My role
As the lead designer on the Inovatyv lab team (Founder's Lab). The client approached us with an idea to help users (pet owners) care for their pets. We decided that a digital mobile experience will be the best bet due to the wider user base. I led and managed the project from start to finish.
Being a pet owner is pretty awesome. But caring and nurturing can be daunting. As part of a larger community, pet owners find it hard to organise events (birthday, burial, costume parties), getting products (food), venues or on-demand professional pet services, leading to the question
How do we solve this?
Through doing research, design workshop , A/B testing and prototyping, I collaborated with the client for 3-4 weeks to redefine the way pet owners care for their pets
Design workshop
I organised and led a design workshop with the client (also pet owners) for two days, I was able to know the target audience, project scope and understand pet owner’s motivations as well the pain points involved.
Key questions
- What’s the main problem on the market that we are trying to solve?
- Who are your direct competitors?
- Who are your target audience?
- What is your measurement for success on this project?
- Which features are we prioritising for the MVP?
What’s so hard about organising events, getting products & professional services?
Main Problems include:
No centralised platform for information
There is no seamless digital experience that handles the end-to-end pet care for all events & services that customers are truly satisfied with. Mostly customers have to visit different physical stores to get services or items for events
Reliable online community
For pet owners to share their experience and initiate events in their area they need communities as source of support and information for both old/new pet owners
Popular payment options
The absence of a popular payment method poses a significant problem. Users face inconveniences in making transactions for pet products, services.
Key points from market reserach
- Pet ownership is rising in most part of Asia
- People in Asia are increasingly treating pets as family members and are willing to spend more on pet care
- There is increasing demand for pet apps that provide convenience and a sense of community
- Pet apps need to cater to local needs and cultures
Insights
New generations are embracing pets as family, seeking ways to pamper them that align with traditional values like health and wellness. This aligns with our demography of users age less than 35 years old. For Asian pet owners, mobile apps aren't just about convenience but about finding new ways to care within cultural comfort zones.
Understanding the current flow for popular pet apps
In my analysis on some pet apps in the Asia region e.g Boquii, Smellme, and Yourpet , I compared the visuals, sign-up process, pet selection, navigation, and payment options of these apps to identify areas where my app could improve or differentiate itself. This analysis helped me to understand the strengths and weaknesses of these other apps, the structure, goals of this app and to develop a strategy for making my own app stand out in the crowded pet care market.
Seamless experience for onboarding
Users can create an account and log in with their personal information. They are then presented with a form to customize their experience based on the type of pets they own. This personalized approach allows us to provide users with relevant information and resources based on their specific needs.
Enhancing user retention by providing personalised recommendations
The navigation bar features a launch screen with recommended events, services & products for easy user experience, a explore screen for convenient access, a forum screen to interact with pet communities and for user retention on the platform, and a Profile screen for account and personal settings.
Driving Engagement for the user by 20%
To retain users retention and foster community building, users are able to interact with other pet owners, share ideas, experience. Also, they discuss on variety of topics on the forum and give responses.
Facilitating e-commerce/Monetization opportunity
Part of the business goal is monetisation opportunities and partnering up with Pet related businesses by facilitating e-commerce. Users can easily complete their purchase by checking out items in their cart and choosing from the various payment options available in their region. This streamlined process makes it simple and convenient for users to pay for their items and finalise their purchase.
Visual Identity/Brand recognition
I opted for a vibrant color palette for the action buttons in the chosen visual identity. This not only enhances accessibility but also adds an appealing and playful aesthetic to attract the target audience of women aged 20 to 45 who own pets. The use of a modern humanistic sans-serif font like Inter, along with a clean and minimalist layout, ensures readability & scanability. Additionally, images are strategically employed to portray emotional connections effectively.
To maintain consistency and ensure efficient design to dev handover, I developed a modular design system based on reusable components and their states, such as cards, list items. Every component can be rearranged and combined with others while maintaining design consistency and recognizable UI patterns for the user.
Cultural Sensitivity is Paramount
When designing for this pet project app for the Asia market, it was essential for me to prioritise cultural sensitivity and localization. Diverse cultures and customs exist within the region, and understanding and adapting to these differences ensures the app resonates with users. I researched on local preferences, color symbolism, and design aesthetics to create an inclusive and engaging experience. An app that feels genuinely native will foster a deeper connection with users, leading to increased user retention.
To prioritise experience over features
Due to time constraint on the project and the deadline to be able to deliver the designs for MVP and for the client to onboard investors on the idea, we decided what to cut out some features so as to deliver. I learnt this balance — while still sticking to quality.
Minding the gap
With the help of my design manager, i was able to fill in the gaps that I had in my skillset so as to better manage the project and client.
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