NEKOPAW
Nekopaw is a comprehensive mobile application designed to cater to the needs of cat owners and potential cat owners. Its personalized features, including customizable homepages and feeding schedule recommendations based on individual cat information, make it easier for users to manage their cat-related tasks.
Contributions
My Role
UI/UX Designer and researcher
Project type
UX Design
Project duration
Janurary - June 2023
Design Tools
Design Tools
Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator. Protopie, After effects
Why Nekopaw?
Nekopaw is an excellent resource to learn about cats before adopting one, reducing the likelihood of frustration or misunderstandings. Nekopaw fosters a sense of community among cat owners and potential cat owners, where they can exchange information, share experiences, solve problems, and make friends. Additionally, the app offers a platform for users to keep track of their cat’s information, including medical records, feeding schedules, and reminders for appointments and grooming. With Nekopaw, cat owners have access to all the necessary information and tools they need to take care of their cats conveniently in one place.
The problem
Based on surveys and interviews, we have found that there isn't really a mobile app or platform that can assist cat owners and potential cat owners in finding solutions to all of the issues related to cats. We have also found that people are frustrated with so many issues that they don't know where to start looking for solutions. We would like to offer an app that might assist all cat owners in finding solutions to all cat-related problems.
Research
Hunt Statement
From the research, we are expect to understand cat owners and cat care businesses’ needs and concerns in order to design an app that can support people through the adoption process as well as help find tools that can help businesses take care of cats easier and more efficiently.
Method
The main research method that we will use for our formative research will be an online survey and interview. Through conducting an online survey, we will be able to conveniently get more information from diverse people.
Survey - We plan to survey at least 15 research participants, with 5 participants per person. We are specifically looking for individuals who currently own a cat or have an interest in becoming a cat owner. The survey will consist of a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions.
Interview - For the interview aspect, we aim to recruit 6 participants, with 2 participants per person. These interviews will be conducted either in person or remotely. The purpose of the interviews is to gather more in-depth information about our user group and gain insights into their opinions on our current design idea.
Research Findings - Survey
Suggestions/advice
We received a lot of helpful recommendations and advice from the survey. It appears that the two main issues that participants care about most are adoption and health care. Other than that, people would be interested in learning about advice for new cat owners. We also asked our participants to write down some features they would want to have in the app, Key insights include advice for new cat or pet owners, details on illnesses, tips for keeping cats happy and healthy, and sales of cat furniture.
Research Findings - Interview
Based on insights gained from the interviews, participants indicated that they tend to conduct research before adopting a cat, often visiting multiple adoption places, and all of them already own one or more cats. They mentioned using websites to search for cats initially and expressed a desire to adopt quickly once they found their desired cat because it is competitive among adopters. Participants highlighted that online adoption is slower than in-person adoption due to outdated information on adoption center websites, where cats listed as available may already be taken. One participant expressed difficulty in finding reliable and honest reviews about cat food and supplies due to an overwhelming number of fake reviews and advertisements. The majority of participants expressed interest in a platform that connects cat owners for sharing information, tips, and tricks, particularly regarding health issues.
Opportunities
By information we gain from both interviews and surveys, we were able to write down some key features that help users the most:
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1. Community feature that allows users to share information, tips, and tricks related to cats.
2. Learning feature that allows users to explore and learn more knowledge about their cats.
3. A leaderboard that helps users to find desirable foods, toys for cats
4. Records about clinic visit history, schedules, etc.
5. Personalized feeding instructions and health records
Persona
Based on the gathered information, it was observed that the majority of participants fell within the age range of 16 to 35. Therefore, two personas were created to represent this demographic. The first persona represents an existing cat owner, while the second persona represents a potential cat owner.
Design Process
Sketches
After analyzing the collected data, we identified four key features that stood out as the most exciting for users: Learning, Vet, Community, and User Pages (Cat Health and Appointment Tracker). Subsequently, each team member was assigned to focus on different features and produced the following sketches
Sitemap
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the product's structure and user interactions, we developed a sitemap and user flow
Wireframes
We also created some low-fi wireframes to outline the basic layout and design of the product, allowing us to visualize the placement of key elements and interactions before proceeding to higher-fidelity prototypes.
Usability Test
In a departure from our usual approach, we conducted the usability test for our v1 prototype during our capstone exhibition, providing an opportunity for a larger number of people to participate. This expanded pool of users allowed us to gather extensive feedback and identify numerous bugs that require immediate attention and fixing. The valuable insights gained from the exhibition will serve as a solid foundation for refining and enhancing our product to meet user expectations and ensure a seamless experience.
Where
UW Bothell Discover hall
When
6/10/2023
Participants
20+
20+
Insights & Feedback
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​​The "Add a new cat" page should appear when users create the account or sign in.
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Some button is not working
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The leaderboard should have some other leaderboard not just for cat food
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The tutorial is too long and should have a skip button
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The community page should link to the users page when clicking on user's avatar
