Kibbl is a responsive mobile app designed for dog owners to connect with other dog owners in their area. As most pet owners know, safety and happiness are number one priorities when planning a doggie playdate; Kibbl allows you to find likeminded dog owners near you. With built-in toggle features allowing you to filter your desired ‘match’, Kibbl is the best way to find your best pal a new friend.
My Role:
UX Design | UX Research
In collaboration with Carly Garr, we got together to design a solution for dog owners and their pups who want to connect with other dogs in their area.
Problem Statement:
A new dog owner needs a way to find other dogs in their area for their new pup to play with because the owner wants to socialize their puppy for their development. We will know this to be true when we see consistent matches between dogs and their owners being made.
Competitor: BarkHappy
SWOT Analysis
Affinity Mapping
Our first step in our user research was to gather quantitative data with a survey. Then, we conducted a total of four user interviews, where we each conducted two over video calls. Afterwards, we imported all of the research data onto sticky notes to begin affinity mapping. We sorted our data into Needs & Goals, Behaviors & Attitudes, and Pain Points. From there, we worked together on identifying patterns and relationships to cluster the sticky notes. We found 4 key groups: Exercise, Socialization, Restrictions, and Mental & Physical Safety.
Users want exercise for their dogs primarily, but for themselves as well.
Users view walking their dog as a time to bond with friends and new people
Users want to find places that are both dog-friendly and conducive to making new human connections
Before socializing, users want to make sure the other dogs are vaccinated and not aggressive.
Users are guarded in the areas that they choose to take their dogs.
Users tend to avoid smaller dog parks and opt for larger parks or long walks.
Users value mental and physical safety above all when taking their dog out.
Users think about the type of dog they want theirs to interact with
Key Insights
Users are primarily motivated by their dog’s health and well-being.
Our prototype was shared and tested on 4 potential users over Teams video calls. In each usability testing session, we asked the user to angle themselves and their phone towards the camera in order to observe how they interact with our app. My colleague on the project and I constructed a list of 4 tasks for the user to complete, we observed how they did so and their cadence, we asked follow-up questions where we saw fit, and at the end we asked them to give us feedback on their experience.
Results
After conducting usability testing with 4 potential users, we gathered feedback on their experience and their suggestions. Overall, they described the experience as positive, and we iterated on the wireframes based on their feedback and based on what we observed.
