An app so that your doggo can go where you go...
I am pleased to introduce GoDoggo, my capstone project developed as the sole UX Designer over a one-month timeline. This application serves as a valuable resource for pet owners seeking dog-friendly locations, including restaurants, parks, and shopping venues. Additionally, GoDoggo offers users access to essential dog care services, such as veterinarians, dog sitters, and groomers.
The design process involved extensive research and user testing to ensure that the app meets the needs of pet owners while providing an intuitive and enjoyable experience. GoDoggo aims to foster community among pet lovers and enhance the overall quality of life for dogs and their owners.
Let’s try it out!
Ashley and some friends have decided to meet up in Indiana next weekend to go on a hike. Ashley is not very familiar with the area so she looks at the goDoggo app for hike suggestions.
Ashley logs in and enters her destination. She is looking for an activity and quickly finds the hikes and trails section of the app. From here Ashley sees a lot of hike options! She wants a hike that is great for Max but also not too long. Ideally Ashley would like to find a hike that is about 3 miles. She goes to the filter and sort section and selects sort the hike results by hike distance. Ashley is now easily able to find a 3 mile hike. She looks over the hike’s details and sees that dogs are allowed to be off leash. She reads users reviews and finds out that the hike is fairly easy and will be a good choice for her and her friends. She sees past pictures of dogs on the hike and decides to share the hike with her friends for next weekend.
Project Goals :
To provide pet owners with accurate and reliable information about pet friendly locations.
To inspire pet owners with fun activities they can include their pets in.
To give pet owners more time with their pets!
What are users looking for?
“I have taken my dog on “dog friendly hikes” that were not enjoyable because of misinformation. We found a hike that was dog friendly but when we got there we found out it was a field essentially, not a hike. We used ALLTRAILS that time.”
“I looked on the internet and have googled for dog friendly hikes before but I struggle to find searches that let me filter for dog friendly.”
“When I travel to a new city I rely solely on word of mouth to find places to take my dog. It’s too complicated to find safe spaces for my dog by googling and I don’t know how reliable the information I find online is.”
Dog owners need a resource to find dog friendly activities with verified user reviewed information.
Let’s meet Ashley
Ashley works in marketing for an ad agency. She adopted her dog Max during the pandemic and has mostly worked from home during that time. Ashley loves to be social but hates leaving Max at home. She wants to find new ways include Max in social outings with friends as well as find more opportunities for Max to interact with other dogs.
What does Ashley need?
Needs an app where she can find things to do and places to go with Max.
Needs to know any rules or regulations involved in taking Max on an outing.
What are Ashley’s goals?
Finding dog friendly ways to engage with her social circle.
Finding safe and dog friendly outdoor activities that Max can exercise in.
Spending more time out of the house with Max!
What frustrates Ashley?
Not having consistent information on rules for a dog friendly area.
Being told an area is “dog friendly but later finding out about breed or size limitations.
Needing to use multiple websites or having to navigate complicated websites to figure out if a place is dog friendly or not.
“I’m looking for easily accessible and verifiable information about where I can find places to safely take my dog Max out to play and socialize.”
Age : 28
Work : Marketing
Family : Single
Location : Columbus, OH
Archetype : Dog Mom
How might we…
avoid pet owners from having to leave their pets at home alone.
give pet owners new ideas of social activities they can bring their pets along to.
help pet owners find verified information about the rules and restrictions of dog friendly activities so they can feel confident in their experiences and pet safety.
User Flow
Feature Prioritization
Early Sketches
Lo Fi Wireframes
User Testing v1
TAKEAWAYS
The largest source of user confusion came from the filter page. Users were confused by the language used when trying to sort the hikes by distance. The highest rate of mis-click confusion came from not knowing if they should click “DISTANCE” or “MAXIMUM DISTANCE” when using the sort and filter function. Users also unanimously wanted a back button.
Style Guide
Hi Fi Wireframes
User Testing v2
TAKEAWAYS
After editing language to give clearer direction, users completed the flow with accuracy and no confusion.
Feedback
“Thoughtfully created and put together. I could see myself using this app often!”
“Visually appealing and easy to navigate! I would love to see more features and how they would work!”
“I wish this existed! I love that you can see peoples reviews for the experience so that you know what better to expect.”
“I think filter and sort should be separated but I like that you have the option to switch to map view.”
“It would be great to have a way to communicate with other users in the app.”
