Hound is a messaging app that connects
like-minded dog owners.
My Roles
UX/ UI Design, Branding, Prototyping
Team & Duration
Collaboration with Google UX designer Chang Yang
October 2022 - December 2022
Methodology
User surveys
User Personas
Competitive analysis
User flow map
Deliverables
User research, Low-Fidelity wireframes, High-Fidelity Mockups, Interactive Prototype
Project Summary
With multiple messaging and social media apps on the market, it should be easy to discover new friends with similar interests. For dog owners, there are sure to be various Facebook groups or Instagram pages to connect with a like-minded community.
However, as a dog owner myself, I found it difficult to meet local owners to arrange play dates for my pup. There seemed to be no convenient way to connect with dogs of similar age, breed, or size in the local area. While other platforms created a space for human connections, there was no solution for dog socialization.
With guidance from my collaborator Chang, we created Hound, a platform that allowed dog owners to specify their preferences to discover and connect with local pooches. Through witty dating app style vetting, customizable preferences, and pet-friendly activity suggestions, Hound creates a space for dog owners to build meaningful connections and communities for their pups.
Problem
How might we help people create thoughtful connections for their dogs? People should be able to conveniently find compatible playmates for their pups.
How do we solve this?
We set out to design an app that would conveniently allow people to vet and match with local dog owners and their pupes for compatible puppy play-dates.
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User Surveys
We reached out to dog owners we were familiar with and asked them the questions like:
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Are there any challenges when finding other dogs to set up play dates?
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Are there any concerns you may have when your pet plays with another dog?
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What is the most challenging thing about raising a dog?
Survey Insights
1.
It is difficult to find pet owners that are similar to you but also compatible with your dog.
2.
Oftentimes, people may be reluctant to leave the house to socialize if it means the dog will have to stay alone for a long duration.
3.
There is a lot of confusion and uncertainty about whether certain restaurants or businesses allow dogs to enter, making the owner unsure to take the dog along.
Competitive Analysis
Researched 3 competitive apps
unappealing interface and color story
focus on dating another dog owner rather than finding a compatible playmate for their dog
no descriptive info on the dogs
User Profiles
User Flow Map
Synthesize
How might we integrate users' needs and project goals?
Key Takeaways
swiping function to easily match with people
Ability to quickly see dogs, their profiles, and owner's info
Prioritize pet info
Prioritize the profile description to focus on the dog's info: breed, size, energy level, etc.
Simplified navigation
Organize app layout to be intuitive and simple by focusing on the key task: matching and messaging compatible dog owners
Design
How might we help users navigate through a simple yet effective experience?
Sketches
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Evaluate
How might we assess our product?
Mockups
High-fidelity Prototype
Key Takeaways
Impact:
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A simple yet effective app that allows dog owners to grow their pet community
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Convenient process to find a new friend for your dog and you
What I learned:
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Prioritize the goal of the app and keep the focus on the pet info
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Multiple ways to focus on the theme and branding of the app through: icons, colors, logos, language