VENN
Venn is a dog training app aimed at streamlining the dog training process and strengthening the special bond between dog owners and their dogs.
This case study highlights the process of creating the concept and building out a prototype using core UX principles.
Using the insight gained during user interviews & secondary research this app was created.
#PROBLEM
Dog Owners lack personalized and flexible training resources for their dogs.
Lack of training is hindering their ability to strengthen their unique bond with their dog and achieve effective training outcomes.
Develop a user-centric dog training app to enhance the special bond between owner and their dog by providing personalized training plans and daily habits.
#SOLUTION#GOALEstablish a deeper more fulfilling connection with their dog by utilizing an intuitive and tailored training plan.
#HOWHow might we create a dog training app that enables owners to strengthen their bond with their dog through tailored training plans.
Studies show that companionship is the No.1 reason why people decide to own a dog
While almost every generation has had an increase in pet ownership, millennials, under 40, married, and childless have increased pet ownership most.
Secondary research showed a clear trend that dog owners consider their dogs as part of their family. The number one reason why people choose to get a dog is for the companionship.
Meet Kayla, she' s a “dog mom” not a dog owner
Kayla and her dog has a special bond
Through secondary research and user interviews, the persona named Kayla was created.
Users described their dogs in human terms, giving them human characteristics and personality traits.
The bond between owner and dog is special and unique to them. Their dogs also have very specific and unique needs.
Dog owners said that they often think about their dogs during their workday and that they miss their dogs while being away.
Companionship: caring, comfort and calmness. Users love spending time with their dogs and it can have health benefits
#INSIGHT 1#INSIGHT 2 Positive reinforcement to encourage dog and keep good daily habits
#INSIGHT 3Persona/dog relations - Dog is an extension of the owner
USER SET-UP TO UNDERSTAND YOUR DOGS NEEDS
The account setup involves guiding users through questions to tailor a training path for their dog, considering their dog’s needs based on breed, age, and personality. This information will allow progress tracking and training overview.
Giving users customized dog training based on need
#GOAL 1#GOAL 2Customized avatar of your dog & personalized training with progress tracking to give users a unique personal view
#GOAL 3Create healthy fun habits for both dog and dog owner
Give dog owners simple daily tasks
The primary objective was to offer users customized dog training. The landing page aimed to establish a personal bond by featuring avatars resembling users' dogs, while also keeping them motivated and informed about their progress.
Functioning as both a dashboard and a direct pathway to training, the landing page facilitates swift interactions and assistance, fostering daily habits for users.
The goal of usability testing was to test if the app was intuitive and navigation was clear
Usability testing happened in 2 stages, working through the iterations and feedback was crucial in ensuring the app was intuitive and that users felt like the navigation and concept resonated with them.
Usability testing shows that more empathy is needed for leading the user to next step
Discoverability: User testing showed that although users were able to navigate easily, they were left guessing where to go next without much guidance.
Progress tracking: Although the statistics were easy to understand, the progress needed to be built into the app. Allowing users to understand where they left of without exploring.
User testing insight:
More empathy for user and clean up navigation issues
#TAKEWAY 1Show empathy for the user: Don’t let the user guess where to go, have empathy and make sure it’s clear all steps where user should go next.
Interaction design could be better. Too many backward clicks and navigation for the user. Although the user was able to navigate, observation showed too many times that user navigated wrong or used the backwards button.
#TAKEAWAY 2#TAKEAWAY 3Users responded well to the personalized training, and was able to understand the navigation and instructions
REFLECTIONS
MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS
This was my first project using UX principles. What I have learned in this project was the importance of making informed decisions. Using the user research in the early stage to shape every decision through this project.
The importance of keeping the persona in mind throughout the project and not just through the ideation process. This helped simplify the user flow and site map and shaped the UI.
USER FLOW
In creating an app from ideation to prototype, the user flow was critical and should have played a bigger part in the planning. During user testing users were able to navigate, however, users ended up using the back button multiple times instead of a simple step.
Paying more attention to the flow throughout the process, the actions and decisions the user needed to take would have kept the navigation more simple.
The next steps would be to do an audit of user flow and find easier ways for users to navigate seamlessly through the app.