Fluffer Matcher UX/UI Case Study

Fluffer Matcher

native iOS app

Pet adoption app helping adopters find a perfect dog based on thier lifestyle and preferences

About the Project

Overview

Fluffer Matcher is a native iOS app concept enabling users to find an ideal pet for them to adopt. The goal was to design an experience that will help adopters find a dog which would suit their lifestyle.

This is a private project and I was responsible for the whole design process – turning Fluffer Matcher from an idea into a prototype.

Design Process

I started with user research and analysis, then I went on to building up information architecture, which was then followed by wireframing, prototyping and visual refinement.

Project Goals

Practice UX Design methodologies, as well as improve design tool proficiency, with a focus on Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

Defining the Problem

At the very beginning of the design process I tried to identify and understand the problem. In this initial phase I tried to learn as much about the process of adopting a pet and what are the possible reasons for abandoning dogs by their adopters.

Research Findings

6.5 million

cats and dogs enter animal shelters across the US annually

3.2 million

shelter animals are adopted each year 

1 in 10

pets adopted from a shelter were given back within six months

Based on these findings, I specified the goals of my app:

  • Help people find a perfect pet for them – taking into consideration their lifestyle and current living situation
  • Increase the number of adoptions and decrease the number of returns

User Research

I conducted a couple of interviews with dog owners and asked them questions about the factors they were taking into consideration when making the decision to get a dog. We talked about their general experiences with their pets and discussed what makes an ideal pet.

My Interviewees

Sylwia

Border Collie Owner

Klaudia

German Shepherd Owner

Martyna

French Bulldog Owner

Interview Findings
  • My interviewers underlined the importance of getting “the right dog” – it means a dog that is compatible with thier personality and expectations, suitable for their lifestyle, and the place they currently live in (or will live in the future)
  • They choose a dog that is adaptable to their plans for the future, namely, if they decide to move or to start a family they need a dog that wouldn’t obstruct their future plans
  • When asked to name possible reasons for returning animals back to shelters, they either say that people make hasty decisions or they aren’t aware of the responsibility. The dog turns out to be too much of a burden
  • They believe that dogs can have personality traits and that their traits depend mostly on the breed of the dog. On the other hand, they also stress the fact that those personality traits can be totally random and that dogs that are supposed to be calm and friendly turn out to be aggressive and disobedient
  • As the most important thing to remember before taking a dog from a shelter, they stress the importance of finding out what the dog’s backstory is, their quirks and phobias, and their medical history, so that there’s no surprise afterwards. People should be able to make an informed decision, bearing in mind all possible obstacles that their pet might provide them with.

Personas

Armed with my interview findings, I went on to create my main persona. Jessica helped me empathise better with my possible users and to understand what kind of pain points or frustrations she would have either with the process of finding the right dog, or with actually owning a pet.

However, I decided that creating only one persona is not enough. Since my app was also supposed to help sheltered animals find their perfect homes, I created my very first dog-persona. Mobi helped me realize what sheltered and special-needs dogs really want. Namely, they want to by adopted by responsible and informed owners who are fully aware of the challenges that taking care of these kinds of pets will bring.

Designing a Solution

When being faced with a complex problem like this, there is never a single right solution. However, I tried to identify the single and most important factor that makes owners give away their pets, namely, people make wrong choices. The dog that they chose turns out to be incompatible with their lifestyle and becomes a burden. My app has to make sure that the users are making an informed decision that is based on their needs, and that they are taking into consideration their lifestyles, personalities and current living situation.

With that in mind, I went on to create a site map for my app.

Having the needs of my users (and their future pets!) in mind, I decided on the main functionality of my app. After creating an account, I would let my users answer a series of questions about their preferences when it comes to dogs, living conditions in their household, and their personality traits. Users would get suitable matches as recommendations on their newsfeed.

Tapping on any pet picture would open up their profile with all needed information about their age, breed, health status and presonality. All information on pets’ profiles would be filled out by shelter personnel. The user could contact the shelter directly within the app for stresless adoption.

Final Wireframes

User Onboarding

Gives a brief explanation of app’s most important features. Provides illustrations for better understanding what this app is about and for setting the tone of the product.

Log in and Sign Up

Standard log in and sign up pages. They feature a clean and simple layout which puts the forms in focus. Filling out the forms provides the user with immediate feedback, if the form has been correctly/incorrectly filled out.

User Questionnaire

App’s most important feature. Filling out this questionnaire will help the user find the perfect pet that is suitable for their lifestyle, personality and current living situation. By tapping on the question mark icon, the user can view a pop-up explaining why the app asks those particular questions. The screens have been designed in such a way that no scrolling is needed, and the number of stages needed to complete is clearly marked. Users can also skip this step and then fill it out later in their personal profiles.

Home Screen and Explore Feature

Home screen features a scrollable list of recommended pets that are ready for adoption. It also shows pets near the user and a list of shelters close to the user’s location. By tapping on Explore in the bottom navigation the user can find pets by using keywords. It also saves last searched positions.

Pet Profile

Pet profiles contain pictures of the dog, short description and all important information about their health status and personality provided by the shelter personnel. It also allows the user to contact the shelter directly in the app and ask all the questions they would have about adoption procedures.

Colors and Typography

Final Thoughts

Next Steps
  • additional features – in this project, I focused solely on the process of choosing a perfect pet, from logging in for the first time to arriving at your future pet’s profile. To create a full product that supports the user with pet adoption process, we could introduce a seamless adoption flow with easy means of communication with the shelter, and add guides with information about adoption.
  • usability testing and design iterations – no design project is ever finished or final and there’s always room for improvement. In case of Fluffer Matcher, I would test the prototype with my target audience to identify possible usability issues and polish the design
Key Learnings
  • putting theory into practice – this project help me to systematize my knowledge about design processes and practice UX Design methodologies
  • design tool know-how – through this design process I improved my tool proficiency, especially focusing on Adobe XD and Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop

Presentation Video

Check out this video to learn more about Fluffer Matcher