HonestDog

HonestDog is a German platform used to connect prospective pet owners with trustworthy breeders, shelters and rescues within the country. As a final project in my Springboard course, I was one of three designers on this project to redesign their homepage, dashboard and other pages alike.

Client:
HonestDog

Date:
May 2023

Role:
Design Team Member

Project:
Industry Design Project

Brief:

HonestDog aims to address a couple of challenges they have encountered and seeks effective solutions for them.

* One issue that HonestDog has identified is the frustration experienced by breeders when prospective pet parents, who have been successfully matched with them, fail to respond or provide further information. HonestDog is determined to redesign the communication process to minimize the occurrence of such ghosting incidents, ensuring better engagement and follow-through between breeders and prospective pet parents.

* Furthermore, HonestDog envisions incentivizing their vision and product by introducing a premium account option. This premium account will offer users exclusive access to a range of exceptional HonestDog products and services, providing enhanced value and benefits for those who choose to invest in the premium membership.

* By refining the communication flow and introducing a premium account, HonestDog seeks to optimize the user experience, foster stronger connections between breeders and prospective pet parents, and provide added value to their customers through exclusive access to premium HonestDog offerings.

Research

Intensive Timeline Plan

The project's tight four-week timeline compelled the team to adopt a strategic approach, meticulously delegating tasks and planning each deliverable. By distributing responsibilities evenly among the designers, the team achieved a higher level of cohesion throughout the entire process, leading to the development of a seamless and unified final prototype.

Competitive Analysis

A comprehensive competitive analysis was conducted, focusing on three prominent companies: Petfinder, Good Dog, and Lemonade. In alignment with the goals outlined by HonestDog, our evaluation encompassed various aspects of their websites, including onboarding, search functionality, profile management, personalization features, and visual design elements.

By meticulously examining these key components across the selected companies, we gained valuable insights that allowed us to identify industry best practices, assess areas for improvement, and develop a solid understanding of the competitive landscape. This meticulous analysis enabled us to leverage the strengths of each company while crafting a unique and compelling user experience for HonestDog's platform.

S.W.O.T. Analysis

A comprehensive SWOT analysis was performed to evaluate the HonestDog website, aiming to identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The SWOT analysis provided us with valuable insights that served as a foundation for making informed decisions, optimizing the HonestDog website, and positioning it for long-term success.

Freemium > Premium

Recognizing the significance of the premium membership and its unique value proposition compared to the free version, we concluded that conducting further research, specifically focusing on the freemium-to-premium model, would be instrumental in shaping our future endeavors.

How Might We?

We formulated two pivotal "how might we" questions to serve as guiding principles, keeping our team focused and aligned with HonestDog's redesign goals.

By crafting these targeted questions, we established a clear framework for problem-solving and ideation, ensuring that our efforts remain purposeful and directly aligned with the desired outcomes of the HonestDog redesign.

Interviews

User Interviews

Pet Owners:

During the research phase, we conducted a series of five user interviews, which provided us with invaluable insights. Our interview pool comprised a diverse group consisting of four current dog owners and one prospective dog owner.

The participants' experiences in acquiring their dogs varied, with some having previous interactions with breeders and others having opted for rescuing their furry companions. This diverse range of experiences enriched our understanding of different adoption journeys and shed light on various perspectives within the dog owner community.

Breeders:

In addition to interviewing pet owners, we recognized the significance of gaining insights from the perspective of dog breeders. We conducted interviews with three breeders, representing a diverse geographical range. One breeder was based in the United States, while the other two were located in Germany.

These breeder interviews provided us with invaluable perspectives on the breeding process and shed light on the importance of ethical practices within the industry. The information gathered during these interviews served to emphasize the critical need for responsible breeding practices and the significance of educating pet owners worldwide.

Affinity Mapping

To delve deeper into the insights gathered from the pet owner and breeder interviews, we employed the use of affinity maps. These maps served as powerful tools for identifying patterns, uncovering surprises, and extracting valuable insights from the collected data.

By organizing and grouping similar ideas, themes, and observations on a visual canvas, the affinity maps allowed us to identify commonalities and connections across the interviews. This process helped us discern recurring trends, challenges, and preferences among both pet owners and breeders.

Empathy Mapping + Persona’s

Developing empathy maps and personas played a pivotal role in our project, enabling us to establish a deep and meaningful connection with the users. These methodologies proved instrumental in pinpointing crucial user features, preferences, and expectations that would be seamlessly integrated into the HonestDog website.

Design

User Flows

During the design phase, we meticulously crafted user flows to establish a clear and intuitive layout for the HonestDog website, ensuring an optimal user experience while staying aligned with the goals of the platform. By emphasizing the alignment with HonestDog's goals, we ensured that the user flows not only provided a smooth and intuitive experience but also supported the platform's overarching objectives. This meticulous attention to detail in the design phase laid the foundation for a visually appealing and user-friendly website that would resonate with users and drive their engagement with HonestDog's services.

Sketching

As part of our collaborative design project, each team member actively engaged in the sketching process, contributing their unique perspectives and skills. I had the opportunity to focus on several key sketches, namely the dashboard, breed search page, breeder profile, and the breed page.

Lo-Fi Wireframes

Building upon our collaborative efforts, the team proceeded to transform our individual sketches into low-fidelity (lo-fi) wireframes. This stage allowed us to translate our design concepts into more concrete representations while maintaining a focus on simplicity and functionality.

Brand Style Guide

Hi-Fi Screens

Prototype

Conclusion

Next Steps….

Within the given four-week timeframe of this project, we were unable to incorporate all of the generated ideas into the HonestDog platform. However, if we were to continue working on and evolving HonestDog, we have identified several key ideas that we believe would enhance the user experience and drive user engagement:

* Personalized homepage: After signing up, we propose personalizing the homepage based on the user's location, highlighting dogs available for adoption in their region. Additionally, a "recently viewed" section can serve as a quick jumping-off point for users to revisit their interests.

* Explore breed quiz on homepage: To engage users who are unsure about their preferred dog breed, we suggest incorporating a fun and interactive breed quiz on the homepage. This feature can help users discover and explore different breeds based on their preferences.

* Compare favorite breeders/litters/pets: Allowing users to select and compare their favorite breeders, litters, or pets can facilitate informed decision-making. This feature empowers users to evaluate and weigh their options effectively.

* Promote paid breeders: By featuring paid breeders prominently on breed pages and giving them top spots in search results, we can highlight their offerings and provide them with increased visibility, benefitting both the breeders and the users seeking their services.

* Breeder-specific questions in the application process: Including breeder-specific questions in the application process can help breeders gain relevant information about prospective pet parents, enabling them to make informed decisions about pet placements.

* Highlight premium account benefits: Further content creation can be focused on highlighting the exclusive benefits of a premium account. This can be achieved through engaging mediums like videos or animated decks, showcasing the added value and advantages that premium users enjoy throughout their journey and beyond.

* Application tracking: Providing visibility into the status of user applications, such as delivery and read receipts, can enhance transparency and keep users informed about the progress of their adoption process.

These proposed ideas demonstrate our commitment to continuously improving the HonestDog user experience by introducing personalized features, interactive elements, and enhanced communication.

Gratitude

This experience has been truly remarkable, having the opportunity to collaborate with the exceptional team at HonestDog and witness their commitment to excellence. Working alongside talented team members who possess impressive design styles and capabilities has been both exhilarating and inspiring.

I eagerly anticipate future design projects and opportunities to embark on similar journeys, as they provide a platform for continued learning, innovation, and creative exploration. This experience with HonestDog has fueled my passion for design, leaving me excited to tackle future challenges, collaborate with exceptional individuals, and make a meaningful impact through design.

I am immensely grateful for the invaluable experience gained during this project and look forward to the continuous pursuit of excellence in design.

Coin

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