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I asked: How might we increase adoption rates while ensuring a smooth adoption process with pet-owner compatibility?
To develop a better understanding of the animal adoption process and pain points that may discourage or complicate adoption, I interviewed 7 participants: 5 individuals aged 18 – 46 who have previously adopted from shelters and 2 animal shelter employees.
From talking with 5 adopters, I discovered common challenges throughout the adoption process, often related to shelter reliability:
From the animal shelters’ perspectives, the biggest concern was an influx in adoption surrenders due to financial reasons and other incompatibilities.
However, both sides overwhelmingly agreed on one sentiment: a supportive shelter. The adopter wants to feel supported by the shelter throughout the entire adoption process, while the shelter wants to take the necessary measures to ensure 1) the animal adopted is going to a good home 2) the adopters’ needs and concerns are cared for.
I focused on understanding the common pitfalls in the lengthy adoption procedure – for pet adopters, finding and ensuring the right fit was often the biggest challenge. For shelters, balancing overwhelming caseloads proved to be a significant obstacle.
Since the entire adoption process requires a great deal of interaction between the two users, I ensured both sides’ needs would be addressed in relation to the other.
The adopters I interviewed primarily used Petfinder, among other similar apps and websites. I took a deeper look into existing apps and websites on the market to identify current gaps and areas of opportunity:
I wanted my solutions to challenge the common viewpoint of adoption being a complicated, overwhelming process by prioritizing a supportive, trustworthy, and transparent rapport between the adopter and the shelter. Drawing on insights from my interviews and other research, I ultimately decided on an app connecting animals with adopters using an easily digestible approach, along with an experience grounded in trust that properly equips the adopter for all things adoption.
When developing my low-fi wireframes, I aimed to create an interface that was simple and clean at first glance, but could easily dive into a more detailed page if desired.
To test app functionality and usability, I conducted 2 rounds of usability tests with 5 different participants each, asking them to complete several tasks while analyzing their course of actions and points of struggle. Common struggles participants faced were locating:
This project challenged me to critically evaluate the relationship between the two different types of users – animal adopters and shelter employees – and how to foster their interaction between the app in a supportive and reliable way. When first conducting research for the project, I initially considered the adopter and neglected the shelters, who also face plentiful challenges in the adoption process. However, through talking with adopters and realizing the significant impact the shelter can have on the overall process, I made sure to also interview shelter employees and consider them just as much as I did adopters. If I were to redo this project, I would make sure to establish that connection from the beginning and ensure all users are receiving the care they need.