Isa Aziz

Research

Understanding what adopters need before they feel ready to apply.

To make PawtoPals more realistic and useful, our team studied the adoption experience from both the adopter and shelter perspective. We focused on where users feel uncertain, what information they need before applying, and how compatibility should guide responsible adoption decisions.

Research Goals

Understand what makes pet adoption confusing or stressful for first-time adopters.
Identify what information users need before applying for a pet.
Learn how shelters and rehomers evaluate whether an adopter is a good fit.
Explore which lifestyle factors should influence pet matching.

Methods

Comparative Analysis

We reviewed pet adoption platforms and adjacent matching experiences to understand how users browse, filter, compare, and evaluate options.

Site Visit

We visited an adoption facility to observe the real-world adoption process and understand the questions adopters and staff navigate before placement.

Semi-Structured Interviews

We used open-ended questions to learn about common concerns, decision points, and support needs during the adoption journey.

Key Research Questions

What information do adopters need before they feel ready to apply?
Where does the adoption process feel unclear or inconsistent?
What makes a pet feel like a practical lifestyle match?
What concerns do shelters or rehomers have before approving an adopter?

Why Compatibility Matters

Adoption starts with emotion, but long-term success depends on practical fit.

A pet may feel like the right choice at first glance, but adoption success depends on more than attraction. Adopters need to understand whether a pet fits their lifestyle, home environment, schedule, budget, experience level, and household needs.

Through research, we found that adopters often need more guidance before they feel ready to apply. Pet listings alone do not always explain care expectations, temperament, or compatibility clearly enough for users to make a confident decision.

Redesign Direction

PawsToPals should help users understand why a pet is or is not a responsible match before they move forward in the adoption process.

Research Methods

Comparing digital patterns with the realities of adoption.

After defining the research goals, our team used comparative analysis and a site visit to understand how adoption platforms guide users, where the process becomes unclear, and what kind of support adopters and shelters need before a match moves forward.

Comparative Analysis

Each team member reviewed two comparable digital experiences, including pet adoption platforms, service-based marketplaces, and matching products. We evaluated how these products handled search, filtering, profiles, trust signals, and user commitment.

We also looked at dating-style matching patterns because PawsToPals needed to account for lifestyle compatibility. However, pet adoption required a more responsible approach than casual swiping or preference-based browsing.

Site Visit

To understand the real-world adoption process, our team visited an adoption facility and observed how adopters interacted with staff, pets, and intake materials.

We used semi-structured questions to learn what adopters commonly ask about, where misunderstandings happen, and how staff evaluate whether a household may be a good fit.

What We Learned

Pet adoption platforms often prioritize browsing, but provide limited guidance around lifestyle fit.
Strong pet profiles need more than photos. Users need temperament, care needs, health status, and household fit.
Communication before applying can reduce uncertainty for adopters, shelters, and rehomers.

Design Impact

These findings informed the compatibility breakdown, video meeting request flow, and adoption progress tracker. The redesign focuses on helping users understand practical fit before they move into a full application.

Defining the Audience

Narrowing a broad adoption platform around first-time adopters.

PawsToPals could support adopters, shelters, and rehomers, but the redesign focused first on the adopter experience. This helped narrow the product from a broad adoption platform into a guided mobile flow for people who need help deciding whether a pet is a practical fit.

Primary Audience

First-time or uncertain adopters

Users who are interested in adopting a pet but need guidance before committing. They may feel emotionally ready, but still need help understanding lifestyle fit, care expectations, and what happens after they express interest.

Key Audience Needs

Understand which pets fit their lifestyle, home, schedule, budget, and experience level.
Compare pets based on practical compatibility, not just appearance.
Reduce uncertainty before submitting an application.
Communicate with shelters or rehomers without unnecessary back-and-forth.
Track where they are in the adoption process.

Secondary Audiences Considered

Experienced Adopters

Users adding another pet and evaluating household fit with existing routines or animals.

Families

Households looking for pets that fit children, shared responsibilities, and home dynamics.

Seniors

Users seeking companionship with care needs that match energy, mobility, and support.

Shelters & Rehomers

Organizations and owners who need more qualified inquiries and clearer adopter readiness signals.

When and Where

Understanding the moments that shape adoption decisions.

Adopters may begin the process casually, browsing pets at home or during short breaks. But adoption decisions become more serious when users start comparing pets, discussing responsibilities with household members, or preparing to contact a shelter or rehomer.

Customer Context

Because the adoption journey shifts from exploration to commitment, PawsToPals needed to support different levels of user readiness. Early in the journey, users need low-pressure browsing.

As they move closer to applying, they need clearer compatibility information, trust-building communication, and visible next steps.

Casual Browsing

Users explore pets with low commitment and look for photos, age, breed, location, and shelter type.

Compatibility Check

Users need to understand whether a pet fits their lifestyle, home, schedule, budget, and experience.

Household Decision

Users may need to discuss pet fit with family, roommates, or partners before moving forward.

Pre-Application Confidence

Users need trust signals, video meetings, and clear expectations before submitting an application.

Adoption Progress

Users need visibility into what step they are on and what action comes next.

Personas

One primary adopter, one supporting stakeholder perspective.

The original personas represented different needs and age groups, which made the product story feel split. For the redesign, I used one primary adopter persona to guide the core mobile flow and one supporting stakeholder perspective to account for the needs of shelters and rehomers.

Primary Persona

Malcolm

First-time adopter looking for a compatible pet

Context

Malcolm wants to adopt, but he is unsure which pet would fit his lifestyle, home environment, schedule, and experience level.

Goal

Find a pet he can realistically care for and feel confident before starting an adoption application.

Pain Points

Feels overwhelmed by too many pet listings.
Does not know how to judge compatibility.
Wants clearer next steps before applying.

Needs

Lifestyle-based pet recommendations.
Clear explanations for why a pet is a good fit.
A lower-pressure way to speak with a shelter or rehomer.

Supporting Stakeholder

Shelter / Rehomer

Needs qualified inquiries and clearer adopter readiness signals

Context

Shelters and rehomers need to place pets in homes that can realistically support their care, temperament, and environment needs.

Goal

Connect with adopters who understand the responsibility of the pet they are interested in before beginning the full application process.

Pain Points

Receives inquiries from users who may not be a strong fit.
Needs to answer repeated questions about process and care expectations.
Must evaluate adopter readiness with limited upfront context.

Needs

Better adopter profile information before serious next steps.
Structured communication before application review.
Clear signals of lifestyle fit and adoption readiness.

Design Implications

Match Quiz

Helps adopters translate lifestyle details into practical pet recommendations.

Compatibility Breakdown

Explains why a pet is or is not a responsible match before users apply.

Video Meeting

Creates a lower-pressure step for adopters, shelters, and rehomers to build trust.

Adoption Tracker

Makes the process easier to follow by showing current status and next steps.

How Might We?

Framing the questions that shaped the redesigned flow.

These questions helped connect the research findings to the final Figma redesign. Each one maps to a specific part of the adopter matching and adoption start flow.

Redesigned Flow

ExploreBrowse pets before creating an account
MatchComplete a lifestyle quiz and view compatible pets
DecideReview compatibility explanations and pet details
Start AdoptionRequest a video meeting and track next steps

01

How might we help adopters browse pets freely while guiding them toward better-fit matches?

Maps to the Browse Preview / Home screen and the quiz entry point.

02

How might we translate lifestyle details into clear compatibility-based pet recommendations?

Maps to the Match Quiz, Match Results, and Pet Detail compatibility breakdown.

03

How might we help adopters build trust with shelters or rehomers before starting a full application?

Maps to the Video Meeting, Basic Adopter Profile Gate, and Adoption Tracker.

Product Prioritization

Choosing the most practical solution for the adoption journey.

During ideation, our team explored multiple ways PawsToPals could support adopters, shelters, and pet owners. Ideas included a mobile app, web portal, post-adoption care tools, service recommendations, and companion features.

Primary Build

Mobile adopter experience

To keep the project realistic within a 6-week timeline, we prioritized the mobile adopter experience. A mobile app was the most practical solution because it directly supported the moments when users browse pets, compare options, communicate with shelters, and track adoption progress.

This decision helped narrow PawtoPals from a broad pet care ecosystem into a focused adoption flow centered on compatibility, trust, and clear next steps.

Prioritized for MVP

Mobile adopter flow
Lifestyle match quiz
Compatibility-based pet results
Pet profile with fit explanation
Video meeting request
Adoption progress tracker

Moved to Future Opportunities

Desktop web portal
Post-adoption care dashboard
Service marketplace
Medical record storage
Smartwatch, VR, and TV companion experiences

Minimum Viable Product

Focusing version one on matching, trust, and adoption clarity.

After exploring several product directions, we narrowed the MVP to the adopter matching and adoption start flow. This gave PawtoPals a focused path that could realistically be designed within the 4-week class timeline while still addressing the core adoption problem.

MVP Focus

Adopter matching and adoption start flow

The MVP prioritizes the moments when adopters need the most guidance: browsing pets, understanding compatibility, building trust before applying, and tracking the first steps of the adoption process.

This scope allowed the redesign to stay focused on the most important decision point: helping users determine whether a pet is a realistic fit before they move into a full application.

MVP Features

Explore

Browse before account creation

Users can discover nearby pets without committing to sign up immediately.

Match

Lifestyle match quiz

Users answer practical questions about home, schedule, budget, experience, and household needs.

Understand

Compatibility explanations

Results explain why a pet is or is not a strong fit instead of relying on a score alone.

Trust

Video meeting request

Users can speak with a shelter, foster, or rehomer before starting a full application.

Ready

Basic adopter profile

Serious actions require lightweight profile details to help shelters assess readiness.

Apply

Adoption start

Users can begin the adoption process after reviewing fit and building confidence.

Track

Adoption progress tracker

Users can see their current step, next action, and overall adoption status.

Support

Clear next steps

The app guides users from browsing to matching, meeting, applying, and tracking.

Deferred for Future Iterations

Post-adoption care tools, service marketplaces, medical records, smartwatch support, VR experiences, and TV browsing were moved out of the MVP so the redesign could stay focused on the adoption decision-making journey.

Early Exploration

What the first wireframes revealed about the product direction.

The original wireframes helped us explore PawsToPals as a broader pet adoption and care platform. While those screens were useful for early ideation, they also showed that the experience was trying to support too many user needs at once.

Process Reflection

The first version included pet browsing, profiles, care tools, services, and account features. As the redesign evolved, I used those early screens as a starting point, then narrowed the product around the strongest adoption moment: helping users find a compatible pet and confidently begin the adoption process.

This shift made the case study more focused and helped the final design align with the MVP: browsing, matching, compatibility explanations, video meetings, and adoption tracking.

Early wireframes explored a broader product ecosystem. The redesign narrowed this into a focused adopter matching and adoption start flow.

Final Design

A guided adoption flow built around compatibility, trust, and clear next steps.

The final prototype focuses on the adopter matching and adoption start flow, guiding users from lifestyle-based matching to compatibility explanations, video meetings, and adoption progress tracking.

The quiz helps adopters translate lifestyle details into practical match factors, including activity level, home type, schedule, children, other pets, budget, allergies, and location.

Match results and pet profiles prioritize practical fit over emotional browsing. Compatibility scores are paired with plain-language explanations so users understand why a pet may fit their lifestyle.

Before starting a full application, users can request a video meeting with the shelter, foster, or rehomer. A lightweight profile step collects essential details only when the user takes a serious action.

The adoption tracker makes the process visible after a meeting request. Users can see their current status, understand what comes next, and prepare for the next step with less uncertainty.

Design System

A focused UI system for trust, clarity, and compatibility.

The redesigned prototype uses a small set of reusable colors, type styles, and interface patterns to keep the adoption flow consistent. The system is intentionally lightweight so the product feels realistic, accessible, and easy to extend.

Core Tokens

Primary Green #1F7A4D · Primary actions, progress, selected states

Dark Green #145C39 · Headers, emphasis, trust moments

Soft Green #E8F4EC · Compatibility cards, support states

App Background #F7F9F8 · Calm screen foundation

Main Text #1F2933 · High-contrast readable content

Border Gray #D6DCE1 · Inputs, cards, dividers

Reusable UI Components

Primary sticky CTAs for high-intent actions like starting the quiz or requesting a video meeting.
Compatibility score cards that explain fit instead of relying on a score alone.
Pet cards with photo, source label, match score, fee, distance, and short fit reason.
Selectable quiz cards and chips for lifestyle inputs, filters, and temperament tags.
Form fields and profile gates for required adopter information before serious actions.
Adoption tracker rows that show status, progress, and next action clearly.

System Patterns

Compatibility First

Match quality is shown before application actions to support responsible decisions.

Progressive Commitment

Users can browse freely, then complete profiles only before serious next steps.

Trust Before Applying

Video meetings create a lower-pressure step between interest and application.

Accessible Contrast

Dark text, restrained greens, and clear borders improve readability across screens.

Conclusion

A more focused adoption experience built around responsible matching.

The redesign helped PawtoPals move from a broad pet adoption concept into a clearer, more realistic adopter flow centered on compatibility, trust-building, and adoption progress.

What Changed

By narrowing the product around compatibility-based matching, video meetings, and adoption tracking, the flow better supports adopters at the moment they need the most guidance: deciding whether a pet truly fits their lifestyle.

The biggest improvement was shifting the experience from browsing pets to making responsible, informed adoption decisions.

Next Steps

Test the redesigned flow with first-time adopters.
Validate the compatibility score logic with shelters and rehomers.
Improve the video meeting experience with reminders and post-call notes.
Expand the shelter and rehomer side of the product.
Explore post-adoption support after the core adoption flow is validated.

PawtoPals is strongest when it helps users pause before applying, understand practical fit, and move forward with confidence.

PawsToPals: A Compatibility-First Pet Adoption App

PawsToPals

The Problem

Redesign Focus

Core Redesigned Flow

Design Challenge

Adopter Goals

Shelter & Rehomer Goals

Understanding what adopters need before they feel ready to apply.

Research Goals

Methods

Comparative Analysis

Site Visit

Semi-Structured Interviews

Key Research Questions

Adoption starts with emotion, but long-term success depends on practical fit.

Redesign Direction

Comparing digital patterns with the realities of adoption.

Comparative Analysis

Site Visit

What We Learned

Narrowing a broad adoption platform around first-time adopters.

First-time or uncertain adopters

Key Audience Needs

Secondary Audiences Considered

Experienced Adopters

Families

Seniors

Shelters & Rehomers

Understanding the moments that shape adoption decisions.

Customer Context

Casual Browsing

Compatibility Check

Household Decision

Pre-Application Confidence

Adoption Progress

One primary adopter, one supporting stakeholder perspective.

Malcolm

Context

Goal

Pain Points

Needs

Shelter / Rehomer

Context

Goal

Pain Points

Needs

Design Implications

Match Quiz

Compatibility Breakdown

Video Meeting

Adoption Tracker

Framing the questions that shaped the redesigned flow.

Redesigned Flow

Choosing the most practical solution for the adoption journey.

Mobile adopter experience

Prioritized for MVP

Moved to Future Opportunities

Focusing version one on matching, trust, and adoption clarity.

Adopter matching and adoption start flow

MVP Features

Browse before account creation

Lifestyle match quiz

Compatibility explanations

Video meeting request

Basic adopter profile

Adoption start

Adoption progress tracker

Clear next steps

What the first wireframes revealed about the product direction.

Process Reflection

A guided adoption flow built around compatibility, trust, and clear next steps.

A focused UI system for trust, clarity, and compatibility.

Core Tokens

Reusable UI Components

System Patterns

Compatibility First

Progressive Commitment

Trust Before Applying

Accessible Contrast