Dog Adoption Website For Seniors

Givelify has chosen to collaborate with AARP and ASPCA in the creation of a service aimed at connecting seniors interested in adopting dogs. Givelify intends to develop a platform dedicated to pairing seniors with suitable canine companions. Recognizing that seniors may not possess the same level of tech-savviness as younger individuals, the platform will prioritize intuitive features that cater to their specific needs. The ultimate objective is to assist seniors in finding their ideal companions by considering easily understandable criteria such as breed, gender, age, temperament, and more.

Client:

Concept

Release Date:

September 2023

See Live Project

The Problem

Loneliness and social isolation often affect many seniors, especially in the aftermath of losing their beloved companions. Additionally, each year, millions of dogs face euthanasia due to their inability to secure a loving home.

Deliverables

Mobile designs.

All seniors have smartphones, and only a few have computers, so make your designs mobile first.

Provide high-level flow to the app and some wireframes.
Flesh out high-fidelity designs for a couple of screens. Give a glimpse of my process, etc.
How I approached the problem, any research I did, why I made certain decisions.

Goals

Create a mobile version of a website that helps seniors adopt a dog. Connect seniors to nearby shelters.

The mobile app should be:

Helpful
Friendly
Easy to use
Clear

User Personas

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Research, Analysis, and Assumptions

In my investigation, I delved into multiple websites, focusing on the following aspects:

The ease of task completion
User journey and pathways
User experience and UX patterns

I observed that most websites employ filtering and sorting mechanisms to help users narrow down their search for dogs. An assumption I made is that this approach may be unfamiliar to many seniors. My conclusion was drawn from my exploration of pet adoption websites, where I found that a solution to this issue had not yet been implemented.

Suggested Approach

To address this concern of unfamiliarity with filtering, I proposed the following approach:

Assisting users, particularly senior citizens with limited technical knowledge, in their quest to find the ideal dog through the use of a wizard-like technique. Wizards are a valuable concept in user interface design, especially for simplifying tasks for beginners. The approach involves posing one question at a time to the user, avoiding overwhelming them with information. Incorporating a methodology similar to the Givelify model to streamline the process. This entails employing shadow minimal buttons for choice selection instead of combining radio buttons with a "next" call-to-action (CTA).

User Flows 

The flow boxes are represented by different colors to help identify where you are in the flow. The labels for the mid-fidelity designs use the same color labels as in the flow.

Scenario #1

You live in Northville, MI are looking for a specific dog:

Yakutan Laika, male, medium, up to an year old,White

Find information about the shelter. What would you do to call or message them?

Apply for adoption

Scenario #2

You live in Northville, MI and you are looking for a dog that is available in your area.

You are not specific about the details.

Find a dog, information about the shelter. Apply for adoption.

Wireframing

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Mid-fidelity design for usability testing 

The designs were tested with a 89-year-old user who intimidated by technology and prefers real social interaction.

Prototype #1

Usability Testing Notes

Tabs need to look like something that is obvious to tap.
The User does not recognize them.
Change “My Story” heading to “About“

Iteration Improvements

Changed tabs to accordions.
The user have already learned how to use accordions when selecting the dog’s breed.
The headings in the accordions are more prominent as well.
Changed “My Story” heading to “About Rocky” for more clarity
Changed sizing icon

Prototype #2