DuoPet — An App for Scheduling Veterinary Appointments
overview
This app was developed to enhance the customer experience for Brazilian pet owners in scheduling vet appointments. Many pet owners lament delays in booking through traditional methods.
Throughout development, we focused on understanding customer challenges, exploring solutions and creating an app meeting pet owners’ needs. Our goal is to create a more efficient and convenient process for pet owners and their pets.
Team
Scope of work
Matthias Karl Schaefle
Leticia Magri
User research; Wireframes; UI design; Prototyping; Usability testing; Iterating on Designs.
role
UX/UI Designer
year
2023
The Problem
Brazilian pet owners love their pets, but scheduling vet appointments feels like entering a maze. Waiting on hold or using WhatsApp only adds to the chaos. That’s where Duopet steps in. It’s the ally in pet care. How did we achieve this? By asking one thing:
“How might we make scheduling veterinary appointments stress-free and time-efficient for pet owners?”
Design Process
To make sure we understand what users really need, we used the Design Thinking Framework.
Empathize
Methodology
For this project, we used 3 methods to connect with potential users and better understand their needs: Desk Research, Online Survey and One on One In-Depth Interviews.
Desk Research
We started the project by conducting initial research, delving into important details about pet owners and scheduling veterinary appointments. Through this process, we uncovered valuable findings.
01
Demographic data of the tutors
Millennials make up the largest percentage of current pet owners (33%) in Brazil. Most are woman, married and have at least a dog.
Online Survey
After identifying gaps in our initial research, we launched an online survey with participants from Brazil to validate assumptions about scheduling vet appointments. With 164 responses, we gained valuable insights.
56%
Scheduling via WhatsApp
Represents the number of pet owners who schedule appointments through the app.
52%
Take only when they show symptoms
There is a noticeable balance in the frequency of veterinary appointments, as some pet owners prioritize regular check-ups while others seek care only when their pets display symptoms.
53%
Nearby veterinarian
Represents the percentage of pet owners who take their pets to the nearest veterinarian.
One on One In-Depth Interviews
Type: In-Person
Location: Brazil
Participants: 5 (20-40 years old)
Duration: 15 to 25 minutes each
With reliable data in hand, we conducted interviews to better understand pet owners’ needs when scheduling veterinary appointments. Through these conversations, we uncovered the pain points that pet owners often encounter in this process.
01
Annoyed
Scheduling an appointment with the veterinarian via WhatsApp is inconvenient and time-consuming.
02
Search struggle
Pet owners struggle to quickly locate clinics and veterinarians that provide emergency services outside of regular business hours.
03
Forgetfulness
Remembering appointments and vaccine dates is challenging due to the busy lifestyle and lack of reminders.
04
Lack of information
The absence of medical history details can lead to incomplete assessment during the appointment.
Persona
We crafted a persona to deeply understand user needs, ensuring they remain central to our design decisions.
Define
User Jorney Map
We made a user jorney map that allowed us to find opportunities for design interventions.
IDEATE
Competitive Analysis
Drawing inspiration from our competitors, we embarked on a journey to examine their features, uncovering potential opportunities to enrich our project.
Opportunities
- Many pet owners prefer nearby veterinarians, yet numerous apps lack this feature.
- Incorporating a quick locate option for emergency veterinarians could be a key differentiator.
Brainstorming & Feature Priorization
We used FigJam for a brainstorming session, combining How might we…’ questions with design ideas to create creative features.
Then, we applied an Impact vs. Effort Matrix to prioritize tasks, focusing on high-impact, low-effort initiatives stemming from our collaborative work.
UI Design And Style Guide
STYLE GUIDE
We chose blue as the primary color for our veterinary consultation app, symbolizing trust and reliability.
Colors
Opted for solid icons in the navigation menu for clarity and quick recognition, complemented by casual and creative icons throughout the interface, they are sourced from Flaticons.
Icons
Switzer focus on clear navigation and accessibility, which are crucial. Plein, on the other hand, is renowned for its clean, modern aesthetics.
Typography
USABILITY TEST
Testing Solutions & Changes
We made a middle-level prototype to test with users, pretending to book appointments. After the tests, we changed based on the insights gained.
Click on the image to enlarge it.
01
Users didn't easily find information in the veterinarian's profile, such as price, rating, and specialty.
Solution: We redesigned the veterinarian profile to make it easier to identify these points and align it with other pages, improving app usability.
02
Users need quick and easy access to appointment details.
Solution: After an appointment is made, the section “Next Appointment” appears on the home screen.
Second Usability Test
After that, we conducted the usability test on the high-fidelity prototype and made necessary changes.
01
Participants struggled with navigating the integrated calendar.
Solution: We chose to implement a simpler, more recognizable calendar on a separate page to improve focus and clarity.
02
Participants with multiple pets found it hard to know which pet their appointment was for.
Solution: We created an option for the owner to choose which pet would attend the appointment.
result
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Yay!! We’ve reached the high-fidelity wireframes that reflect our design journey.
Welcome to the DuoPet App — Simplifying Pet Care
Let’s get started
By tapping “Get Started,” users streamline pet care with intuitive account creation, helped by a progress bar for easy tracking and efficiency.
Making Fur-tastic Appointments!
Pet owners easily find nearby vets with essential scheduling info via a user-friendly calendar, while appointment reminders prevent forgetfulness.
What if It's an Emergency?
Based on research showing emergencies are a common reason for vet visits, the app provides a map to easily locate 24-hour emergency vets.
Lessons Learned
01
Focused Prioritization
Our prioritization methods helped us assess design solutions and determine their user value. One key learning was prioritizing appointment scheduling over expanding pet profiles with medical information, reflecting our focus on meeting immediate user needs.
02
UI Organization & Enhanced Figma Skills
I realized the importance of organizing user interface (UI) elements for clarity and efficiency during the design process. Working on this project improved my skills in Figma. This experience taught me that a well-organized UI not only makes work easier but also encourages smooth collaboration.
03
Communication
This first UX project done in partnership allowed me to enhance communication skills through planning and conducting interviews and usability studies. Collaborating directly with my teammate, I developed the ability to articulate ideas clearly, contributing significantly to project success.
Next Steps
01
Veterinarian Filter Analysis
Looking into the need for a filter on the homepage to enhance the way veterinarians are displayed, according to user needs.
02
Review of Pet Profile
We’ll explore ways to efficiently include medical information in the pet profile to meet user needs.