PROJECT OVERVIEW
Solo Project for Google UX Design Course
Role: Strategy, Research, Wireframe, User Flow, Prototype, UX/UI
Duration: 2 months
PROBLEM
Volunteers face challenges joining the government's free spay/neuter campaign to improve the well-being of community cats.
Effective cat population control is significant to increase the well-being of outdoor cats. Despite the availability of free spay/neuter services, and volunteers' willingness to help outdoor cats, government spay/neuter campaigns remain unsuccessful. This sparked the question: What challenges do volunteers face in committing to the spay/neuter campaign in the long term?
SOLUTION
Awareness, accessibility and a sense of community are keys.
The goal was to create a user-friendly platform that connects volunteers with free spay/neuter clinics. Creating a sense of community, encouraging sustained participation, providing easy access to the booking system, sharing knowledge on TNR and offering guidance on cat care during the process.
Goal Setting & Extrinsic Motivation
Integrating badges, achievements, and progress milestones, providing users with tangible rewards for their ongoing commitment.
-
Volunteer Profiles & Progress Trackers
Enhancing user engagement and community sense by offering community profiles, allowing users to showcase their dedication and progress.
Enabling users to set personalised goals within the app, creating a roadmap for their long-term commitment to TNR processes.
-
Goal Oriented User Profiles
-
Extrinsic Motivation Integration
Empowering Through Education:
Animal Care & TNR
Ensuring users have immediate assistance and guidance when needed reduces the fear of participation in TNR processes.
-
Building Confidence & Increased Participation
Learning about the TNR process empowers users, making them less afraid and more willing to actively participate in TNR initiatives.
Enabling volunteers to access information on animal care before&after surgery, TNR practices, fostering learning and skill development.
-
Knowledge Hub
-
Emergency Vet Access
Have a Sense of Strong Community Bond
Encourages sustained volunteer commitment, ensuring a consistent effort in participating in spay/neuter activities.
-
Increased participation
Encourages more community members to participate in spay/neuter activities, leading to a broader impact on controlling cat populations.
Enabling volunteers to share their success stories, engage with other volunteers and as a result increase motivation to commit.
-
Efficient Communication & Increased Motivation
-
Enhanced Volunteer Engagement
RESEARCH
Diving Deeper into the Problem
Although I have my own experiences with government’s free spay/neuter clinics, I did not want to assume that my experience applied to all my users. Therefore, I’ve conducted a series of interviews with volunteers, engaging in their experiences with spay/neuter appointments and pain point they’d have.
Additionally, I also did a competitive analysis to analyse the main features, navigation, visual language, pros anc cons.
User Interviews
I conducted interviews with five volunteers actively caring for outdoor cats and having experience with free spay/neuter clinics; each had attended at least one appointment. The interview questions covered a comprehensive range of topics, including users' experiences, motivations, concerns, processes, challenges, and community engagement. The aim was to uncover trends and insights regarding the challenges they faced in participating in spay/neuter activities, as well as understanding their motivations and concerns. The data gathered from these interviews was then organized through affinity mapping to identify common themes and patterns.
Research Questions
1- Can you tell me your experience with caring for outdoor cats? and what motivates you to participate in spay/neuter initiatives for outdoor cats?
2- When seeking spay/neuter services for outdoor cats, what factors contribute to your trust or concerns, and what kind of assurances are important to you?
3- What is your process for spaying/neutering outdoor cats, particularly in government's free spay/neuter clinics? Are there specific difficulties you face in being a part of TNR processes?
4- What challenges do you face in controlling the overpopulation of outdoor cats, and how do you currently address them? and How this makes you feel?
5- Do you currently engage with other individuals or groups in your community to address the challenges of outdoor cat care? and how important is a sense of community in your efforts?
PERSONA
EMPATHY MAP
This process was done to define the target audience with more clarity, as well as illustrate their needs and actions. Emphaty mapping helped me to gain perspective on their thoughts and feelings. The data in the empathy map are based on insaights from user interviews.
THE STYLE GUIDE
AFFINITY MAP
Volunteers encounter challenges in maintaining long-term commitment to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) activities, a crucial element in breaking the cycle in colonies and controlling the outdoor cat population.Based on the trends in my affinity map, I've noticed there are problems around three main different theme.
Major Insights
Theme 1: Barriers to Long Term Commitment
-
Volunteers express concerns about the lack of consistent support from government vet clinics.
-
Technological challenges hinder some volunteers from engaging in long-term commitments.
-
Anxiety about before and after surgery care impacts sustained participation.
Theme 2: Motivation for Participation
-
Volunteers are motivated by the desire to improve the well-being of outdoor cats.
-
Decreasing expenses in animal care and finding joy in helping animals are strong motivators.
-
The sense of community plays a significant role in sustaining motivation.
Theme 3: Trust & Concern
-
Volunteers express concerns about the effectiveness and transparency of government vet clinics.
-
Questions about the trustworthiness of clinics are common, impacting participation.
-
Some volunteers struggle with a lack of information and guidance during TNR processes.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
The card sorting were further refined to fit the goals of application. Some of the features are re-organised to make them easier to find.
FINAL SCREENS
In the initial phase of design, I began sketching out low-fidelity wireframes using Procreate on my Ipad. These sketches served as the foundation, allowing me to quickly iterate and explore various design concepts. As I refined my ideas and established connections between different screens, I ensured alignment with IOS design guidelines to maintain consistency and usability. Transitioning from the conceptual stage, I then progressed to crafting high-fidelity wireframes using Figma.
I prioritized iterative development, conducted user testing session and used feedback to refine the wireframes. By observing how users interacted with prototypes and collecting their feedback, I gained valuable insights into pain points, preferences, and areas for improvement. This user-centered approach allowed me to iteratively refine the wireframes, clarifying navigation flows, and enhancing the overall user experience.
Onboarding Screens
Log in Screens
Main Screens
Profile Screens
TNR Screens
Set Goal Screens
Share with Community Screens
.png)
PROTOTYPE
CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED
This was my first-ever UX project! Working fully through this project taught me the importance of trying to think intentionally about every element of the project and how it can contribute to the end result. Iteration is the key so iterate as much as you can. I constantly asked for feedback from my peers. In the end, I pushed to have the app as best I could.