Petfinder
Context: App re-design
Roll: Personal project
Software Used: Figma, Midjourney, ChatGPT
Status: In progress - Research Phase

Description
Petfinder is a pet adoption website where users can search and browse pets. This redesign focuses on dog adoption.
Defining the Problem

What is the problem?
According to Orvis and Spots organization: 60% of adopted pets are no longer in their adoptive homes six months later after their initial adoption, and 20% are returned back to the original shelter. This shows low adoption success. Petfinder could help by improving matches and educating adopters on responsibilities and costs.

Why I am interested?
According to Orvis and Spots organization: 60% of adopted pets are no longer in their adoptive homes six months later after their initial adoption, and 20% are returned back to the original shelter. This shows low adoption success. Petfinder could help by improving matches and educating adopters on responsibilities and costs.
Exploring the Problem Space

Application Reviews
I collected user feedback and reviews on PetFinder from sources such as Reddit and SiteJabber to analyze user experiences and overall satisfaction.

Questionnaire
I distributed a questionnaire to members of my dog training community to gather insights on the general adoption process.
Exploring the Problem Space

Step 1: Card sorting + ChatGPT
I used card sorting in FigJam to organize my feedback, allowing me to identify key themes and easily spot the most frequently mentioned topics. I also used ChatGPT to analyze my notes and identify the most frequently mentioned pain points and opportunities. I then cross-checked the results with my own card sorting and requested relevant quotes to verify accuracy and ensure there were no hallucinations. This streamlined my research review process, making it much more efficient.
Step 2: User Personas
By developing two user personas with distinct personalities and goals, I gained a better understanding of user needs and pain points, which allowed me to prioritize features with the greatest impact. This also helped me build empathy, ensuring I consistently considered the user's perspective.
Step 3: User Journey
To gain deeper insight into the user experience, I mapped out the adoption journey, focusing on the emotional states users experience at each phase. This allowed me to highlight critical touchpoints, uncover pain points, and identify opportunities for improvement. By visualizing the full journey, I was able to clearly pinpoint the moments that caused the most friction, helping guide design decisions moving forward.
How might we...

How might we ensure that adoption centers provide clear, honest, and detailed behavioral information about dogs to help adopters make well-informed decisions?

How might we strengthen the adoption screening and education process to better prepare adopters for the responsibilities and challenges of dog ownership?
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