Adopt-A-Pet Fenton

Current website:

RESEARCH:

Summary:

I conducted interviews and empathy maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. The primary user groups were identified as men and women ages 24 to 45+ years old.

5 participants participated in an individual interview and moderated study. A competitive audit was also completed during the research phase. 

This user group confirmed initial assumptions about the need for simplicity while using the site for seamless communication. They also expressed additional concerns about understanding the animals’ personalities and filling out the applications.

DEFINE:

🗺️Aggregated Empathy Map:

☹️User's Pain Points:

1. Communication - Users have experienced difficulty with communication with staff and foster parents

2. Online Applications - Users want a simple way to fill out and submit applications for fostering and adoption

3. Accurate Personality Descriptions - Users want accurate and easy-to-read personality descriptions.

👤Persona:

Using the results of secondary research and the interviews, I created a persona that consisted of two members: Sally & Chris.

❗Problem statement:

Sally is a full-time nurse who needs an easier way to communicate with staff at the rescue.

❗Problem statement:

Chris is a full-time electrician who needs an easier way to fill out applications and understand the dogs personality.

🗺️User journey map:

Mapping Sally’s user journey revealed how helpful it would be to keep the process fast and efficient.

DESIGN:

📃Paper wireframe: Taking the time to draft iterations on paper ensured that the elements that made it to digital wireframes would be well-suited to address user pain points. For the home screen, I prioritized the shopping page (our pets) on the homepage for easy browsing.

💻Digital wireframe: As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen designs on feedback and findings from the user research.

Low-fidelity prototype - The low-fidelity prototype connected the primary user flow for browsing available pets, so the prototype could be used in a usability study.

>>View Adopt-A-Pet Lo-Fi prototype upon request.

📗Usability study findings:

I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.

Round 1 findings:

1. Changing verbiage of buttons - Users struggled with the flow due to the lack of detail on the buttons.

2. Making the navigation bar stand out - Not all users understood the universal hamburger menu. I changed the color to make the menu stand out and added orange to the navigation tab.

3. Reduce subjectivity in care requirements - Include descriptions that give specific quantitative measures for breed energy level, playfulness, affection, exercise, training, and grooming requirements. This is difficult for many pets up for adoption because of their mixed ancestry. In the case of mixed breeds, I have provided the most stringent care requirements.

TEST:

High-fidelity prototype - The final high-fidelity prototype followed the same user flow as the lo-fi prototype, and included the design changes made after the usability study.

>>View the Cased Hi-Fi prototype here.

♿Accessibility considerations:

1. Provided access to users who are visually impaired by adding alt text to images for screen readers

2. Used icons to help make navigation easier

3. Used high-contrast colors to ensure easy readability

CONCLUSION:

THE IMPACT:

Our target users shared that the design was visually pleasing and reflected the user’s need for simplistic, easy-to-use designs.

WHAT I LEARNED:

While designing the Adopt-A-Pet website, I learned that even a small design change can have a huge impact on the user experience. Usability studies and peer feedback influenced each iteration of the website’s design, which is mandatory to address the real needs of our users.

NEXT STEPS:

1. Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed

2. Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of need

**This case study is based on a real website/company**