Pata amiga - UX at the service of social good
- Leif Bessa
- 31 de jul.
- 6 min de leitura
Project: App to rescue stray dogs and cats
Problem Statement
In several cities, the number of stray dogs and cats is very high. One reason is that the government doesn't adequately engage with the cause, even promoting free neutering campaigns. However, the outreach is ineffective. People in low-income families bring their own animals to be neutered in these campaigns, but there's no mobilization to take in stray animals, and as a result, their number grows exponentially. To give you an idea, in a year, a single cat couple can have up to 200 cats.
Another pain point is that very few people engage with the solution, either by adopting an animal or surrendering it to a shelter and committing to financially help with care until the animal is adopted. And of those who do commit, 90% do so independently, joining groups of 5 to 6 people to support some of these rescued animals.
That's why I came up with the following Problem Statement:
Rescuers of stray dogs and cats are ordinary people who are involved with animal rights and need a faster, more effective way to connect with as many people/shelters interested in helping as possible because the demand is very high and those who are always ready to help (by adopting or fostering) are few.
How Might we
How might we help care for stray dogs and cats without having to adopt them into our homes?
Goal Statement
Pata amiga, an app to help rescue stray dogs and cats, will allow these stray animals to be placed for adoption and/or receive appropriate treatment until adoption. This will help animal advocates and helpers involved in this cause by allowing them to alert other advocates and shelters when they receive an animal in need of care and subsequent adoption.
I will measure its effectiveness by tracking the number of rescue cases opened and completed through the app.
Learn more about the app by clicking here.
Production Process
User Interviews
To understand the pain points of users involved in this cause, I interviewed a group of real people. Based on these interviews, I developed an Empathy Map and two Personas that capture the most common questions among respondents. Click on the images for details.
I will use the 1st persona to show the User Journey and better analyze the pain points.
Benchmarking
When looking for competitors to analyze what already exists, I discovered that there is no specific app (which is already a big differentiator to become the first exclusive app), but protectors and those involved in helping street animals use Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook groups, and so we will analyze how these tools work in this situation.
Ideation Process
Storyboard
The research phase was crucial for understanding possible solutions the app could offer. To demonstrate a general application, I created a storyboard representing its use.
User Flow
Next, I created the User Flow for what would be the main function.
App Map
And finally, the App Map, detailing screens, buttons, and features in more detail.
Development
Paper Wireframes
The app map gave me a more precise view of what would go on the screens. I even realized the need to include another screen that wasn't on the map: Messages. So I started drawing paper wireframes, and after drawing four options for each screen, these are the final choices for each.
Digital Wireframes
Then I brought the paper wireframes into Figma and used them as reference to create the digital wireframes.
From then on, new stock split screens began to appear.
And in the logical sequence, these screens became a low-fidelity prototype, which you can check out by clicking here.
UX Research
The following steps were crucial in defining the app, as shelters for stray dogs and cats interacted with the app prototype, and from there, many insights helped confirm sound decisions and redefine the route for improvement.
Research Plan
The research plan helped me direct the interview and testing phase. Here, I established the research questions, key performance indicators (KPIs), the methodology, the participant profile, and the script.
To see the research plan in detail, click here.
Interviews
Then, to test the app's contribution to the cause of stray dogs and cats, I interviewed four people: three women and one man, aged between 20 and 65.
The methodology used was:
Moderate usability studies;
Sessions lasting 15 to 30 minutes each;
Remote (participants interviewed via Zoom in their own homes), residents of Brazil.
Affinity Diagram and Iteration - Round 1
Following the interviews, users were introduced to the app's low-fidelity prototype. This phase is crucial because it demonstrates in practice which solutions are working and what could be improved. The insights and suggestions were then grouped into the affinity diagram, and these insights were transformed into iterations.
Final Product - Iteration - Round 2
I finally reached the high-fidelity prototype. To see the final app result, click here.
After implementing the first-round iterations, I conducted a second round of user testing on the high-fidelity prototype. Below are some of the insights captured and transformed into app improvements.
User Insight:
Rescue messages closer to reality.
"Actually, the first thing to do is ask for rescue, not shelter."
"The final message also needs improvement. It's not good to say you've completed the rescue, but to post a request for all possible help so people can help and share it."
Insight:
Adjust the initial message text to ask for help with rescue, not shelter.
Adjust the final message text to show that the search for help continues.
User Insight:
"Maybe instead of putting Adopt on the button, it could say I want to know more, or Learn, because it's very rare for someone to come in and adopt right away; the word Adopt scares people a little."
Insight:
Replace the Adopt button with Learn.
User Insight:
Suggest other ways to contribute besides money, such as volunteering, visiting animals, etc.
"Many prefer to contribute directly to the animal shelter instead of the crowdfunding campaign, and so they prefer to use Pix. There are also those who hold raffles to raise the money needed for care, for example."
Insight:
Swap "Crowdfunding" for "Contribute" and, within that, add the Pix, Raffle, and Volunteer options.
User Insight:
"Will this app be local or national? Because it needs to be specified if it's just for the Federal District or for the whole of Brazil. Sometimes someone sees a pet on the app, falls in love, and wants to adopt, but they're in another state. Then they mobilize the animal shelter to send it, right?"
Insight:
Add the animal's state to the Adoption title information.
UI Design
The choice of visual design elements is also linked to the elements found in the universe of users in contact with the mission of protecting stray dogs and cats.
Colors: The color palette aims to convey a sense of activity and positivity, words so present in users' actions.
Typography: The chosen typeface was Anek Bangla, a light and modern font. Its weight variations are quite striking, conveying a fun feel.
Iconography and components: Buttons with rounded corners and large clickable areas are part of the user universe. Because the majority of users are adults over 40, and therefore many wear glasses, the viewing and clicking area needs to be comfortable.
Next Steps
Iteration is essential for constant product improvement, so after the high-fidelity prototype was ready, I submitted this version of the app to a third round of testing with previous users.
The results were very positive, with many of them interested in seeing the app become a real, commercially available product, given its ability to help with the issues it was designed for.
I also received suggestions for further adjustments. Almost all of them made sense, so I implemented them. For example, the menu button labeled "Shelters" became something larger and was renamed "Partners," adding other types of support.
Final Thoughts
When I started researching which social good cause I could pursue for this project and finally chose the fight for stray dogs and cats, I interviewed some protectors and helpers. Some of them (not just one) said something that caught my attention: "Our job is to mop up ice." When I heard that, I wanted to give up. I thought, "Then why don't they just give up?" But the teachings of UX design automatically made me feel the user's pain. So if it's worth continuing for those involved in this cause, even if that's how they feel, then as a UX designer, it's worth trying to help with my knowledge and the tools I have at my disposal.
The world of stray dog and cat protectors is immense, and to develop this project, I had to choose which points to address. I did this with the help of end users. Also, by seeing them interact with the app I created and feeling helped, I learned a little more about making a difference through my work. Even if it's in a small way (because this world is truly immense), it's still worth it.
Once again, I'm grateful to the teachings of the Google UX Design course - Coursera for all the learning I gained during the development of this app and for the opportunity to contribute to social good.
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