Pawster

Tailored Advice for every tail

Sept, 2023 -

Dec, 2023

Overview

Pawster is a health and wellness smartphone app driven by AI, aiming to assist pet owners in nurturing healthier and happier pets. Using artificial intelligence, Pawster offers tailored wellness guidance, community support forums, habit tracking, and behavioral insights for pet owners. Acting as a round-the-clock team of pet professionals in your pocket, the platform alleviates user anxiety when dealing with the overwhelming amount of generic pet care information available online.

Target Audience

Dog owners aged 18-54 who aim to enhance and monitor their dog care routines and habits.
Owners with busy lifestyles seeking quick solutions
Owners who would find value in seeking advice and sharing experiences with other dog owners.

My Role

UX Designer, Interaction Designer

Project Lead

Team

Gina Lai, Researcher

Kayla Caban, UX Writer

Ivy Liu, Visual Design

Yanlin Lu, Project Planning Co-ordinator

Client

Abigail Adams, New York University

Platform:

Mobile

Project Type:

UX/ Product Design

Duration:

13 Weeks

Design Process:

Double Diamond

Phase 1: User Research

User Problem Statement

Dog owners need a cost/time effective way to access credible information that accounts for their dog’s specific needs, since they struggle to navigate conflicting/overloaded/biased online sources.

Research Question

What are the most effective strategies for providing dog owners with personalized and credible information that addresses their specific dog's needs and helps them overcome the challenges of navigating conflicting, overloaded, and biased online sources

Research Methodology

Survey
Interviews
Affinity Mapping
Personas
5 Why Analysis

Themes

Routine

Petcare Practices

Behavior & Training

Time Management

Navigating Online Information

Demographic Data

Survey Results

32 respondents

Nearly 50% of the respondents are 25 to 34 years old

43%

dog owners spend more than 3 hours each day on their dogs.

>50%

dog owners didn’t find time-saving tools or services and found unreliable information about dog care

87%

depended on the internet for dog-care advice

… Initially, I was told to only use positive reinforcement training, including unwanted behavior. In practice, …. made the unwanted behaviors worse for my dog. I NEVER wanted to hurt my dog…

Interview Insights

Moods and behaviors

New dog owners often struggle to understand their dog's mood and behavior. Traditional information sources (pamplets and books) can cause delays and stress in acquiring the right knowledge for effective dog care communication.

Specialized needs

There's a lack of resources for dogs with special needs (e.g., deaf dogs) and specific breeds. Owners want to connect with others who have dogs with similar conditions or breeds.

Training

Owners often resort to self-training due to high professional costs, struggling with stage-specific needs from puppy socialization to adult dog behavior, particularly for adopted pets.

Personalized care

Each dog is unique and responds differently to various care methods (e.g., specific types of leashes), often requiring trial and error to find what works best, which increases cost of care.

5 whys

Why are dog owners struggling with online information?

Because there’s conflicting, overwhelming and biased information

Why is there so much information?

Because mostly non-experts/ non-professionals share their opinions based on individual experiences online.

Why don't people ask vets/ pet experts instead?

Because it is not a fast, easy and cost effective approach compared to an online search

Why are vets/pet experts hard and costly to access?

Because they are a demanding resource; the profession takes a long time to establish. In addition, there isn’t an online platform that connects them to dog owners effectively

Root cause:

Why isn’t there a platform that provides personalized information in an easy, accessible and verified manner?

Point of View Statement

A large number of dog owners turn to online sources for guidance, often facing contradictory information. This underscores the need for trustworthy and genuine online content on pet care.

How might we?

Encourage dog experts and vet share their knowledge online to aggregate personalisation

Access

Make credible information more personalised and accessible to dog owners

Provide cost-effective expert dog-care information

Cost Effective

Identify

Help dog owners identify verified and credible information over fake ones

Phase 2: Experience Design

Design Solution

Problem Statement

Dog owners need a cost and time effective way to access credible pet-care insights that account for their personalized needs.

Trustworthy Search Engine

Personalized Information

Community Engagement

Personas

Emma, STUDENT

age: 21 yEARS

Pepper THE pUG, GOOD BOY

age: 9 MONTHS

Emma & Pepper

Emma, a Pratt Institute junior, has Pepper as her emotional support dog. As a new dog owner, she balances caring for Pepper with academics and social life, facing challenges with decision-making and feeling overwhelmed by dog-care goals.

Challenges

kEY cHARACTERISTICS

Emma finds herself delving into a deep rabbit hole during her thorough research, facing a steep learning curve and feeling overwhelmed by the vast amount of information.
Emma is pressed for time and seeks solutions to enhance efficiency due to limited time availability.
Despite having goals to provide Pepper with a better life, Emma encounters challenges in tracking and managing them.

Emma, a Digital Native, relies on the internet and social media for dog-care information.
A Self-learner, she is driven and inquisitive, preferring to learn independently.
Juggling academics, social life, and dog-care, Emma leads an extremely busy lifestyle.

Goals

Establishing a repository of dependable information for her to refer to.
Creating a supportive community of individuals facing similar situations for emotional reinforcement.
Monitoring Pepper's daily routines to maintain his health, especially since his breed demands additional care.

Personality Traits

Curious • Extroverted • Hyperactive •

Responsible • Unorganised

Idea: AI gathers internet sources for personalized input, community features connect dog owners, and profile/report tabs document progress on health and other goals.

Motivation

Emma is emotionally dependent on Pepper and is motivated to focus on his care intrinsically despite her constraints.

John & Kiki

Josh, Military Veteran

Age: 59

Kiki, The good girl, Pitbull

age: 9 Years

Josh, an adoption center owner and long-time dog owner, is involved in his community and cares for multiple dogs. He seeks information on dog breeds and health issues, relying on vets, the internet, and active posting. His pit bull, Kiki, is 8 years old, and he fosters dogs short-term.

kEY cHARACTERISTICS

Challenges

Josh requires clear and simple user interactions due to his limited tech proficiency.
He lacks awareness of online communities and the potential reach to assist new dog owners.
Documentation of different aspects of dog care is needed.

Josh is dedicated to his role as a dog-dad, taking his responsibility seriously.
In his community, Josh provides dog-care advice and emotional support, showcasing his supportive leadership.
As a foster parent, Josh educates new dog-owners about their responsibilities, but faces challenges in managing information smoothly due to his paper-based records.

Goals

Ensure a seamless information transfer system is in place to increase adoptions from the center
Engage more with the community to provide information on dog care
Implement paperless documentation for foster dogs to facilitate a smooth transition to new owners

Ideas:

The "Add dog" section enables the creation of profiles for multiple dogs, generating their history and reports.
Use "Add caregiver" to include another individual in the dog's history and utilize the transfer of ownership feature.
Engage with other dog owners in the community where Josh provides support and shares his expertise.

Personality Traits

Responsible, composed, supportive, and not a digital native.

Motivation

Josh is dedicated to assisting first-time dog owners by providing information on dog ownership and promoting adoption.

Landscape Analysis

Feature	AiForPet	Airvet	Pawprint	Pet First Aid	Petable	Rover	Chewy	Traditional Vet
24/7 Vet Access	❓	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅ (6am-12am)	❌
Telemedicine	❓	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Health Tracking	✅	❌	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
Emergency Info	❓	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
Pet Sitting/Walking	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
Medication Reminders	❓	❌	❓	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
Community Forum	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Pet Care Education	✅	❌	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅
Appointment Scheduling	❓	✅	❌	❌	✅	✅	❌	✅
Digital Records	❓	❌	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅

Sketches and Wireframe

Low-fidelity Prototype

UX Writing

“How can I help you today?”

Let the users feel they’re welcomed
Brand voice = Friendly
Leave enough space for users
To-the-point; indicates the purpose of this function clearly and directly

Phase 3: Testing

Usability Testing Plan

Interfaces	Questions	Metrics
AI chat (home)	Upload picture/video/text	Did participants find the buttons
Social	Find drafting place & message center	Did participants find the right places & Did they feel confused about the icons
Report	Revise goal & find recommended resources	Did participants find the right places
Profile	Edit/fill information	Were participants able to complete editing/filling
Sign up	Log in, Sign up (register), answer survey	Observe how users sign in/log in

Usability Report

Home page (AI Chat)

Social page

Report page

Users feel confused about the purpose of this interface

Users feel confused about notification icon

Users feel confused about if the function is for dog or owner

Profile page

Users feel confused about if this interface is equal to registration

Users feel confused about why there are two profiles in one profile page

Heuristic Evaluation

Visibility of System Status = Loading pages	Math System with Reality = Icons	User Control & Freedom = Step Back	Help & Documentation = Help center	Error prevention = Sign up pages
Recognition rather than recall = History functions, Message center, Report function	Aesthetic & Minimalist Design = Contrast color, Simple sections	Help user recognize, diagnose, recover = All easy language	Consistency & Standards = All icons with same function have consistency	Flexibility & Efficiency of use = Personalized content recommendations based on their actions & AI chat history

Iterations

Home Page

Before

After

Users feel confused about the purpose of this interface

Change Dog Aid to Aid Buddy

Visualized the AI Assistant

Directed to profile to edit personal information

Report page

Users feel confused about the goal setting and whether it is for dog or owner

Include the dog's name in summary

Changed function to log daily activity

Focus on providing users with reliable, personalized, and accessible data

Created interactive animation

High Fidelity Prototype

Future Development

Virtual Trainer Feature: Implement augmented reality or video-based interactive training sessions guided by AI.
Integration with Smart Home Devices: Develop compatibility with pet cameras, automated feeders, and activity trackers for comprehensive care management.
Veterinary Telemedicine Integration: Partner with veterinary services to offer in-app consultations and health advice.
Behavior Prediction Model: Implement machine learning to predict potential behavioral issues based on logged data and suggest preventive measures.
Multilingual Support: Expand the app's language options to reach a global user base.

Key Learning and Reflections

User-Centered Design: Empathy and In-Depth Comprehension

Engaging users through surveys and interviews was just the beginning. It was the thoughtful design process that guided us to ask the right questions, unveiling the actual pain points and requirements of dog owners. Given that pet care is a sensitive subject, with dogs often considered as family and close companions, emotions run high when addressing challenges. This journey underscored the significance of empathy in design. By grasping the emotional and practical hurdles of our target audience, we crafted personas and developed a product that genuinely catered to their needs. This experience highlighted that effective product design commences with a deep understanding of the user's context and challenges, ensuring that the solutions provided are meaningful and beneficial.

Importance of design-centered frameworks

The iterative design process, guided by the Double Diamond model, was crucial in extracting essential insights at every phase, spanning from discovery to delivery. By integrating continuous feedback loops and refinements, the design evolved with authentic user input, ensuring that user needs remained a top priority. Collaborating with a diverse team enriched ensured multiple perspectives that enhanced the quality of the product.

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