Project type: High fidelity app prototype
Date: November-December 2023
Happy Paw is an app that lets you effortlessly connect with trusted and affordable veterinarians in your area and ensure that your furry friends receive the best care
My partner and I created a set of 10 questions related to animal welfare and interviewed 10 people. Organizing the interview results with an affinity map helped us quickly identify some issues/needs that we could address with this app.
Using 7 features we wanted to include in Happy Paw, we analyzed three competitors’ apps to find disparities in the accessibility of pet healthcare.
Concept Statement: This is an app that showcases pet services in your area and includes in-app reviews, has the ability to filter search results based on pet species, service needed, location, price, and reviews. Also includes a feature where users can report what procedure they had and what it cost, and displays pictures of each establishment.
User Needs Statement: A new pet owner needs a way to find a reliable and affordable vet and groomer for their pet in order to provide the best possible care.
Initial design ideas were created with pen and paper. They include low fidelity sketches of early layout ideas, a storyboard, and some ideas for app features. I created the sketches that are drawn in black pen.
The medium fidelity prototype was created using Figma. It was used to establish a layout for the app, so it’s colorless and non-interactive. I created the last 4 screens.
The initial color scheme was a medley of bright greens. We later changed it to a teal, white, and grey theme in order to have better color contrast and therefore be more accessible.
We used the font "Jost" for a clean, simple, and easy to read look.
The high fidelity prototype was created using Figma. It’s fully interactive and allows for users to navigate through a polished version of the app. I created the 6th and 7th screen, and screens 15-20.
Two people were asked to do a series of 5 tasks on the high-fidelity prototype without our help. We took note of what they did, thought, said, and felt. Then we noted any opportunities for app improvement based on the results from this test.
Theoretically, going forward with HappyPaw we aim to conduct more in depth usability tests with a larger pool of people in order to make sure it is in good shape to launch.
Once the app is refined using the UX research data we collect, we would like it to be live on the market by 2025. Being that HappyPaw relies on transparent reviews, we need to grow clientele. To do this we will put up advertisements near related businesses such as pet stores, vets, groomers, etc.
