Design Sprint - Dog Adoption Match Maker
Explore how a design sprint transformed the dog adoption experience, making it easier for urban dwellers to find their perfect furry companions with Puppos.
Puppos aims to connect urban residents with their ideal dog matches. As a UX designer, I conducted a 5-day design sprint to enhance and validate the user's adoption experience.
Challenge: Rethinking Traditional Adoption for Urban Adopters
Urban dwellers often need help finding the right dog for their limited space and busy schedules. The traditional adoption process requires more personalization and can be overwhelming. My goal is to streamline this journey, ensuring a tailored match for each potential adopter through a focused design sprint.
Constraints: A Digital Platform, Not a Physical Shelter
Puppos operates solely online, aiming to connect potential adopters with their ideal furry companions. Instead of acting as a traditional shelter or organization, my focus is tailoring matches based on individual needs and conditions.
Design Sprint Day 1: Unpacking User Insights
A significant portion of our participants, 6 out of 8, abandoned the adoption process. Why? Through in-depth interviews, we extracted key quotes that painted a clearer picture of the obstacles and motivations of our users. These insights were crucial in shedding light on the reasons for the low adoption success.
Participant Quotes:
"I enjoy browsing through numerous photos and videos of pets. It helps me establish an immediate connection with them and gives me a better idea of their size and energy level. This way, I can easily picture whether or not they would be a good fit for my small apartment."
Visual content like photos and videos greatly aid in forging an emotional connection with potential pets and provide a clearer understanding of their size and energy.
"Back in the day, I used to visit animal shelters and visit them in person to see about adopting some furry friends. It was a process where I had to tell them about my life, my schedule, and where I lived. It could take a while, especially if I were interested in adopting more than one doggo."
The traditional in-person shelter visitation and adoption process can be long and cumbersome, especially when adopting multiple pets.
"When looking to adopt a dog, I consider my lifestyle and the amount of space and activity I can provide. I tend to gravitate towards typically less hyper breeds, but ultimately, I base my decision on the individual dog's personality."
Lifestyle compatibility, space constraints, and the individual dog's personality are crucial factors for adopters.
Persona: Tammy
Background:
Tammy, a solo resident of a NYC studio apartment, desires a dog for companionship.
Behavior:
Follows adoption agencies on Instagram and bookmarks potential pets.
Engages with agency reps but finds the process lengthy and cumbersome.
Seeks advice from dog-owning friends and neighbors.
Frustration:
Uncertain about ensuring a dog fits her lifestyle.
Adoption sites focus on emotional connections, leading her to unsuitable choices.
Vague dog descriptions add to her confusion.
Goal:
To confidently adopt a dog that complements her lifestyle and living situation.
Design Sprint Day 2: Lightning Demos & Ideation
During our Lightning Demos & Ideation session, we explored different platforms and highlighted key features that stood out, particularly from Adoptapet and PawsLikeMe:
Adoptapet.com:
Filter pets by distance, breed, sex, age, size, and color.
"Ask About Me" button for direct shelter/organization connection.
User queries help shelters/organizations understand potential adopters.
PawsLikeMe.com:
20-question quiz on user's dog owner traits and preferred dog personality.
Provides a summary of their ideal dog.
Align users with suitable available dogs.
Research Image Gallery
Two proposed solutions emerged from brainstorming:
Solution 1: Enhanced Filter Search
Journey:
Adopter initiates search → applies enhanced filters (e.g., living space, compatibility with kids/other pets, energy level) → browses through matches → chooses a dog → gets redirected to the original site → contacts the shelter
Solution 2: Questionnaire-Based Matching
Journey:
Adopter sets up a profile → completes a questionnaire about their personal circumstances and preferences → gets matched with suitable dogs → has the option to browse further → chooses a dog to adopt
Setting the Stage for Feedback: Initiating User Recruitment
Target Audience Criteria:
Have experience with adoption sites
Express interest in adopting a pet
Reside in urban areas
Design Sprint Day 3: Decisions and Storyboard
Refining the Blueprint: The Importance of In-Person Connection
A notable realization surfaced after sketching out the solutions: a pure online selection felt inadequate, especially considering Tammy's desire for a deep emotional and practical connection with her future dog. Therefore, adding a step for users to schedule an in-person meeting with their selected dog became essential. It's about ensuring the bond formed online seamlessly translates offline.
Storyboard
Choosing the Right Path: Personalized and Efficient Matching
Considering Tammy's unique needs, Map 2 stands out as the superior choice. By tailoring search results based on user-specific responses from the questionnaire, we ensure a more personalized and efficient matching process. This not only addresses the user's desires but also promises a time-effective experience.
Design Sprint Day 4: Prototyping Key Steps
On the fourth day. I dedicated the majority of my time to crafting a realistic prototype that would be subjected to testing the next day.
Landing Page & Account Creation: Set the first impression and onboard users.
User Questionnaire: Gauge users' limitations and personalities for tailored matches.
Dog Preferences: Deep dive into specifics to zero in on the perfect dog.
Results & Summary: An accessible side tab for an at-a-glance summary and preference edits.
Meet & Apply: Schedule in-person meetings and finalize adoption application with user profile and responses.
Design Sprint Day 5: Validation Insights
Direct tasks:
Navigate through the prototype.
Complete the full process, from profile creation to scheduling a meeting with a potential dog.
Feedback:
90% of participants expressed interest in using the platform.
80% felt confident they'd find their perfect canine companion.
70% were content with this revamped adoption approach.
User Quote: "I really appreciate the matching system, but could there be a filtering option?"
Next Steps: While the tailored matching system was well-received, adding basic filters (like distance, breed, color, and sex) would refine user experience, allowing adopters to sift through their matched dogs more efficiently.
Key Takeaways:
Enhancing User Interviews: Looking back, I'd focus more on getting to know users better during interviews. This would help craft more accurate questions and gather more precise test results.
Considerations for Implementation: To implement this new process, shelters ,and organizations would need to invest time and effort in providing available times and confirming appointments.
Sprint Experience: My first design sprint experience was thrilling and educational. The strict timeline kept me from getting stuck on one step for too long, allowing me to quickly vto validate my ideas and stay creative quickly
