Project Overview

PawPath is a dog walking app created to connect dog owners with experienced dog walkers. The app provides dog owners with the option to conveniently schedule and book dog walking services, while also allowing users and dog walkers to communicate directly within the app. PawPath prioritizes trustworthiness and reliability during its vetting process to ensure dog walkers on the app are qualified individuals with experience handling all types of dogs. This app concept was created as part of the Dribble Product Design certified course project.

Challenge

As a group, we discussed the challenges dog owners encounter during the process of finding a dog walking service. Dog owners are challenged with finding a reliable dog walking service they can trust to take care of their beloved pets. This challenge often involves researching local sources, asking trusted friends and interviewing potential candidates. In addition, it is important for dog walkers to have similar schedules, communicate clearly and be compatible with their dog’s personality.

Key challenges in finding a dog walker:

As a starting point, we narrowed our focus to improving trust and reliability between dog owners and dog walkers in the app platform. Through market analysis of competitor dog walking apps, we gathered valuable insights into their booking system by identifying areas of potential improvement and notable features.

These findings were gathered into an affinity diagram during our group sessions, and we narrowed our ideas into the following categories:

• Reviews & ratings: Increase the representation of dog walkers’ experiences in the app with testimonials and ratings for each dog walker. 

• Videos: Increase personalization for each dog walker by including a 1-2 minute introduction video about themselves on their app profile.

• Verifications: Strengthen the vetting process with extensive background checks, video interviews and required certification levels for dog walkers.

Research

User research was conducted by interviewing dog owners to gain insights into the challenges they face with existing dog walkers in the market. It became evident that the primary concern for dog owners is establishing trust in a dog walker to care for their beloved pets — 3 out of 4 dog owners I interviewed prefer friends and family members as trust is already established, even though these individuals are not always available.

Based on the market analysis and market research, a user persona was created of someone who can no longer rely on friends and family members,  and needs to find a reliable and trustworthy dog walking service that is available twice per week. 

User Flow

The user flow is focused on the dog owner’s journey across the app, starting from creating a user account to booking a dog walker. By creating the complete journey, I gained a better perspective on every step of the process, allowing me to identify areas of improvement before moving forward. Additionally, I also included the user journey of individuals interested in becoming dog walkers. The dog walker user journey includes rigorous checkpoints aimed at establishing a pool of dependable and trustworthy dog walkers with experience in handling dogs of all ages and personalities.

Wireframe

The wireframe process involved creating low-fidelity iterations to represent the user workflow within the dog walking app - from the onboarding process, profile entries and final booking experience. I worked through several rounds of iterations during this phase, addressing problem areas and adding user path improvements before moving forward to a finalized high-fidelity wireframe prototype. Building wireframes was a lengthy process but worth the effort, as I was able to focus on the structure and functionality of the interface without the distraction of visual design details.

Low-fidelity progression into final iterations

Areas of improvement from low-fidelity to final iterations: 

• Replaced vertical dog walker profile cards with large carousel cards to showcase multiple profiles within a limited space.

• Showcased dog walkers with good ratings and reviews to create a sense of trustworthiness and dependability.

• Included the option for dog owners to direct message dog walkers in the app. This option can establish a personal connection with the dog walker before booking their service.

Visual Designs /  UI Components

With the user flow and wireframe in place, the project moved forward into the visual design phase. I created quick iterations of mood board layouts with screenshots pulled from online resources, with a focus on colour schemes and visual components. 

I created a color scheme of earthy and calm colours to instill a sense of tranquillity. Shades of green were used as the primary colour to associate the app with nature and a connection to the outdoors. Additionally, a pop of bright yellow and purple conveys a sense of friendliness. I chose typefaces Cabin for headings and Open Sans Pro for the body copy. Cabin is a clean and modern typeface with well-defined shapes and evenly spaced lettering. 

I created a design system and components to ensure consistent visual design elements throughout the app workflow. The use of UI components proved essential, enabling quick iterations and updates without the need for manual adjustments to each repeated element.

Prototypes

Check out the live prototype here