) for their dogs to play and exercise – as well as users may benefit from booking out their land (e.g. backyards) for other’s dogs to play and exercise.
Research Goal
Understand pain points for urban dog owners regarding taking their dogs in public places and finding spaces for them to exercise and play.
Methdologies
1
Competitor Analysis
Analyze relevant competitive platforms
2
Survey
Gain insight about potential problem areas
3
User Interviews
Identify pain points and user needs
4
Affinity Mapping
Synthesize findings and define the problem
Competitor Analysis
I identified three major platforms providing resources for dog owners to find dog friendly spaces. One of which is a platform geared towards my specific target market.
About
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Supplies access to private yards for dog owners to rent by the hour
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Allows yard owners to rent out their yard to dog owners
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Provides resources for other dog friendly spaces and activities
Strengths
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Allows yard owner's to set their own prices
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Provides information about different dog breeds
Weaknesses
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Yard owner's do not have the option to book more than one dog at a time
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Negative reviews claim there are not enough safety precautions set by the platform
Opportunities
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Identify in interviews how important safety is to potential users
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Allow user's to choose whether they are comfortable with multiple dogs at once
Identified Opportunities:
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Create a platform which supplies resources to find more dog friendly areas than just dog parks
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Ensure there is sufficient dog breed selection for dog profiles
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Identify how important safety is to users
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Allow users to set their own safety preferences and how many dogs they are comfortable with during a booking
Survey
To begin to understand my user and gain insights for user interview questions, I developed an 18 question survey and received 20 responses from dog owners & yard owners living in urban areas.
Responses that stood out to me the most:
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45% of surveyors said their dog needs a lot of exercise and 35% said their dog needs an average amount of exercise
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40% of surveyors said they exercise their dogs 2+ times a day and 35% said they exercise their dogs 1-2 times a day
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75% of participants said they do not said they do not use public dog parks
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50% of surveyors said they would consider renting a private yard
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40% of surveyors said they would rent out their yard
User Interviews
I then put together a 17 question script and conducted user interviews with 5 participants living in urban areas. All 5 participants owned dogs and 3 participants lived in a residence with a yard.
The results
Affinity Mapping
With data from the competitor analysis, survey, and user interviews, I was now able to synthesize my findings and define the problem. I affinity mapped each research method separately and then compiled the information together to uncover correlations.
* The Problem *
Many dog owners living in urban area residences without yards, have a hard time finding spaces to exercise their dogs off-leash that are not A) overcrowded, or B) a public dog park.
Key Takeaways
Many dog owners living in urban areas:
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exercise their dogs 2-4 hours per day through walks in their neighborhood and hiking trails
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do not use dog parks because they feel they are dangerous or their dogs can't use them
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have difficulty finding uncrowded places to let their dogs exercise off-leash
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without yards: would be interested in renting a private space for their dog
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with yards: would be interested in renting out their yards to dog owners
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have used online resources for dog owners
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AND, Safety precautions are extremely important to both yard owners and renters
Pain Points
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Many dog owners exercise their dogs 2-4 hours a day but have difficulty finding spaces to let their dog off leash that is not crowded
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Many dog owners do not feel comfortable taking their dog to dog parks and therefore have limited spaces to exercise their dogs
Potential Features
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Because so many dog owners enjoy walking around their neighborhood and hiking trails, it could be beneficial for the app to suggest dog friendly neighborhoods and trails for users
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Some of the interviewees and surveyors said they like to let their dogs swim and practice training, these yard attractions should be listed
Non-negotiables
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The one major concern was safety. Clearly defined and well regulated safety measures must be communicated to all users. This also aligns with bad reviews from the competitor analysis.
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Users can accept or decline bookings and choose how many dogs they allow or are comfortable with at a time.
User Personas
Before moving on, I created two user personas; the renter and the host.
The Renter
IDEATION
Ideation Techniques
1
POV & HMW
Turn insights into opportunities
2
Crazy 8
Sketch innovative solutions
3
Time Constraints
Brainstorm unique ideas
Point of View Statements & How Might We Questions
I wrote 6 POV statements to help me explore goal-oriented solutions.
Using my POV statements as a guide, I wrote out 9 actionable HMW questions.
Crazy 8
Next, a partner and I sketched 32 possible solutions for two of my HMW questions.
1) How might we supply alternative options to public dog parks for dog owners living in urban area apartments who need a private space to exercise their dog so that they can get their dog the exercise they need while feeling comfortable and safe?
2) How might we help dog owners looking for private space to exercise their dogs - to find homeowners with yards who are willing to host their yard so that yard owners may share their space with dog owners in their community?
1)
2)
Time Constraints
To go one step further, my partner and I wrote down as many solutions as possible within 5 minutes for two more HMW questions.
1) How might we provide important safety information to homeowners interested in renting out their yard to dog owners so that they can rent out their yard based on their safety standards?
2) How might we provide important safety information to dog owners interested in renting out a private yard for their dog to exercise so that they can rent yards based on their safety standards?
The Results
With the help of another unique mind I was able to come up with an awesome list of potential solutions and features; some of which I implemented into this version of the app, and some that I kept note of for future versions.
Crazy 8
Implemented
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Renting a private yard by the hour
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Suggest public places that are not parks (e.g. beaches, hiking)
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An app that lets you rent out your yard
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An in-app messenger
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Map showing hosts in the area
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Listing with yard features
Saved
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Connecting people with similar preferences
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Notifications for when popular yards have availability
Time Constraints
Implemented
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Dog profiles with information such as breed
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Yard owner has to approve the booking
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Messaging in app between yard owner and dog owner
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Yard owner can set their own rules
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A “meet and greet” before final booking
Saved
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Both parties must sign a safety agreement upon booking
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Hosts will be sent a sign to put outside their house
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Yard owners have to get their yard approved by company
ROADMAPPING
Organization Process
1
Feature Roadmap
Prioritize feature creation
2
Sitemap
Organize the platform layout
3
Task Flows
Establish interface pathways
Feature Roadmap
I then put together a feature roadmap to prioritize the development of key features.
Features that are a must-have for this version of development.
Features that can be done during the next step in the development process.
Sitemap
Because I had two separate users with different views, I had to think critically about how that might layout in the flow of my app.
Task Flows
Task Flow 1: existing user (renter) signing in and using the explore page map to message a host and request to book a property for their dog.
Task Flow 2: existing user (host) signing in and using the messages to respond to a booking request from a renter.
BRANDING
Aesthetics
1
Mood Board
Gather inspirational elements
2
Style Tile
Define the brand look and feel
Mood Board
I started my branding process by gathering inspiration and made a mood board including logos, icons, colors, typefaces, styles, and key words.
Because the platform is all about dogs, I wanted to achieve a fun, modern logo with a dog in it.
To add more fun and playfulness, I wanted to use a unique and funky font that would stand out.
Inspiration for playful icons.
To maintain the feeling of playfulness associated with dogs, using icons without sharp edges was a must.
I sought to use warm colors to convey an inviting, responsible, trustworthy feel for my brand. This was inspired by the importance of safety I gathered from my research.
Inspiration for pet profiles and mapping.
Style Tile
With my inspiration at hand, I developed the platform's personal brand.
After brainstorming a list of potential names I ended with three options: Paw Patch, Pooch, or Doghouse. I then sketched logo ideas for my three options and decided on "Paw Patch".
To symbolize the name "Paw Patch", I turned two P's facing each other and used the outlines to create an illustration of a dog.
Inviting Fun Playful Responsible Trustworthy
I could now finalize the branding for Paw Patch with a style tile.
Warm and neutral colors to feel inviting, responsible, and trustworthy.
I chose a fun, comic-like brand font.
Playful icons without sharp edges.
An illustration and patterned background to maintain fun and playfulness.
WIREFRAMING
Digitizing
1
Low Fidelity
Digitize the Paw Patch task flows
2
Iterations
Improve features and increase quality
3
High Fidelity
Add Paw Patch branding
Low Fidelity
Using my task flows and brand values, I created the key screens for each user perspective.
Iterations
Iterations were made to 4 of the screens.
Simplifying the explore page
Instead of having a separate "map" page and "explore" page, I combined the two and added a map/list toggle. The user would then be able to filter through yards, hikes, and other dog friendly areas in the list view.
I also more clearly defined the users location and made changing the address easily accessible.
Adding time to bookings
The yard profile page originally only had the user select a date. However, in order for an automated request to be sent to a host with a date and time, the user also needed to select a time.
I added a time selection drop down and changed the process so that a request cannot be sent unless a date and time is selected.
This will allow the host to accept the request and have the booking automatically scheduled into their in-app calendar.
Improving usability
Almost every aspect of this page was iterated. First, because my app has two distinct users with different views, I had to find a way to make switching between account types easy. To do this, I added a renter/host toggle at the top of the page.
Next I updated the bookings cards to incorporate the date and time of the booking and simplified the carousel.
I then updated the pet cards for a more common use case. Most users will not have more than one dog, so I included an add pet button and disabled the "view all" button until a user has more than two dogs.
Finally, I updated the safety preference pills and fixed the navigation to match the new flow.
Defining messages
I wanted to make it more clear to the user that they can "pin" important messages to the top. In this scenario, a host user has pinned two messages for upcoming bookings so they can be easily referred to.
I added a "pinned" title and created a pin icon to show which messages are pinned.
High Fidelity
With current iterations complete, I brought my screens to high fidelity and prepared for testing.
TESTING
Usability Testing
1
Test Plan
Map out testing objectives
2
Affinity Mapping
Synthesize testing results
3
Iterations
Iterate and revise critical issues
Test Plan
With my high fidelity screens ready to go, I organized a plan for testing through maze.co.
Objectives
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Observe efficiency in completing tasks on Paw Patch
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Observe how users navigate the product
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Identify any problem areas within task flows
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Evaluate ease of use
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Identify features requiring revision
Success Metrics
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Direct success vs. indirect success: how many testers are able to complete the test without issues and what issues cause indirect success.
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Participant feedback: responses from testers explaining what they liked or what they found difficult and why
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Satisfaction rating: rating between 1-3; 1=not satisfied, 2=satisfied, 3=very satisfied
Tasks
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Renter: Imagine you are a dog owner seeking to rent out a yard on Paw Patch. You want to find a yard near you and request to book it. Please show how you would go about accomplishing this task.
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Host: Imagine you are a yard owner renting out your yard on Paw Patch. You have a request from a potential renter that you want to answer. Please show how you would go about accomplishing this task.
Follow Up Questions
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How easy or difficult did you find it to complete these tasks without directions? Why?
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Do you feel the the platform provided efficient or inefficient ways to complete these tasks? Why?
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Was there anything that you found visually appealing or unappealing about the platform? Why?
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Overall, what would you rate your satisfaction on a scale of 1-3; 1=not satisfied, 2=satisfied, 3=very satisfied?
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Was there anything you found confusing? Anything you enjoyed?
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If you have any comments or suggestions, please make note of them here.
Affinity Mapping
I completed testing from both the renter and host perspectives with 5 participants. To synthesize my results I mapped each test separately and then compiled the information to find correlations.
Conclusions
Test
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Overall, there were technically 4 direct successes and 1 indirect success for the Host Test. The indirect success was due to potential confusion about what message was “new” or “unread”.
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There were 5 direct successes for the Renter Test.
Questions
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There were no complaints from any participants for the Host Test.
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For both tests, 1 participant rated their satisfaction as 2 out of 3.
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For the Renter Test, a participant stated that the bottom navigation was not vivid enough to see well.
Iterations
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I feel it is necessary to iterate on both issues found.
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I will change the bottom navigation icons to be more vibrant.
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I will come up with a solution to make the “unread” messages more clear.
Iterations
Although normally I would not make revisions based on a comment from one participant, I felt these small revisions would improve my product.
For my revisions, I first changed the bottom navigation bar fill from tan to white to help the icons stand out more. I also used orange for all navigation bar icons but used outlined icons instead of filled icons for those that are unselected. To mirror that in my other icons, I made any unselected icons outlined (e.g., the trash can).
Finally, I added a "new messages" title and outlined the new message in green to make it more prominent and vibrant.
FINAL PRODUCT
Sign in and request a booking as a renter
Sign in and answer a request as a host
UI Kit
Next Steps
1
Finalize the pages
Before finishing the complete app I will go back and finish digitizing the explore page and calendar page.
2
Implement saved ideas
Last, I will go through my saved ideas from the Crazy 8 and Time Constraints ideation sessions and do research to see what features are desirable.
Key Learnings
1
Ideation is everything
It's all too easy to hit the ground running with the first idea that pops into your head as a designer. Sometimes it is a great idea! But 99% of the time there is a better solution out there that requires multiple ideation sessions to find. Everyone has a unique perspective, and teamwork, or lack thereof, can make or break your solution.
2
UI is more than a pretty interface
Functionality! It's great to gather inspiration from beautiful designs on Dribbble and Behance. But just because it's pretty, doesn't mean it will work. The colors, typefaces, corner radius, icons, everything... need to not only work for your brand but function in a real world setting to make the user experience as seamless as possible.
3
Ask why, over and over
A concept I am constantly reminding myself of as I design. In this project for example, my first version of the renter profile page included two pre-added dogs. I did that because it looked nice and showcased my cards well. However, I had to ask "why are there two dogs when realistically most users will only have one dog?" I had to remind myself to design for my user, and not for myself.
4
Consider all users
Both of my usability testing revisions were from users with visual impairment. Although I could see my designs well, and other testers could too, a couple testers could not. This is why it is so important to consider all users and bake accessibility into my designs from the start. Had this been a product that reached a large audience, it would have been a shame for some users not to have been able to view certain features.
Up Next
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Modernizing and improving an outdated website for a client.
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