Offers a friendly and convenient platform for pet owners
My Responsibilities:
User Research
Wireframing & Prototyping
Usability Test
Tools:
Figma
Figjam
Maze
Mural
Optimal Workshop
Timeline:
14 weeks
What’s the problem?
There are different challenges that pet owners face when caring for their pets. One of the significant challenges is finding a suitable vet. Factors such as varying vet quality, specialization, and clinic facilities can make this task difficult. Additionally, booking vet appointments, especially during late hours, can be challenging.
Introducing… Paw Point
Paw Point is a website that offers a friendly and convenient platform for pet owners to access vet profiles and clinic details. It enables users to easily search, select, and book appointments with suitable vets for their pets, providing a streamlined and simplified online experience.
How was Paw Point created?
Research
Goals
To understand what are the main problems pet owners are facing, particularly when they are searching for vets or making vet appointments, so that we understand what will help them to address the issues more efficiently.
Objectives
Understand the process pet owners follow when searching for vets.
Understand how pet owners seek and utilize advice from the Internet or social media communities regarding pet care.
Understand the process pet owners go through when making appointments with vets.
Competitor Analysis
A competitor analysis was conducted among 3 websites, considering their target audience, strengths, weaknesses, and features.
Key learnings:
Online booking is not available for most of the competitors.
Important information about the services provided by the clinics is missing on most platforms.
User reviews are helpful for pet owners to find a suitable vet for their pets.
Survey
I conducted a survey with nine participants to gain insights into pet owners' preferences and needs.
Key Insights:
8 out of 9 participants used online search engines to find pet care-related information.
4 out of 9 participants joined social media communities to share experiences with other pet owners.
4 out of 9 participants believe that reputation and recommendations are the most important factors when selecting a vet.
User Interviews
I also conducted user interviews with five pet owners to gain deeper insights. Some open-ended questions were asked:
What criteria or factors are important to you when selecting a vet?
How do you typically go about finding a vet for your pets?
Have you ever experienced any challenges or inconveniences when making vet appointments?
Key Insights:
Users are concerned about finding a suitable vet for their pets when they have specific needs.
Availability and quality of care are the main factors that pet owners consider when choosing a vet.
A streamlined and easy way to make vet appointments is necessary.
Learnings from research
Users are concerned about finding a suitable vet for their pets when they have specific needs.
Availability and quality of care are the main factors that pet owners consider when choosing a vet.
A streamlined and easy way to make vet appointments is necessary.
Turn Problem into Opportunity
With a better understanding of our users, we moved to the Define stage. We created Point of view (POV) statements summarizing users' needs and converted them into "How Might We" (HMW) questions. Two HMW questions were chosen as focus areas:
“How might we ensure that first-time pet owners can easily compare different vet options based on the needs of their pets?”
“How might we ensure that first-time pet owners can easily compare different vet options based on the needs of their pets?”
User Personas
Chris
45 | Marketing Director | Married
“Lily is my best friend. I want to see her stay healthy and grow old together with her
in the next decade or two.”
His goals:
Find a suitable vet for Lily's specific needs as she ages.
Receive high-quality vet services that meet his expectations.
Manage his busy schedule effectively while prioritizing Lily's health needs.
His challenges:
Unclear availability of clinics with special facilities for Lily's care.
Concerns about finding a vet for specialized care.
Frustration with the traditional, time-consuming process of making appointment bookings.
Sarah
21 | Administrative Assistant | Single
“Rocky means everything to me. I strive to understand everything that is good for him”
Her goals:
Quality veterinary services within her budget.
Ability to make informed decisions about her pet's vet visits.
Her challenges:
Uncertainties and questions about pet care.
Popular vets in the area have long wait times extending for months.
Difficulty in making informed decisions due to unreliable and overwhelming internet information.
Concerns about the high cost of veterinary care impacting her ability to provide the best care for her cat.
Ideation
Brainstorm ideas based on HMW questions. Two concepts were selected for further exploration, and storyboards were created to demonstrate how these ideas would impact users.
Ideation process - Exploration of Ideas
Ideation process - Storyborads
User Flow
Created user flows to translate user’s needs and goals into steps inside of our product, visualizing all possible paths customers could take.
User Flow 1: Book a vet appointment
User Flow 2: Reschedule an appointment
Task Flows
Created task flows to define key screens we needed for wireframing and prototyping.
Task Flow 1: Search for a vet
Task Flow 2: Book a vet appointment
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Low-fidelity wireframes were developed based on user and task flows, providing a quick and efficient method to visualize and iterate on design concepts while emphasizing the overall structure and functionality.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Feedback was collected and utilized to iterate and enhance our ideas, resulting in mid-fidelity wireframes that offer improved visualization of design elements and interactions.
High-Fidelity Wireframes
We then finalized the color patterns, typography, and UI elements to establish a warm, friendly, and caring vibe, incorporating them into high-fidelity wireframes.
Usability Test
To validate our design choices, a usability test was conducted with 9 participants (4 moderated and 5 unmoderated).
What Worked
Interface was easy to use and understand.
Steps and information to book an appointment were clear.
Search bar and "Book Now" button were clear and prominent.
What can be improved
Filter/sort by location and available time.
Quick access on the homepage for "Available Now," "Nearby," and "Emergency."
Clearer information on the confirmation page.
Iterations
Revised:
Changed the "Vets Available Now" section to buttons, creating a more actionable area for users to start with.
What can be improved:
Quick access on the homepage for "Available Now," "Nearby," and "Emergency."
Revised:
Added "By earliest available time" option, allowing users to easily find clinics that have available time slots.
What can be improved:
Sort by location and available time.
Revised:
Added "Available Timeslot" and Distance from" options, allowing users to narrow down their search results based on specific time availability and location.
Revised:
Rearranged sections in filters by prioritizing the ones that users think are more important.
What can be improved:
Filter by location and available time.
Revised:
Added a "Skip for now" button to give users the choice to skip the registration process.
What can be improved:
Give users option to skip registration process.
Revised:
Adjusted the copy on the confirmation page to inform users that a confirmation has been sent to their email.
What can be improved:
Clearer information on the confirmation page
Final Prototype
Linked the key screens together by establishing hotspots that users can click on to move to the next screen.
Next Steps
Continue seeking feedback from users to refine and improve the design.
Collaborate with developers to handoff files with correct specifications.
Schedule a time with developers for design clarifications.
Key Learnings
Importance of user-centric design in creating Paw Point.
Iterative feedback and continuous improvement throughout the design process.
Thorough research, ideation, wireframing, and prototyping stages.
Seeking feedback from users to refine and enhance the design.
Addressing the needs of pet owners by providing a platform for finding suitable vets and booking appointments conveniently.