Caroline Robert

CityPups: A Journey to Your Perfect Pup

CityPups is a startup that aims to help people living in cities find the perfect dog to adopt.

CityPups aggregates dogs from local organizations and shelters. Once a user decides to adopt a dog, their information gets sent to the third party in order to start the adoption process.

CityPups Top Goals

Increase adoption rates

Happier owners

Better “forever” homes

Project Details

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Designer from start to finish – sketching, mockups, prototyping and user testing

Context

  • 5 day Google Ventures Design Sprint

Tools Used

  • Figma, Zoom and Pen & Paper

Understanding the Research

CityPups conducted their own research. While going through their research, I found users have certain constraints such as living space, schedule and transportation, and outdoor spaces. Therefore, potential users need dogs who do not take up a lot of space, less needy and do not need huge outdoor spaces.

Potential owners prioritize 3 things when looking at dog adoption sites…

  1. Photos
  2. Basic Information
  3. Distance

By looking at competitor websites such as PetFinder and Adopt A Pet, I was able to get a basic understanding of what did and did not work.

Sketching

By using the Crazy 8s method, I was able to design the different screens I believe will accomplish the goals of both CityPups and potential users.

While sketching I kept in mind, my “how might we” questions to design screens that accomplish these goals.

  1. How might we educate users on different types of dogs that will meet their needs?
  2. How might we display the behaviors of dogs in a reader friendly way?
  3. How might we encourage users to move forward on the adoption process?

Hi-Fi Mockups

Different Breeds

While users have specific needs they need met, it does not mean everyone has to get the same dog. In order to assure users have additional resources, I added a section for users to learn about different breeds.

Distance

Research participants mentioned the frustration of not being able to choose a smaller distance because a “New York City mile is different from a suburban mile”. The lowest mileage on competing websites is 10 miles away. Therefore, I adjusted CityPups to 3 miles or less.

Behavior Bars

CityPup users have specific needs and limitations therefore, their dog must be able to match those needs. Users indicated they’d like to be able to know if a dog is good with other dogs and humans and the dog requires a lot of activity.

User Testing

I met with five participants through Zoom. During their testing sessions, participants were asked to share their screens and I asked them to complete tasks.

These tasks included to find more information on a certain breed, adjust the distance, and proceed with adopting a dog.

Results

Users were able to move through the website with ease. The first thing users looked for were pictures followed by words. Because users are more inclined to look at pictures rather than words, the behavior bar was a big success.

One participant stated, “I really like the behavior bars, it was a nice touch and I immediately knew about the dog.” – Mary Margaret, NYC

Overall, participants loved the flow of the website and felt their needs were met. They would use this website if were available.