Designing an app
to make petcare easier

CLASSROOM PROJECT • 2020

PROJECT CATEGORY
UX Design

SCHOOL
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

DURATION
3 weeks

Wagster is a digital platform that connects and networks dog parents and service providers nearby for their petcare needs. The project goal was to create a mobile experience that will ease out petcare responsibilities for dog parents in the urban Indian context.

This project was completed under the guidance of Bhaumik Nagar during Semester 5 course: Interfaces & Processes. This website case study provides a condensed overview with key project milestones. For the detailed design process, click below:

DEEP DIVE ON BEHANCE

Context

In September 2020 at the peak of lockdown, while I was hunting for a potential idea for my first UX classroom project, I noticed that a lot of people got pets during this time.

I identified an opportunity for petcare needs once life goes back to normal few years later & my assumption was validated with the instagram from June 2021 below.

Design Process

This was my very first UX project and I did it with the pure intent of learning
UX fundamentals. I was familiar with the basic design thinking involved
but there were so many new things to cover: USP and the business acumen
of the service I'll design, userflow mapping, wireframing, prototyping,
user testing etc. Below is an overview of the process I followed:

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Key Miletones

Here's a summary of all project milestones –
main insights and breakthrough moments that connects
the dots from research, ideation to execution.

01

Understanding the general petcare scenario in India

By means of primary and secondary research, I studied how people manage petcare, from a quantitative as well as qualitative point of view.

Key insights from survey:

Majority participants own dogs. //narrowed down project scope to dogs.
Nobody uses any existing petcare app or online service (all 79 participants). //further validated the need for a digital intervention.

Key insights from interviews:

While designing solutions, it's not just about the pet parents. It is critical to consider pet's needs and psychology as well. //E.g. 1) Dogs need outdoor activity to stay healthy as it's an evolutionary trait. 2) It takes time to bond with them and gain their trust - concerns such as separation anxiety when they're away from their owner.
Indian market's cultural nuances. //E.g. A major segment of Indian population is vegetarian, and dogs are omnivores. Currently, pet hostels have limited food options – what can be an inclusive solution for this customer segment?

02

Identifying major painpoints

From research, I gathered these top 3 pain points:

Leaving the pet
while going out of town.

Disciplining
and toilet training.

Soiling and shedding that causes constant
cleaning and grooming.

03

Figuring out USP for business acumen

Competitor analysis concluded that mere service listings will not work. Research showed that many pet parents are unhappy because they're unaware about what is proper petcare.

The user-centric approach calls for a platform providing structured, credible petcare education first – in a short, convenient, easily digestable format along with essential services.

04

Solutions for the pain points based on the USP

3 essential services were defined using the USP and prioritizing
the pain points:

Pet hostel services //to solve for leaving the pet while going out of town.
Dog walker services //since dogs need outdoor activity for staying healthy since its their evolutionary trait.
Capsule sized online courses and workshops //for petcare awareness and education + toilet/discipline training and grooming.

"

6/10 urban Indians are unhappy after getting a dog. The root cause is
lack of petcare education.

Due their busy schedules, they struggle with finding time for the pet.
The lack of awareness in turn leads to neglection which leaves both the pet and the pet parent frustrated.

Even before offering services, it is important to educate the user about petcare first. Only then, they understand the importance of the services.