U-pet
A better way to adopt online
Timeline
8 weeks
OVERVIEW
U-pet is a supportive platform that facilitates pet adoption, providing a reliable connection between adopters and those who are looking for adopters, with the necessary pet supplies and knowledge to keep a pet.
Contributor
Individual project
Role
Product Designer
UI/UX Designer
Design Strategist
Skills
Desk Research
Survey
Product Design
Experience Design
Programs
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Principle
How did I discover this problem?
STORY BEHIND
I met an injured cat in the garage, she took me to a hidden corner...
Where I found her five babies!
Sadly, one of them had passed away...
Good news is: the great mom
and her other 4 kids survived.
All the kitties were
cute and healthy.
But the shelter was full, it took the doctor and me 3 months to find them suitable adopters...
SECONDARY REASERCH
It is difficult for stray animals to survive on their own
and brings a series of social problems.
Abandonment, accidental loss, and breeding in the wild are the main causes of stray animals, and this uncontrollable situation leads to:
PROBLEM
Approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized each year, there is a gap between people who find stray animals and those wanting to adopt them.
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People who find stray animals usually post pet information on different social media, it is hard to be noticed without a large number of followers.
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Potential adopters have to sort through complex information across various platforms and find the most suitable pet.
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When faced with communication difficulties or incomplete information, the pet will face the possibility of being re-abandoned.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
HMW better connect those who find stray animals and those wanting to adopt, enhancing adoption reliability and feasibility.
GOALS
Creating a supportive, trustworthy and
reliable platform to make adoption a trend.
TARGET USER
Who Wants to adopt
(Primary User)
Who finds stray animals
and looking for adopters
(Secondary User)
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
From pet Lovers
KEY INSIGHTS
Most people are open to adopting but
find the process insecure and cumbersome.
Main barriers:
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Information asymmetry combined with a cumbersome process
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Leaks of personal information
-
Doubts about reliability
Lead most people to prefer to buy a pet rather than adopt one.
PERSONA
Adoption info is everywhere, but I'm concerned about the reliability of the information and the safety of contacting strangers in private.
I can't afford to keep all the stray animals I take in myself, the only thing I can do is to find a reliable adopter for them.
Although those who want to adopt and who are Looking for adopters have different needs and are in two different flows, there are some common pain points between them,
JOURNEY MAP
FINAL SOLUTION
U-Pet: A new community-based adoption app that helps potential adopters and those looking for adopters build instant and trustworthy connections.
1
Integrate
Information
Accurate &
Efficient Way to Adopt
Integrated a wealth of information on pets waiting for adoption, efficiently find the most suitable one by filter or locate function, start applying now!
2
Protect Privacy
Safe & Convenient way
to find adopters
Based on real-name verification, all personal information will be protected by the platform. Upload the pet's information with optional adoption requests, then chat with potential adopters to find the perfect fit!
3
Follow-up
After Adoption
Supportive Community
& Guaranteed follow-up
Earn credit rewards by updating pets' lives after adoption, which can be used as coupon at the online store. Post support will ensure that all pets will adapt to their new homes as soon as possible.
4
Breakeven
Sustainable business
Just a few clicks to get all the supplies you need for adopting a pet. Part of the profit from the online store will be used to help more shelter animals.
ITERATION UPON FEEDBACK
I mainly focus on the Homepage and Adoption Process iteration,
since that's where users make their main choices and decisions.
"There's so much going on on this screen, I'm not sure what to select."
User testing results
Divide tasks into two pages to make it easier for users.
Provide a selection of descriptions, saves users around 2 mins in the form-filling process Compared to letting them describe the pet's personality on their own.
GROWTH & MONETIZATION STRATEGY
U-pet could integrate with popular social media apps to attract more users, and also cooperate with pet supply brands to attract more pet owners through price advantage and quality assurance, the profits from the store will be used to operate the platform and help more stray animals.
NEXT STEP
Keeping accessibility in Mind
For the next step, more user usability testing and consideration of accessibility are necessary, since users may be senior and disabled people who need companionship, ensuring to meet the needs of more users who need to adopt.
IMPACT
6/6 shelters say it will relieve them from the overwhelming number on the adoption waiting list.
Based on feedback, 13 out of 15 pet lovers would consider using U-pet to adopt pets instead of buying.
90% of pet owners consider using this platform to buy pet supplies as support.
REFLECTION & SUMMARY
It is critical to design from
the stakeholders' perspective.
Without funding the platform will face the same dilemma that many non-profit animal protection organizations face: the inability to continue operations due to financial issues. Therefore, finding a balance between stakeholders, users, and animal welfare is an essential challenge.
Also keep in mind:
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Emotional design
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Information prioritization
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Simplify user operations