Persona:
Based on interviews that were conducted, a singular specified persona was created. I referred to it throughout the entire product development process.
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To better understand the needs and wants of the target audience for this app, interviews and empathy maps were conducted. One of the primary user groups identified through the research was career-focused adults who have tight schedules.
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Thabo Cele is an industrious Software Engineer who spends most of his working hours working remotely from the comfort of his home. He needs an easy and time efficient way to adopt his pet best friend so that he can have someone keeping him company when he is at home.
The Product:
Pet Safe Haven Adoption (PSHA) is a modern website that caters to the safe-practicing pet adoption needs of individuals who believe in loving treatment of animals. It allows for the user to search for the perfect pet who they can provide a loving home to, while learning efficient ways to take care of your pet (from other pet
parents) and buying environmentally-friendly produced pet goods.
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Project Duration:
November 2021-December 2021
The Problem:
Busy professionals, stuck working remotely due to the pandemic, don’t have time to visit animal sanctuaries to see which potential pet would meet their needs for adoption, because they have tight schedules.
The Goal:
Design a website for PSHA that creates an effective platform for working professionals to virtually communicate their pet adoption needs to animal sanctuaries, so that they are able to adopt their pet of choice from the comfort of their home.
My Role:
Lead UX designer, Lead Interaction Designer, UX researcher, Visual Designer, Project Manager.
Responsibilities:
User research, conducting interviews, paper & digital wire-framing, low & high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
The Process:
I conducted interviews and empathy maps in order to better understand the needs & wants of the target audience for this website. One of the primary user groups identified through the research was career-focused, 80-20 hybrid-working adults who have tight schedules.
This user group confirmed assumptions about PSHA’s users, but research revealed that time efficiency was not the only concern that users had. Other user problems include personal interests and preferences, circumstantial situations, and work/life challenges that make it difficult to find the time to adopt the perfect pet.
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User Journey:
Mapping Thabo Cele’s user journey revealed how helpful it would be for users to have access to the efficient PSHA Website.
Sitemap for PSHA Pet Adoption Website:
Paper Wireframes:
Taking the draft to draft the iterations of each screen of the website on paper ensured that the elements that made it to digital wireframes would be well-suited to address user pain points. For the home screen I prioritized a quick and easy navigation for the user to easily find animals and filter their search to their own needs, and save time.
Low-Fidelity Prototype:
The low-fidelity prototype connected the primary user flow of selecting the ‘adopt now’ or ‘adopt’ button and filtering the search according to the user’s needs and wants. This was done so that the prototype could be used in a usability study with users.
Usability Study Findings:
I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study helped to guide designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Mockups:
Early designs allowed for customization, but after the usability study, I changed the adoption sanctuary’s name, added a carousel of images for miscellaneous purchases, added the sanctuary’s logo, included a toggle button for more accessibility, and quantity per product to help the user remember how many products are in their cart. I also revised the designs so that users see all the clickable options when they first land on the screen.
Mockups Before & After the Usability Study
Round 1 Findings:
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Users want to find the perfect pet easily & quickly
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Users want filtering options
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Users want a fast response to request forms
Round 2 Findings:
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Request form layout needs to be improved
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Setup of animal info page needs to have more info and pictures of the pet
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The need to be more accessibility options
Key Mockups:
Accessibility Considerations:
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Provided better access to visually impaired users by adding ability to use a keyboard while browsing through the website.
Made use of universal icons to help with easy navigation.
Used detailed imagery so that users could feel closer to posted animals and tips made by other users on the app.
Key Takeaways & What I learned:
Takeaway:
This website makes users of the PSHA website feel as if their pet adoption needs are being met.
One quote from peer feedback:
“I found that when I landed on the homepage, I was quickly able to find all the necessary information that I purposed to find when I visited the website. I’d love to see how it develops!"- Tinashe Maie
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What I learned: While designing the PSHA website, I learnt that with each stage of the design process, there is a constant need for feedback and iteration. I also learnt that there is no such thing as the ‘perfect design’. Even when the product is launched, there will always be updates made on it. Which makes designing, all the more fun.