PET WORLD

UX Research 2023

The aim was to design an app/web-based service around pet sitting.

A service for and around pet sitting/ boarding.

FOR

The pets & pet owners

Finding a temporary home for your pet isn’t an easy task. People struggle to find a trusting and reliable home when traveling and being away from their pets.

Pet boarding is when your pet stays at a boarding facility with other dogs.

Pet sitting is when you hire a qualified sitter to stop by your home a certain number of times while you’re gone to take care of your pet.

RESEARCH PLAN

Hear

Collecting stories and inspirations from the audience.

Understanding their needs, hopes, and aspirations for the future.

Create

Translate information from people into opportunities, solutions, and prototypes.

Move from concrete to more abstract thinking in identifying themes and opportunities, and then back to the concrete with solutions and prototypes.

Synthesis

Emphatic study

Persona study and generating stories

Identify patterns

Extract key insights

Opportunity areas - how might we…?

Brainstorming

Mind mapping

Stakeholder map

Find themes - idea buckets

Final ideas

RECOGNISE
The existing knowledge

» What people need or want

Need a safe and trusted place to drop off their pets at times of traveling or for other reasons.

» What technologies can help in this challenge

A service designed around the need (app/ website).
A community of all the stakeholders in and around the service on one single platform.
A product that helps keep track of the pet's actions/ real-time updates at home itself/ at the center

» The concern of the pet owners before giving their pet to a center is the transfer of diseases from one to another. E.g. ticks, lice, skin infections, etc.

Identify people to speak with

High-income pet owners
Low-income pet owners
With family
Single owner
Vets
Pet sitting places (owners and employees)

Research Methods

Individual interviews
Expert interviews

STAKEHOLDERS

Pet Hospitals
Veterinary Doctors
Pet Trainers
Therapy centers

Pet photographers
Pet clothing stores
Pet grooming centers
Pet spa
Pet retreats

Animal care activists
NGO’s
People who help find foster homes or offer themselves to fostering. Volunteers.

Pet owners
Pet boarding
Pet foster care
Pet breeders
Pet shops

Organizations that:

Conduct events
Meetups
Competitions
Playdays

UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS.....

How do you manage travel situations where your pet cannot accompany you?

What factors do you consider when choosing a pet-sitting service for your pet?

Can you describe the process of arranging for pet care, from drop-off to pick-up?

Pet boarding,

Friends & family helping as pet sitter,

Or, I have to cancel my travel.

He gets attention, food on time and feels comfortable

Its tedious.

What feelings do you experience when you are away from your pet?

How frequently do you use boarding services for your pet?

What information do you seek about a pet boarding facility before making a decision?

Guilt

Sad

Worried

Very often

Location, facilities, menu, live camera facility, capacity, segregation, cleanliness, value added features

The insights.....

Travel And Petcare arrangements:

Current Solution: When the pet owner travels, family members such as parents or an aunt are responsible for taking care of the pet.

Ideal Solution: An ideal pet care arrangement would include convenient services like pick-up and drop-off, with visual updates (pictures or videos) to assure the pet's well-being.

Criteria for Pet Sitting Services:

Attention and Comfort: The most important aspects are ensuring the pet receives plenty of attention, is fed on time, and feels comfortable and secure.
The pet-sitting service must involve individuals who are genuine dog lovers and non-abusive.

Ideal Process for Pet Care:

The preferred process for pet care is straightforward, including simple drop-off and pick-up, with payment handled smoothly.
The addition of live updates would be a valuable reassurance.

Emotional Impact:

Initially, the owner feels a sense of freedom when away from the pet, but this quickly turns into a lot of missing and longing.

Boarding Facility Decision:

The pet owner would want to know about the location, facilities, menu, live camera options, capacity, segregation of pets, cleanliness, and any additional value-added features.

PERSONA

Pet Owner

Hesitance in sending their pets in boarding due to:

Hygiene concerns
Transfer of diseases
Guilt

Doubts in the credibility of the boarding. (Usually comfortable to board if recommended by a known person)

Unaware of events, activities, meet-ups, and other pet services around the city due to tight schedules.

Pet Boarding Centers

Insufficient sharing of pet information due to:

Time constraints
Tight schedules
Frightened about not getting into the boarding

Lack of trust

Abandoning of pets. Once boarded, never collected.

NEEDS

Pet Owner

Convenience: Offering clients a wide range of services in one environment.

Boarding
Grooming
Training
Online vet consultation
In-house pet-sitting service
Pet fostering (To foster and to give)
Pet photography
E-shop for pet groceries and others

Location: Provide an easily accessible location for customer convenience.

Reputation: credibility, and integrity of the service provider.

Verified service provider list (certified)
Images
Testimonials and ratings

Logistics: offering clients pick-up and drop for the pets in and intra cities/ states.

Pick up and drop off from the boarding
Pet transport (inter-city/state/ etc)

Updates: Regular updates on events, meetups, health checkups, and other activities have been held around the city.

Pet Boarding Centers

Information exchange: Offering the centers all the needed information before onboarding the pets.

An only registered owners platform (verified)
Basic details filled in about the owner
All documents of the pet are to be uploaded
All pet information is to be filled in a form before boarding

Collaboration: Provide a wide range of stakeholders information for widening the reach and making the community stronger. All in one platform.

NGO’s
Pet welfare organisations
Animal activists and helpers
Veterinary doctors
Therapy centers

Reputation: Help build their credibility by taking customer testimonials and feedback.

HOW MIGHT WE BUILD TRUST AMONGST THE PET OWNERS AND THE BOARDING / SITTING SERVICE PROVIDERS TO HAVE A STRESS-FREE PET SERVICE EXPERIENCE?

HOW MIGHT WE BRING ALL THE SERVICES IN AND AROUND THE WORLD PETS TO ONE PLATFORM TO PROVIDE A FULL AND SATISFACTORY SERVICE EXPERIENCE?

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

VISUAL MOODBOARD

Fun

Playful

Sense of trust

MinimalClean