Rita Wang's Portfolio

Ever since the pandemic hit the world, there has been a surge in demand for pet companionship as people need someone to be their side to overcome the loneliness. It resulted in a record breaking 23 million pet adoptions at the height of the pandemic. However, as life returns to normal, many of these “Pandemic puppies” are being returned to animal shelters, about 6.3 million companion animals entering the shelters each year national wide. This trend has placed a significant strain on adoption organizations, causing staff burnout and animal developing behavioral problems while in shelters for a long time. To alleviate the situation, adoption organizations have adopted a new mission statement, as to keep animals out of the shelters and find the suitable homes.

The Challenge

"I want someone to be there for me all the time."

Demand for Pet Companionship

Pet Seekers

“Why people don’t want me anymore?”

The Pandemic Puppies

Sheltered Animals

“We want to keep them out of the shelter and get them out alive.”

New Mission to adapt

Adoption Organizations

Project Overview

With the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly challenging for adoption organizations to find pets a home, despite the growing need for pet companionship. PetHood is a digital animal adoption platform that connects pet lovers around neighborhoods, making it easier for pets to find stable in-home environments and human companionship. The platform provides updated pet profiles, their living situations, and a community of pet lovers who share experiences and advice. PetHood aims to make pet adoption more accessible and convenient by offering a one-stop-shop for everything related to pet ownership near your location, creating a world where all animals have a loving home, equally benefiting pet seekers, adoption organizations, and sheltered animals.

Special thanks to the shelter I have been volunteering who has been offering me so many helps, love and encouragement. Thank you for everything they have done to those animals and the Evanston Community.
To learn more about Evanston Animal shelter, check here: http://evanstonanimalshelter.net/

All animal photos are real animals from Evanston Animal Shelter.

People traditionally perceive animal adoption as finding animals forever homes as a one-time solution, but under current situation it is no longer sufficient and face the high risk of animal returns and surrenders.

BEFORE

Q: What does finding a home mean?

Thus, Adoption organizations are promoting ideas such as fostering and supported rehoming to find in-home placements for pets in both the short and long term, reducing the number of pets entering the shelters and making it easier to get them into homes.

NOW

Animal Adoption = Home Placement >>

FOREVER

Adoption

TEMPORARY

Foster

Supported

REHOME

Overarching Approach

Secondary Research

Ethnographic Research

Shelter Volunteer

Synthesis

Problem Scoping

Ideation

Low-Fi Prototype

User Testing

High-Fi Prototype

What has been wrong that hinder different parties from getting the most they need? After synthesizing what I have learned, I summarized pain points on 3 stages each that both Pet Seekers and Adoption Organizations need to be through.

Synthesis

After conducting research and speaking with 20+ pet seekers & owners and 3 adoption organizations, as well as me volunteering while observing in the shelter, it was discovered that 80% of people consider the current adoption process inefficient and unpleasant. Any adopters told me that, “I don’t want to go through it all over again. It was such a pain”.

Secondary Research

Interviews with pet owners & adoption orgs

(Click to view the mural board)

Research Methods

“People just return the pets to us when they don’t know what to do.”

“We know we can make things better, but we just don’t have the time and people to do it.”

“People either call in or email or walk in. I need a way to keep track of things they said.”

Flood of intake that is hard to manage

Lack of efficient tools promoting pet information

Lack of central hub of communication & information

Adoption Organizations

“Whenever we find a dog, you get attached with the dog but in the end, you can’t get it”

“Honestly, it’s so tiring. Can’t believe I have to do this again for another one.”

“If you see a dog on petfinder, it’s already gone. Trust me.”

Emotionally attached to pets they are unlikely to get

Repetitive application process leads to both emotional & physical burnout

Lack of transparency around pet availability, popularity & application progress

Pet Seekers

Emotional & Functional Needs

help more animals find human companionships in a timely manner?

HOW MIGHT WE

Design a humanized & personalized application process to bring in encouraging experience

EFFORTLESS

Create a transparent & trustworthy tool to facilitate information exchange between stakeholders

TRANSPARENT

Bring people living around neighborhood together to provide animals better lives and companionships

CONNECTING

In adherence to the three design principles, I initiated the ideation process through both individual and group brainstorming sessions. Based on these brainstorming sessions, I compiled a feature list for each stakeholder and proceeded to conduct user testing, interviewing participants to categorize potential features as "Should Have," "Nice to Have," or "Don't Need." This exercise enabled me to prioritize the essential features and incorporate valuable new ideas into the design process.

In the beginning, my objective was to develop portals for three primary stakeholders: Pet seekers, who were newcomers to the process; Adoption Organizations, the vital supporters; and Pet adopters & fosterers, the essential contributors to post-adoption services and the community. However, taking into account the project's scope, feasibility, and viability, I narrowed down the stakeholders to focus on the first two: Pet seekers and Adoption Organizations, as they play pivotal roles in the initial stages of the animal placement process.

To cater to the needs of both Pet Seekers and Adoption Organizations, I recognized that Onboarding, Application, and Community (post-application) were crucial stages for both groups. Consequently, I began sketching and creating wireframes to outline the initial user interface for these key steps, drawing inspiration from established pet adoption platforms like Petfinder and Home2Home, as well as map and search-based websites such as Airbnb.

Ideation & Low-Fi Wireframes

Initial low-fi wireframes taking 3 stakeholders into accounts. Did 2 rounds of user testing for desirability and feasibility

Onboarding

Application

Community

A digital platform that helps bring Pawsibility to your neighborhood.

Individual Thesis Project | Service Design

20 weeks ~ TBC

Synthesis>

Design >

Morena!!!!

Walter

Starchild

Felix & Xilef

Gordo

GO!!

< back

Final low-fi wireframes with extensive wires on each key features

Start pet search from adoption organizations around you in your neighborhood

Community newsfeed showing pet-related info up-to-date

Streamline the application process up front to onboarding

Automatically fill in pre-saved information

Track your application and receive progress updates

Direct message channel with Org

Centralize all records in one

Synchronize existing pet information from other platforms

Check on community newsfeeds to reach out people who may want to surrender or people who are qualifies to volunteer

Send group messages to people who can help under emergencies

Keep track of applications and services

Pet information organized by key features; Refresh page to update

Visual indications clearly present pet information

The product will face competition from existing pet adoption platforms such as Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet, etc.. However, PetHood's unique value proposition of being a neighborhood-based platform that facilitates information exchange and matches pets with human companionship can set it apart from the competition.

Final Product

a neighborhood-based platform that connects pet lovers and facilitates information exchange, making it easier for pets to find stable in-home environments and human companionships.

A hub for pet-related information exchange & Need-Request match-up

Product

Up-to-date pet related newsfeeds and trustworthy supports & connections

Service

Real-time Data Synchronization & Storage, Information Visibility & Traceability, Easy pet application and service requesting

Solutions

Pet Seekers

I'd like my adoption journey to be easy and pleasant.

Instead of burying with millions of cute pet photos, pet seekers enter the page with a map of all the pet-related resources displayed in her neighborhood including shelters, rescues, rehomes, and other pet-related businesses. One the left column, it showcased the latest pet-related news and newly available pets happening around the area. All available pet posts were displayed in relation to geo-location, ensuring that people could have the choice and encourage them to pay a visit to shelter to meet the pets in person.

“Happy to know there are so many options just around me!”

Look for a pet: Contextual Map & News Feed

1.1

While searching, people don’t need to create an ideal pet picture using extensive filters, but instead, they just typed in keywords of what they need the most and from suggested categories provided by PetHood. Each added keyword helped people narrow down their search until they found the pets they are looking for.

Look for a pet: Contextual Search

1.2

The visual indicator provides real-time information on pet availability and accessibility, ensuring clarity and accuracy at all times.

If people cannot find the pet they want in the current choices, they can always send a post with specific requests, notify nearby adoption organizations and wait for new pets that meet their needs coming up.

Look for a pet: Personalized Inquiries

1.3

Before people sent applications to their interested pet, they will be guided to the sign-up page, where they will be asked to complete the pet-related survey. Through this approach of creating an adopter profile upfront, PetHood will help them pre-fill their general information in the application form, and leave them only shelter specific questions to answer. Instead of applying pet one by one, people can now select multiple pets they are interested in from one shelter and apply for all of them with one single application form.

“It’s making my life much easier!!”

Apply for a pet: Universal Application

2.1

After submitting their applications, PetHood provides links to help pet seekers understand the next steps and access other relevant resources to prepare themselves better. Pet seekers can also communicate directly with the organizations through PetHood, asking further questions or raising concerns, and checking on their application progress.

Apply for a pet: Post Service & Direct Communication

2.2

PetHood informs pet seekers about the live popularity and availability of pets, which allows pet seekers to avoid looking into pets that are no longer available, saving them from wasting efforts.

Aware of pet’s situation: Pet Availability & Popularity Indicators

3.1

When Adoption Organization representatives sign up for PetHood, they will be directed to a signup page where they can log in through their current pet management platform account. Once logged in, PetHood will automatically transfer all pet information and general data to its own pet cards for representatives to review and take further action. Representatives can still manage animal intake and outtake on their original website and synchronize the data with PetHood by simply refreshing the page.

Manage Intake: 3rd party Partnership & Auto Info Migration

1.1

One way that organization representatives can increase the exposure of their pets is by sharing the pet cards on public newsfeeds as posts. By doing this, they can reach a wider audience of potential pet adopters who may not have known about the organization or the available pets.

Promote Pet Info: Spread out to the neighborhood

2.1

If a representative sees individuals who want to return, surrender, or rehome their pets on the newsfeeds, they can proactively offer necessary assistance and support to help them keep their pets or find a new home.

Manage Intake: Send help to people in need

1.2

“We want to let people know that we are here to help!”

Organization representatives can connect with potential volunteers or foster parents is by actively searching for them on PetHood. If representatives notice someone who has expressed interest in helping animals or has a history of volunteering, they can send a direct message to invite them to join the community and give more pets a chance at a loving home. PetHood helps Orgs establish a strong network of volunteers and foster parents who are committed to supporting the organization's mission and providing the best care for the pets in need.

Promote Pet Info: A network of helping hands

2.2

“We need a tool to help us work efficient and spread out the words to people about our mission and services.”

Adoption Organizations

Orgs can stay organized and informed about pet application progress and sent-out services by accessing their personal center on PetHood. This feature allows them to keep track of all the pet status, providing them with a clear overview of what is happening without getting confused or overwhelmed. With this centralized hub of information, Org can feel more in control and confident.

Manage Info & Services: Centralized hub

Challenges & Considerations

The most difficult part of Feasibility may be developing and integrating the necessary technological components to create a seamless user experience.

To support this website platform and the future mobile app, a backend system that can handle transactions, data storage, and user management is essential. I would also need to acquire multiple APIs, such as Location and mapping APIs, Pet-related APIs and Authentication and security APIs.

Another challenge with Viability is building a large enough user base to make the platform profitable. This requires effective marketing and customer acquisition strategies, as well as ongoing efforts to retain existing users and encourage them to refer others to the platform. Thus, to take it further, I would love to continue this project by inviting existing pet owners and local businesses onboard, to unite them as the fundamental user base of PetHood .

To learn more about the UI system

click here:

UI >

Taking ownership of an end-to-end design project was undeniably a daunting but incredibly fulfilling experience, especially when working on something I am truly passionate about. Throughout the journey, from conducting extensive primary and secondary research to gaining insights, defining the problem space, generating ideas, creating prototypes, conducting user testing, and iterating, I cultivated a profound and comprehensive understanding of the problem at hand, enabling me to make well-informed design decisions. Although being the sole decision-maker posed challenges, it afforded me the opportunity to learn and grow in every phase of the double-diamond design process. I developed a heightened appreciation for the significance of user research and its role in guiding design choices, as well as a deep affection for prototyping and the ability to bring abstract concepts to life using tools like Figma. Moreover, I challenged myself to effectively scope the project, resulting in a product that is desirable, feasible, and viable.

Reflections

To build a supportive community that helps more homeless pets find right home placements quicker and easier.

Why PetHood?