Zoodly: Adopt Joy, Virtually
ZOODLY
Zoodly is a passion-driven UX project—a website concept that allows users to virtually adopt animals from a fictional zoo located in Fernmere. The platform aims to connect animal lovers to conservation efforts from the comfort of their homes.
Background
The idea for Zoodly sparked after my visit to Chhatbir Zoo. I wondered—what if people could support and "adopt" zoo animals remotely, especially those who can’t visit in person? What if this digital platform could help raise funds for better animal care and promote awareness at the same time? That's how Zoodly came to be!
My Role
I carried this project end-to-end: from identifying user pain points to delivering a high-fidelity prototype. It was both a challenge and a joy to wear all the hats!
Timeline
March 2025 – April 2025
(around 1 month)
The Problem
While several websites offer online animal adoption, many of them feel transactional, outdated, or lack emotional connection. Users often encounter cluttered interfaces, unclear navigation, or uninspiring design that doesn’t communicate the heart behind the cause. There’s a gap in creating an experience that feels joyful, intuitive, and emotionally fulfilling—one that truly celebrates the bond between humans and animals while encouraging meaningful support.
The Solution
Zoodly reimagines the online animal adoption experience by combining simplicity, purpose, and joy. Through clean design, emotionally engaging content, and a user-first donation flow, Zoodly makes the process of virtually adopting a zoo animal feel personal and delightful. It draws inspiration from existing platforms, but improves upon them by focusing on user empathy, emotional storytelling, and a seamless, feel-good experience from start to finish.
The Process
Empathize Phase
Personas:
User Stories:
Emma: As a high school student who is financially dependent on my parents, I want to virtually adopt and care for a pet in a zoo so that I can fulfill my desire to own a pet without my parents worrying about extra responsibility.
James: As a single man with a hectic work schedule, I want to have a virtual companion at my workplace, take care of it, and watch it being fed and playing so that I can break my monotonous routine and have a fulfilling experience with the extra money from my salary each month.
Tessa: As part of a lesbian couple with a love for ecology and the environment, my partner and I want to adopt a pet from a zoo and provide funds for its habitat to be decorated, preserved, and improved so that we can help conserve the natural environment for the animals we care about.
User Journeys:
Define Phase
Problem Statements:
Emma: Emma is a financially dependent high school student who needs a virtual pet to care for because her parents won’t allow a physical pet at home.
James: James is a busy employee with neurodivergence who needs virtual pet companions during the day to combat loneliness and monotony because he cannot care for a real pet at home.
Tessa: Tessa is an environmental consultant who needs a virtual pet to support its habitat’s conservation and decoration because she and her wife want to contribute to ecological conservation from afar.
Hypothesis Statements:
Emma: If Emma uses Zoodly’s platform, then she can experience the joy of owning and caring for a real pet remotely, without her parents taking on extra responsibility.
James: If James uses Zoodly’s platform, then he can enjoy companionship throughout his day by digitally watching his real pet being fed, playing, sleeping, and doing fun activities, which will provide him comfort and relaxation during work hours.
Tessa: If Tessa uses Zoodly’s platform, then she can support ecological conservation and animal welfare by virtually adopting a real pet, funding its food, habitat, and entertainment, and feeling connected to nature from afar.
Goal Statement:
Create a digital platform that enables users to remotely care for real zoo animals, providing companionship, emotional fulfillment, and a sense of responsibility, while supporting animal welfare and ecological conservation.
Value Propositions:
Competitive Audit:
Ideate Phase
User Flow:
Storyboard:
Site map:
Prototype Phase
Paper Wireframes:
Time to sketch! I went from paper wireframes to low-fidelity digital wireframes, focusing on layout clarity and emotional tone.
Each screen was designed with empathy—highlighting animal photos, simple donation tiers, and a clear adoption CTA.
Digital Low Fidelity Prototype (Before Testing):
This low-fidelity prototype of Zoodly was designed to visualize the website’s core structure, user flow, and key features before investing time in high-fidelity visuals. It focused on layout, functionality, and interaction points—providing a solid foundation for early testing. Creating this prototype allowed me to gather valuable feedback from users in the usability study that followed. As you'll see in the next sections, their insights directly influenced refinements to improve navigation clarity, accessibility, and the overall adoption experience.
Test Phase
I conducted a usability study with 4 participants (ages 16 to 49) including friends and family. They interacted with the low-fidelity prototype, while I observed and took notes on:
Confusion points
Emotional reactions
Suggestions for improvement
I then organized feedback into affinity diagrams and uncovered common themes.
Affinity Diagram:
Themes Observed:
We observed that:
3 out of 4 participants found the adoption form quickly and easily. That means most people are able to locate it easily.
2 out of 4 participants think that the number of animals to be adopted should not be given as a selection option as zoos usually don’t do that. So, some people might find it unethical or strange to see that option.
2 out of 4 participants found it strange that the home page did not mention the name of the zoo. This means this needs to be corrected as it is a critical thing to mention.
2 out of 4 participants believe that the food and other information related to the animals selected should appear after the animal has been selected from the dropdown, not before. This means that many people will find it confusing that these options appear before the animal has been selected.
1 out of 4 participants believe that the button under the animals on the home page should lead to the animal’s details page and not the adoption form. This is a critical view and must be corrected.
1 out of 4 participants believes that an “Adopt” button should also be located in every animal’s details page. This view is also very important and must be taken into account.
Insights Gathered:
We gathered that:
Users want “Number of animals” option to be removed from the adoption form and process.
Users want the Home Page to mention the zoo’s name.
Users want that the food and other information related to the animals should appear AFTER the animal has been selected from the drop down menu in the adoption form.
Users want the button under the animals under the adoption information on the home page to lead to the animal’s details page.
Users want an “Adopt” button to be located on every animal’s page too.
Digital High Fidelity Mockups and Prototype (After Testing):
Based on the insights gathered during the usability study, I iterated on the design to address user pain points and enhance the overall experience. These refinements were incorporated into the high-fidelity wireframes and prototype, bringing Zoodly’s vision to life with improved clarity, accessibility, and emotional resonance.
Key Learnings
Test early, test often.
This project reinforced how even small usability tests can uncover valuable insights. Early testing helped me catch issues before they became deeply embedded in the design. It reminded me that feedback—even from just a few users—can lead to impactful improvements and a much more intuitive final product.
Emotion matters.
Designing for a cause goes beyond creating a smooth experience—it’s about crafting something that resonates emotionally. With Zoodly, I learned how important it is to create moments that feel warm, human, and purposeful. When users feel emotionally connected to what they’re interacting with, they’re more likely to take meaningful action. The visual tone, copy, and user journey all became tools to foster that emotional connection between people and the animals they were supporting.
One-person projects are intense—but incredibly empowering.
Wearing all the hats—from researcher and strategist to designer and tester—pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. I learned to trust my instincts, make fast yet thoughtful decisions, and fully own every part of the process. It boosted my confidence not just in designing interfaces, but in storytelling, time management, and end-to-end UX thinking. Zoodly wasn’t just a project—it was a proving ground for my skills.
Final Thoughts
Zoodly started as a spark of curiosity—an idea inspired by a real-world visit that turned into a full-fledged design journey. Through this project, I not only created a functional and emotionally driven product but also discovered how UX can become a bridge between empathy and action.
Working solo on every aspect—from research to high-fidelity design—challenged me to think holistically and solve problems creatively. I learned how to listen deeply, iterate intentionally, and design with heart. Every screen, every decision was made with the user in mind and the mission at the center.
Most of all, Zoodly taught me that thoughtful design has the power to inspire. It’s not just about making things work—it’s about making people feel something. And when you can do that, you're not just designing a product. You're designing an experience that matters.