Pet sitting is a vital resource for pet owners dealing with the daily grind of work, health issues, or travel. This service involves three key users: the pet owner, the caregiver and of course, the pets! Wagmates is a pet sitting service that offers unique features to alleviate stressors for pet owners, caregivers, and the pets too.
I managed every aspect of this project solo, from conceptualization to handoff. Single-handedly, I navigated through discovery, research, design, and testing, all while adhering to a tightly managed schedule to meet the imminent deadline.
Pet sitting is a highly sought-after service among pet owners. However, current products available on the market often have concerning track records, leaving pet owners feeling anxious about leaving their beloved pets in the care of strangers. Pet owners lack a sense of control over their pets' well-being while they're away and desire a more convenient way to check in and ensure that their pets are receiving the expected care. Surveys indicate that pet owners prefer to hire a sitter rather than board their pets, but they still struggle to place their trust in existing products.
To really get what both pet owners and caregivers are after, we have to understand why owners feel good (or not-so-good) leaving their pets with others. And, let's figure out what caregivers need to keep things smooth and to keep pets and clients happy. To answer these questions, I will use three different research methodologies:
I conducted a thorough analysis of the current offerings in the market, including their features, pricing, and standard functionalities. This provided me with valuable insights into the competitive landscape and served as a foundation for determining the essential features to include in order to remain competitive. Additionally, it helped identify unique features that can be integrated into Wagmates to distinguish it from other products.
I distributed surveys to both pet owners and caregivers to gather insights into their experiences with existing market products, as well as their needs and pain points. The 28 responses I received challenged my preconceptions and provided valuable guidance on which areas to prioritize in my upcoming interviews.
I interviewed 6 people who had experience in owning pets and using services to find pet sitters, as well as people with pet sitting experience. I sorted through the interview responses using affinity mapping to spot common themes and issues. This helped me shape Points of View (POV) statements that captured what people were saying. Then, I turned those insights into How Might We (HMW) questions, flipping challenges into opportunities for solutions.
Based on my research, I crafted POV statements and HMW questions to amplify the users' perspectives. After considering several options, I selected the one that most closely resonated with the feedback gathered from surveys and user interviews.
Based on the POV statements and HMW questions, I built a persona profile to reference throughout the design process so that I could make sure the product was relating to the common thread of needs & goals, and frustrations & pain points.
I wanted a friendly and playful color palette, and a font to match. The bright and energetic colors pair with the playful logo design. The color palette and font selection was fully flushed out with accessibility in mind.
Numerous features could ease pet owners' concerns about leaving their pets with a stranger. Given the scale of the project and limited time, I had to determine which features to implement first and which ones to defer. I prioritized based on the frequency with which they were mentioned in my research.
I designed responsive low fidelity wireframes for key screens involved in my desired user tasks. Once I was satisfied with the hierarchy of information, I developed high fidelity screens, prioritizing mobile, then designing for desktop after. Users are mainly accessing the product with mobile devices, so that’s the priority throughout all phases of design.
I designed responsive low fidelity wireframes for key screens involved in my desired user tasks. Once I was satisfied with the hierarchy of information, I developed high fidelity screens, prioritizing mobile, then designing for desktop after. Users are mainly accessing the product with mobile devices, so that’s the priority throughout all phases of design.
I recruited 6 participants for user tests and had them complete 3 tasks to find any potential UX issues before launching the product. Success metrics were that users were able to complete all tasks within a reasonable amount of time and little to no errors.
You’re going out of town on a business trip and need to find someone to watch your pet while you’re gone. You want to find a good caregiver for them. Where do you start?
All users successfully completed the task within a very reasonable time with no errors.
Now that you set up your pet profile, you want to find the perfect caregiver to watch your pet. How do you choose the right person?
All users successfully completed the task within a very reasonable time with no errors. There were some unexpected results and good feedback on this task to consider during iteration.
Starting back at the home page, you’ve landed at your company on-site and you want to check in to see how your pet is doing, where do you look first?
All users successfully completed the task within a very reasonable time with no errors. There were some unexpected results and good feedback on this task to consider during iteration.
Wins
Opportunities
Based on the results of the usability tests, I organized the feedback in an impact vs effort chart, starting from high impact/low effort. I was able to make all of the revisions on this chart within scope.
Following user interviews, I became reassured that this product effectively meets users' needs and desires, enabling them to locate pet sitters and experience peace of mind during their absence.
Lessons learned:
Divide the design process into smaller, more digestible stages, and commence testing at the mid-fidelity stage to catch issues earlier. Integrate feedback consistently throughout the process to ensure that user-important features are implemented effectively.
