Self Initiated Project in
Award
Duration
Teammate
2015
Uxplorer '15
2 weeks
Shivali Babras
Award
My teammate and I stood first in a student competition called Uxplorer, that is organised every year by a UI / UX Design firm called Yuj Designs based out of Pune, India. Participants are required to take up any problem of their choice and come up with a conceptual design that solves the same problem.
“Pet Station” is a dedicated platform for the community of pet owners that brings together pet owners and pet lovers to facilitate easy adoption, among other things like providing a common database of contacts and sharing of information by the members. It is an on the go platform for all pet related resources and the ultimate guide that one needs in their journey as a pet owner.
About
Pet Station is a mobile app concept that is aimed at building a close knit community of pet owners to facilitate communication regarding adoption, rescue, healthcare, events and more.
The Problem
Considering the widespread community of pet owners and activists in India, there is no common platform that caters to all the needs of this large community and facilitates easy communication between them. Activities like pet adoption are usually done through NGOs or simply by word of mouth.
Other knowledge like contact numbers of various doctors and specialists, common events and announcements, finding a mate, finding a lost pet, sharing tips and other pet related information etc. if provided on a single platform, would make the lives of pet owners much more easier.
The Solution
An app dedicated solely to facilitate communication among pet carers would ensure that the platform would stay active and would connect those in need immediately. The app would give an adopter the liberty of choosing his pet on the basis of its breed, location, gender, price etc. by the use of various filters. Instead of a computer, a cell phone would be a much easier way of contacting a potential adopter on the go. Many tasks related to finding medication, looking for a suitable mate, looking for shelter for rescued animals and other general queries that new or seasoned pet carers might have could be easily taken care of with the help of a mobile application.
FIND A PET
Easily find an animal that you want to adopt, filter by breed, age, location and price. Likewise, find a suitable family to sell the offspring of your pet to.
FIND A MATCH
Make your pet’s profile and browse through profiles of other pets to find a suitable mate for your pet according to your requirement of breed, gender and location. Shortlist the suitable ones and contact the owners instantly.
COMMUNICATE
Contact potential buyers/ sellers directly on the app. Keep in touch with your pets even after giving them away - see their photos and videos, to be assured that they’re happy in their new home!
LOOK FOR A LOST PET /
REPORT A FINDING
Find a lost pet. Fill in details like breed, location, gender and other relevant keywords to find your pet. Likewise, report an abandoned pet with all the relevant information and a contact number.
RELEVANT CONTACTS
Find contacts of various pet shops, clinics, rescue shelters, NGOs, pet hostels etc. all in one place. Filter them according to your location, and according to the rating given by the users.
DISCOVER & SHARE
Discover other pet owners and non-profit organizations in your city. Share various pet-related articles, your pet’s pictures and videos. Stay updated with information about various events and adoption camps being held in your city.
The Design Process
1
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
Brainstorming
Study of Existing Platforms
User Surveys and Interviews
User Requirements & Opportunities
2
STRUCTURING
Card Sorting
Task Flow and Use Cases
Information Architecture
Wireframing
3
VISUAL DESIGN
Moodboards
Logo Design
Typography & Colour
Icon Design
Brainstorming
Present Scenario
Initial Observations
Initial Observations
User Personas
Existing Platforms & Drawbacks
Requirements of a Pet Owner
Findings
Card Sorting
The card sorting exercise helped us understand how our potential users would organize topics into categories that made sense to them, while also labelling each category. This exercise further helped us develop the information architecture.
Information Architecture
Wireframes
Visual Design
Since Android is the most used mobile operating system in India, we went ahead with designing for Android. We tried to maintain the standard visual language used by Android apps while designing the visual interface. The layout, typography, iconography etc. was chosen by keenly observing and understanding Android guidelines.
Roboto Regular
Roboto has been the standard typeface on Android since the Ice Cream Sandwich version release. It is a typeface that works across various digital platforms. Being slightly wider and rounder, it gives great clarity while reading and also makeing it more optimistic and friendly.
Roboto Regular
Roboto Regular
Roboto Regular
Roboto Regular
The colour palette chosen is soft, young and friendly. Peach represents tenderness, love and care while the turquoise hue symbolises positivity and fun while being a modern, fresh colour. A dark grey is used for primary text, while the secondary text is in a lighter grey.
