RUFF HOUSE
Walking, Sitting, and Training
Project: CareerConnect application and responsive website | Role: Research, Testing, Design | Duration: Nov. 2021 - Jan. 2023
Project Overview
The product:
Ruff House is an app for dog owners who are looking for safe reliable services for their dogs. The app includes services like dog walking, training, and dog sitting in the owners home or boarding in the sitters home. The sitters are checked and certified and references are included.
The Problem:
Dog owners stated that they have a difficult time leaving their dog with someone because of trust issues. Some have had issues with sitters in the past and others say that there just isn’t enough information of certifications that prove that the person is trustworthy.
The Goal:
The goal is to offer dog owners an app that gives them a sense of trust and security while making sure that all sitters are checked and certified in multiple areas.
User Research: Summary
A group of dog owners were questioned about the websites and apps they currently use to book services for their dog. The feedback received made it clear that trust was an issue. Dog owners want services from individuals that are certified and trained for the type of service and for the age level and personality type of their dog.
Persona: Brianna
Problem Statement:
Owner of 2 dogs that are different ages and different sizes. She needs a dog walker that can walk both of them at the same time multiple days per week and is good with both puppies and older dogs alike.
User Flow
Wireframes
The wireframing exercise helped to visualize ideas for how to address gaps identified in the competitive audit. My focus was specifically on dog walkers in close proximity to the dog owner with specific skills preferred by the dog owner.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Usability Study Findings
Map/List View
Initially the map/list view icons were too hidden and users were not able to switch between them easily.
After Signing up
Upon completion of the signup the user was taken to a tutorial. If the user didn’t want to take this tutorial there was no way to exit. This was added to give the user a way directly into the site.
Adding Dogs
Users wanted more options when adding their dogs, for example the microchip number and insurance information.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Accessibility Considerations
Clear labels for interactive elements that can be read by screen readers.
Initial focus of the home screen on personalized recommendations help define the primary task or action for the user.
Takeaways
Impact
Users shared that the app gave them an overall sense of trust and comfort with the sitters offered. Having the level of experience and training listed as well as knowing they had been checked thoroughly made this app more desirable over others.
Learnings
I learned that even though the problem I was trying to solve was a bit complex, diligently going through each step of the design process and aligning with specific user needs helped me come up with solutions that were both feasible and useful.
