Challenge

Busy dog owners need a convenient way to find and schedule trustworthy walkers in their area when they are traveling or juggling a demanding schedule.

Research & Empathize

First I did market research and selected three leading dog walking apps: Rover, Wag! and Barkly Pets. I paid attention to the common features, design, and highlighted features.

Next, I interviewed several dog owners to find out if they had any experiences or concerns about using dog walking apps when friends and family were not available. Most of them had not tried apps because they didn't want to sort through large numbers of profiles, or they were concerned about the cost. Others said they would be more comfortable having a way to communicate specific instructions and concerns, or to confirm a walker had specific experience or understanding before scheduling anything.

Based on all the feedback, I created a user persona.

Ideate

For the first round of brainstorming, I sketched on paper.

I also created my first user flow in Figma.

This later was became a high fidelity wireframe, which provided the base for the visual design.

Visual Design & Prototype

Shades of blues and larger images were selected to help users feel at ease and build trust. The concept is when they first sign up, they set up a profiles both for themselves and their pets that will later help filter down available walkers (walkers also can list preferences or limitations). The goal would be fewer, better quality to matches that are already within their target budget as well.

When dog owners need to schedule a walk, they are able to select the availability they need and then will only see walkers who fit the needed criteria. They are able to directly request a walk if all looks good, or they can also direct message the walker to ask questions if needed. Then they submit their request, and the walker also able to request or decline so everyone is in agreement (and once accepted can even schedule the payment, which wouldn't be processed until after the walk was actually completed.

One additional feature busy dog owners mentioned they would love is the ability to use the same app for their other pet care needs. They would also be able to search for local groomers, boarding, training and other things as well. Will this student assignment just scratched the surface, it was a great way to practice the process and Figma.

View prototype here on Figma.