



PETPAL
PetPal is a platform for pet owners to discover trustworthy pet care services, share their pets' lives with friends, and connect with friends to arrange pet care.
As pet owners, we deeply care about our furry companions and cherish the time spent with them. However, there are occasions when we cannot be with them due to various reasons. Therefore, we conducted research on users' opinions and behaviors related to pet care services and aimed to establish a solution that prioritizes pet safety. Our goal is to reduce potential safety concerns while pets are in the care of others and increase pet owners' knowledge about pet care.
PROJECT
Team Project
Academic Project
DURATION
October - December 2020
(12 week)
ROLE
Storyteller, Competitive product analysis, UX, UI, Prototyping
TOOLS
Figma, Miro, Adobe UX

an Unavoidable Problem
Pets play important roles in our daily life. Many of us consider them as family members. How can we find care they deserve? also ensuring we as owner at ease?
Discover
How pet owners take care their pets when
they are away?
We interviewed several pet owners to see how would they take of their pets when they are away, and what factors help them make the decision to pick a pet-care service and concern.

Even I have friends take care of my pets, they still have emotional trouble in pet shop such as loneliness
and anxiety.

The reason I rare use pet-care service because I worry about those
review's authenticity.

When I travel with my dog to a different place, the cost is is my major concern, because not every hotel accept pets.

I always call my friends come over or drop them to friends place before I go, but I still worry about them learning bad habits, or bringing trouble
to my friends.
Interview Highlight
'I have never tried any pet sitting and daycare services yet. I feel unsafe when a stranger gets into my home without my presence. Also, I have researched many daycare services, good and bad reviews, not sure which one is real, and I am not willing to let me and my kitty take the risk.'
Amy. L, 26 years old, during the interview

The Invisible Decision Maker
Trust is a rather abstract interpersonal relationship and the foundation of all relationships, whether that relationship is between family or friends.
Therefore, we hope to maximize the existing bond we have already established connections with our friends.
Solving the Problem
User Journey Map

User Flow
Please Click on Images for a better reading experience.
Prototype
How our user use it?

1. HOMEPAGE
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Services page
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Notification
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Social media
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Profile
Multiple choices for users include friends help, pet house, daycare, sitting, walking, and drop-in.
2. FRIEND LIST
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Real-life contact
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Contacts added from forum
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Friend profile access
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Friend's activity
Help users quickly to find a caregiver from contacts. In addition, users can chat with friends through the App. Go through the friends' profiles to see the info.


3. SERVICE NEARBY
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Pet daycare providers,
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Sitting services,
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Walking-in veterinary clinic,
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Supply store
People who don't want to bother friends can choose a service nearby. Suggestion system basic on users neighbor' reviews, services will be prioritized by real pet owners and distance accordingly.
4. SERVICE IN CITY
Suppose users don't satisfy the nearby services or are limited by the city's size. In that case, they can always find better service in the town.
The suggestion system is also based on contacts, and pet owners verified in app reviews will put the most praise on the top.


5. SOCIAL PAGE
On the social page, users can view posts from people they follow and explore the topic they are interested in or the posts nearby.
Users can browse the profile and make new friends for their pets or themselves.
Build a solid community that only relates to pets.
6.PROFILE & NOTIFICATION


What I Learned?
-
What did I learn from this project?
This project has given me my toolset to communicate with other designers and get direct feedback from other pet owners. However, as a designer and pet owner, the most challenging part is not the design—itself but how we would find a credible service platform that we can trust.
Third-party service rare used not because of its price and quality. The user does not trust them. If they need help, they are more likely to contact friends for assistance because of miscommunication, or you can say lack of credible sources.
People care about their pets and love adventures, but not risks.
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What can be done in the future?