Fluffy Tails is a mobile application designed for a pet shelter to help users reduce the emotional burden and overwhelming feelings associated with visiting a pet shelter, ultimately increasing the adoption rate of dogs and reducing euthanasia.

Skills

User Experience (UX) Design
User Interface (UI) Design
Product Design
Prototyping
Wireframing
Branding

My ROLE

Product Designer

Client

MFA Project at RIT

Duration

6 weeks

The Problem

4 million dogs
‍enter animal shelters in the US each year.

2.4 million
‍are euthanized each year.

80%
‍of euthanized dogs are healthy and treatable, and could have been adopted into new homes.

Low Visibility of Dogs
‍Shelter visitors stop to see only 29% of the dogs available for adoption.

Low Conversion Rates
‍Only about a third of shelter visitors leave with a dog, meaning most will ultimately turn to other sources.

Short Evaluation Time
‍Most potential adopters take less than 70 seconds to evaluate a dog in the kennel.

Users Perspective

Steve & Jodi

“The second I walked into where all the dogs are I got an overwhelming feeling of sadness and started to cry after seeing all dogs there”

Kayla

“I was too upset to pull the camera out”

Emotional Burden
‍Users find visiting shelters to be overwhelmingly sad, as their experience is often spoiled by the conditions they encounter during their visit.

Adoption Discouragement
‍A bad experience can decrease the likelihood of people adopting a pet or recommending the process to others who may not be familiar with it.

High-Level Goals

Find Best Match
‍Not being able to see all the dogs in a pet shelter could result in a mismatch or even prevent adoption altogether. Users should have the ability to view all available options before making a decision.

Save Time
‍Adopting a dog can be time-consuming; therefore, the app should display relevant content to streamline the process for the user.

Reduce Stress
‍Reduce the overwhelming feeling of visiting pet shelters and facilitate decision-making.

Design Approach

Dog Profiles
‍Providing dog profiles that showcase their personalities and characteristics can increase the likelihood of finding the right match.

Filtered Search
‍Filtering search results to match the user's preferences and providing sharing options allow them to involve others in the decision-making process, without the need to visit the shelter beforehand.

Faves & Appointments
‍The app should act as a mediator between the pet shelter and the user, allowing the user time to reflect on their decision and revisit it before taking the final step. It should facilitate setting appointments with their preferred dogs.

Current Solutions

Bark Buddy

All Paws

Woof Rescue

Companion

Trends

Like or Discard

Many existing adoption applications provide the option to like or discard a dog, similar to Tinder.

Location Oriented

Apps provide dogs based on the user's location to deliver relevant content.

Gaps in the Market

One-Time Use

Existing apps lack features that encourage users to return after they've adopted.

Weak Suggestions

Suggestions provided to users are based only on location or generic aspects of dogs, which may not help the user understand the dog's personality when they meet them

Buying Experience

The feel of existing applications is more similar to a buying experience than an adoption process.

Initial Sketches & Brainstorming

Emotional Connection

I aimed to create a personal, friendly, and welcoming experience for the user. To foster an emotional connection, I explored the idea of giving dogs their own profiles, showcasing their personalities through pictures and descriptions provided by shelter volunteers.

By including behavioral information, users could form a deeper emotional bond with the dogs. This way, the application became more than just a database; it helped users understand the dogs and their unique personalities.

Paper Prototypes

Reduce Number of Clicks

After testing paper prototypes with potential users, I received feedback on the application's flow. The process was becoming too lengthy, so I needed to make it more efficient and reduce the number of clicks.

Using paper prototypes also helped identify elements that were important to the users.

Flowchart

Wireframes

BLUE
‍Clean, calmed, focused and professional.

‍PURPLE
‍A balance between the calm blue and the active and passionate red.

‍THE BALANCE
‍Energetic dog personality. Making the process a relaxed activity.

Find the Right Match. Save and Revisit

See only what interests you. Share with a friend who might like a certain dog

Get to know more about the dog's personality

Side menu. Selecting Favorites

Dogs are saved on a favorites list for later review

Set Appointment to Adopt

User information is pulled from user's profile information. This helps the shelter determine if the user is a good candidate for adoption

You can set appointments with the dogs you want to adopt, making the process more focused and efficient

Confirmation of date and dog information before setting adoption appointment

Confirmation and additional details to set expectations for next steps before visiting the shelter

Get Ready to Meet The Dog

Notifications provide information about appointments, vaccinations, and other important details for previously adopted dogs

Relevant information for the user before visiting the shelter can always be reviewed in notifications

Come back after adopting

User's profile with basic information that helps the shelter determine if the user is a good candidate for adoption

After adoption, 'The Clinic' section offers important features that keep users engaged with the application and encourage them to return.

Information about the Fluffy Tails Humane Society

Users can sponsor a dog or donate to the shelter without committing to adoption yet.