CityPups Case Study

Natania Rapelo

UX Researcher

UX Designer

Figma

Notion

🐶 Overview

Fun fact: I have a love for dogs, however. . . I am allergic to most of them 😢. I mean it's not their fault I'm allergic 🤷‍♀️. So, when I found out about the Bitesize UX workshop that centered around re-designing a dog app for CityPups, I knew I had to join in. I wanted to create a seamless user experience that will help others find the perfect furry companion 🐶.

📝 The Purpose of the Project

1. Optimize the Onboarding Experience

Every app has a learning curve, good onboarding helps users achieve their goals quickly and efficiently, leading to higher user satisfaction levels. It can also reduce frustration and negative reviews due to user confusion or lack of understanding.

The existing CityPups app was lacking in its' onboarding process that caused users to feel unconfident in matching with a pup that fits the user's lifestyle.

2. Ensure that my UX documentation was up to date.

I wanted to make sure that I will provide a clear and structured approach to my design tasks. This way, I can reduce the time and effort to complete them. I used Notion for my UX documentation and note taking.

3. Aim to introduce new innovative ideas

I wanted to test my boundaries of what's possible and create new opportunities for my design growth.

By taking on this project, I was able to gain valuable experience in the design and development process and further develop my skills in this area.

👩🏻‍💻 My Role

I took on as the Lead UX/UI Designer & Researcher.

It is my responsibility to:

Design Lo-Fi → Hi-Fi Wireframes

Define the app’s features such as:

🌱 I'd like you to know

The workshop provided a comprehensive video recording capturing a user's interaction with the CityPups app. This allowed us to understand the user's journey, pain points, and potential areas for improvement.

Designers from diverse backgrounds and locations participated in the workshop, contributing unique perspectives and insights.

Introduction

👀 The Problem

How might we simplify the dog adoption process and match potential dog owners with the perfect dog for their lifestyle and living situation using the CityPups app?

People living in cities have a lot to consider when adopting a dog. Limited space, size, and other lifestyle factors create a unique set of needs to make sure that both owners and pups are set up for a happy and healthy life together.

🧪 Usability Test Results

Chelsea lives in New York City and is interested in adopting a dog. Does CityPups help her find a dog that matches her needs?

During Chelsea's onboarding experience, I carefully observed her progress through each screen and recorded noteworthy observations and insights for each step of the process.

Based on the usability test results, there were other key factors that were not considered.

➡ The app did not consider that Chelsea was a first time dog owner and she did not know for how long she needed to walk her dog.

Dog Size

Activity Level

Living Situation

🏠 Information Architecture

I wanted to take this project further by improving its content management through Information Architecture.

This way, I can structure the information in a way that is understandable and scalable.

CityPups Information Architecture

🧩 Prototyping

Lo - Fi Wireframes

I created low-fidelity sketches and integrated fresh concepts into my design approach.

1️⃣ Initially, I started off by sketching the pre-existing CityPups app and highlighted the pain points that the user was having.

2️⃣ I created multiple new onboarding screen designs to address usability test feedback and improve identified issues.

3️⃣ Given the user's challenges with the limited options in the existing app, I decided to enhance the onboarding process by expanding its scope.

CityPups Lo-Fi Wireframes

🍥 Final Design

What did I solve?

During my evaluation of the CityPups app, I found that it did not cater to first-time dog owners.

To address this gap, I incorporated a feature in the CityPups app that:

🐕‍🦺 Helps users evaluate their readiness and provides guidance on how to prepare for dog ownership (In this case, for how long should they walk their dog)

First Time Dog Owner Screens

In response to the feedback from the usability test regarding dog sizes,

I implemented a more straightforward option:

📏 Adding metrics such as weight to give context for each dog size

🧩 Visuals on cards to help user determine the size of the dog

☑ Multiple selection and clear button states to show the elements that were interacted with before moving on to the next step

🔙 Back button so users can go back to edit their preferences if needed

Onboarding Process Pt 1

During the design process, I encountered a challenge when creating the living situation screen.

🏡 Given that every user's living situation is unique, it was difficult to identify the most critical information to collect.

-> After careful consideration, I concluded that the user's living space's size is the most vital piece of information to gather.

-> This decision was based on the premise that adequate space is crucial for the dog & owner's comfort and well-being.

Onboarding Process Pt 2

One of the major issues with the pre-existing CityPups app is that users can't really tell if a dog would be a suitable match for them based solely on a picture.

🔎 To solve this problem, I proposed a simple and effective system that showcases a unique story about each dog.

🐶 This approach goes beyond the surface level information and helps users understand each dog's personality, temperament, and energy level. By highlighting the individuality of every pup, users can connect with them emotionally and develop a sense of attachment even before they meet them in person.

🫶 This approach not only makes the experience enjoyable but also creates a lasting impression on the users, leading to higher engagement and customer satisfaction.

Adoptable Dogs :)

🐾 Reflection

Embracing my design journey

The primary objective of this project was to enhance my design skills and knowledge. Throughout the project, I struggled with:

👾 Striving for pixel-perfect designs, which often consumed considerable time and effort.

👩🏻‍💻 Finding the right balance between visuals and text can be difficult. I wanted to ensure that the case studies are visually appealing while still effectively communicating the design process and outcomes.

You can definetly say that this project challenged my design skills. Regardless, I loved every single process throughout this project. After all, I had the opportunity to design an engaging user experience that catered to both users and dogs!

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Posted Jun 20, 2023

Revolutionizing dog adoption in urban areas

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