PawVoyage
mobile app
PawVoyage is the go-to mobile app offering pet owners a treasure trove of reliable, up-to-date resources for seamless pet-friendly travel planning. Enjoy a stress-free experience that's both efficient and enjoyable. Say goodbye to leaving your furry friends behind!
Role: UX Strategist, Researcher, Ux Designer.
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Miro, Adobe Creative, Google Suite,
Timeline: 4 months
Process: Research, Ideation, Prototyping, and Testing. Repeat.
The problem Space
In recent years, the market for traveling with pets has been steadily growing, reflecting the increasing number of pet owners who consider their pets as family members and desire to include them in travel plans.
Pet Travel Expending: Notably, pet owners in the United States have dedicated over $10 billion to pet travel expenses in recent years, encompassing pet-friendly accommodations, transportation, and related costs, according to the APPA.
Pet Ownership Growth: With approximately 67% of U.S. households owning pets, as reported by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), this figure has steadily risen over time.
Rising Demand for Pet-Friendly Accommodations: There's a burgeoning demand for pet-friendly lodging options, prompting hotels, vacation rentals, and other accommodations to adapt and cater to
pet owners' needs.
Impact on Travel Plans: A staggering 64% of Millennial pet owners have cited concerns about leaving their pets alone as a reason for canceling travel plans, indicating the significant role pets play in travel decision-making.
User & Market Research
Unleashing Insights:
Who is really our User?
During the 2020 pandemic, many people added pets to their households, and with the ability to work remotely, enabling longer trips, pet owners began seeking pet-friendly accommodations.
I needed to understand who the users were. Through 1:1 interviews with five devoted pet owners, I unearthed the pivotal challenges and pivotal factors shaping their quest for pet-friendly travel.
The resounding revelation? A pressing need for a dependable, comprehensive, and regularly updated hub of information—a singular destination to streamline their pet-friendly trip-planning journey.
Quotes from interviewees
To bring an animal to an unfamiliar place can provoke anxiety to pet owner
Charges for
Some locations or establishments may prohibit pets, complicating travel planning and adding hassle to any trip.
User insights
Sara, a dedicated pet owner, seeks assistance in orchestrating a pet-friendly getaway with her beloved cat, Chico. Hindered by her hectic work schedule, she grapples with the overwhelming sea of information, fraught with inaccuracies and unreliability.
Problem statement
“Sara, an avid pet owner who cherishes traveling with her furry companion, is determined to meticulously plan her vacation. She seeks indispensable safety guidelines, pet-friendly lodging options, and engaging activities tailored for her and her cherished cat, Chico, ensuring a seamless and joyous experience away from home."
"How can we streamline and provide current, trustworthy information on pet-friendly travel, empowering pet owners to efficiently plan vacations?
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
How do other competitors tackle this challenge?
The pp offers on-the-go access to pet-friendly information worldwide, including hotels, attractions, and restaurants for dog owners. It features reviews from both dogs and owners, a canine concierge service, and no booking fees. Also connects owners with animal professionals at their destination.
BarkHappy is like a dating app for dogs, where users create profiles for their pets, connect with nearby dogs and owners, and arrange meetups. The app also helps users find dog-friendly places and assists in reuniting lost dogs with their owners.
TripIt is an all-in-one travel planning app that consolidates transportation, accommodation, and activities into a single itinerary. Just forward your confirmation emails for your reservations. Stores documents, get real-time flight alerts, access itineraries, discover nearby places, and assess destination safety scores.
A large database of trusted and verified hosts and properties, with accessibility filters, caters to those seeking short-term accommodations. However, these options may lack on-site support like hotels, have misleading listings, and pose the risk of last-minute cancellations. Additionally, there may be higher pet fees.
An online travel agency where users can book accommodations worldwide. It's known for its wide range of options, user reviews, and features like instant confirmation and 24/7 customer support. Additionally, offers car rental, flight finder, and restaurant reservation services. They also promise low rates, price matching, and often allow free cancellations.
Strengths:
Extensive Data Repository: Years of business have amassed a wealth of data, providing comprehensive insights for users.
Trusted Authority: they've earned the trust of users, establishing themselves as a reliable source for their needs.
Swift, Seamless Booking: their online
booking platform is not only fast but some
are also free, offering convenience and efficiency to their customers.
Opportunities:
Customized Itineraries: We can provide tailored itineraries to enhance the travel experience for our users.
Comprehensive Packing Lists: Offering curated packing lists ensures travelers are
well-prepared for their adventures.Expansion Potential: With emerging competitors like PawVoyager, catering to a broader range of animals beyond dogs presents an opportunity to capture new markets and diversify our offerings.
Weaknesses:
Limited Focus: Some platform currently caters only
to dogs, overlooking the needs of other pets.Lengthy Onboarding: Some users may encounter a prolonged onboarding process, potentially hindering their initial experience.
Lack of Dedication: Not all features are specifically tailored to pet-friendly vacations, potentially diluting
the overall user experience.
Threats:
Established Competitors: Reputable organizations with years of experience pose a threat to our market position.
Industry Expertise: Competitors' extensive know-how accumulated over the years presents a challenge.
Social Media Influence: Competitors with a strong social media presence can easily sway consumer perceptions.
Financial Stability: Cash-flow fluctuations may impact our ability to compete effectively.
User persona
Meet SAra, a globetrotter & Super Cat MOm
The Research phase has uncovered a myriad of user needs and pains, ranging from the generic to the specific. To ensure a comprehensive understanding of my key audience segments, I synthesized the diverse insights and quantitative user research into a cohesive pattern. This allowed me to create reliable and realistic representations of typical users for reference, laying the foundation for informed decision-making in app development.
She's juggling long work hours and eagerly awaits weekends to bond with her family. While she adores traveling, the planning process feels like a chore, especially when it means leaving her beloved pets behind. Too often, she and her cats are turned away from so-called 'pet-friendly' places that aren't truly welcoming.
Her dream? To globe-trot stress-free with her furry companions, knowing they're safe and well-cared for wherever they roam.
SARA DOE, 34 yrs old, the Globetrotter
Convenient comparison and booking for pet-friendly vacation rentals.
Accessible pet-friendly activities.
Verified pet-specific reviews from fellow travelers.
Simplified discovery of nearby pet supplies and care facilities.
NEEDS
Scattered information complicates planning.
Many accommodations don't welcome cats.
Locating vet care and pet essentials in new cities is daunting.
Excessive fees for pets and cleaning make travel plans more difficult.
PAINS
IDEATION
User flow
Before diving into app design, I needed to figure out how users would navigate through it. So, I started by doodling some user journey ideas on paper, based on what I learned from research and brainstorming. Each flow went through a bunch of tweaks to make sure it was super easy for users to complete tasks.
The following flow represents booking a pet-friendly accommodation. The flow to discover places to eat and to see would be similar.
Color Couture: Crafting the Chic Palette for Lidia's Vision
This mood board sets the aesthetic tone for the new website and serves as a guiding beacon during the design process.
We maintained the original nude while introducing accents of burgundy and metallic rose gold.
This carefully curated color palette reflects Lidia's vision for a sophisticated, sexy, and inclusive brand for her company.
-
Find Sammi shoes on Homepage, and click the associated AR Icon.
Result: 80% success!
Title
Title
The Fashionista's Online Shoe Odyssey.
Ideation
Sketches
In this case study, we aim to analyze the user journey for this e-commerce platform. The task flow begins with the user landing on the homepage, where they browse through various shoes, and ends the flow by ordering a product. Throughout this process, our goal is to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement to enhance the overall user experience and drive conversion
Navigating the Path to Perfection: User Flow Journey.
Our storyboard helps us tell stories about our user persona. This is useful and helps us to take the focus off our internal bias and assist us to empathize with our users.
wireframes & Lo-fi screens
After identifying the problem and our user, we gathered insights from our research and interviews with the founder and users. This led us to brainstorm solutions, focusing on defining new features aimed at helping users find the perfect shoe to ensure a smooth and successful user experience during online shopping.
Initially, we crafted sketches and constructed low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the information architecture and gain deeper insights into the flow between screens.
Accelerating Success Through Prototype Trials
Next, it was time to put our design to the test. In this pivotal stage, we uncover valuable insights and refine our vision to ensure a seamless user experience. We aimed to determine whether our design would help users find a perfect shoe as well as use the new tools were were developing: the Try-on and Measuring tool.
-
1 - Determine if users can complete the requested tasks efficiently and in a timely manner.
2 - Determine if there are any pain points while using the webpage.
-
A & B Testing and Participant Observation with random participants performing a series of pre-established tasks.
-
Find Try-On Feature, try on
Sammi and add them to the cart.
Result: 60% success.
-
Find Measure Feature and get a size. Save your size. Return to AR hub.
Result: 80% success!
key Takeaways
The main curveball for users was about the AR (how it works/what it is) but not the design or the flow themselves. For that reason, we understand that the user needs to be educated in how to use the new technology.
Simple language and an organized Information Architecture (IA) contributes to a positive user experience - improving performance and increasing usability.
Identifying the key moments of frustration are essential when designing a new solution.
the design evolution
Sketch -> Lo-Fi -> Mid-Fi -> Hi-Fi
Final thoughts & lessons learned
Founder's Vision and Open-mindedness
Lidia Talavera, the visionary founder behind the business, entrusted us with full autonomy to redesign her website, explore innovative UX/UI solutions, and develop cutting-edge technology to address customer pain points. The project is currently on hold as Lidia seeks funding to support its realization. In the meantime, we are delving deeper into AR technology, strategizing its seamless integration, and preparing for rigorous testing as we pave the way for transformative changes ahead.
User Education on New Technology
Another crucial lesson gleaned from this experience is the necessity of educating users about new technologies. We discovered that even groundbreaking features can be met with resistance or confusion if users are not adequately informed about their purpose and functionality. Moving forward, we will prioritize user education initiatives, including tutorials, guides, and demos, to ensure seamless adoption and maximize the benefits of innovative technologies.
Budget Limitations and Development Costs
One of the key takeaways from this case study is the importance of carefully managing budget limitations, particularly in the context of development costs. We learned that while ambitious goals can drive innovation, they must be balanced against the financial constraints of the project. Going forward, it is essential to conduct thorough cost analyses and prioritize features to ensure that resources are allocated effectively
Thank you!