Leashd

connecting dog owners to caregivers for support

Role
Research, UX, UI, User testing

Category
Pet Care

Bridging the gap between owners and caregivers.

Leashd’s core purpose is to help dog owners make the most informed decisions when selecting a caregiver for their companions. Owners are often unsure of who to trust with their pets, resulting in uncertainty. Finding a caregiver shouldn’t be left to trial and error. Solving this problem connects owners to caregivers faster and provides peace of mind.

Project objectives

Connect dog owners with reliable, credible caregivers

Provide transparent, pricing, caregiver information and testimonials

Encourage owners and caregivers to develop meaningful relationships

Check out the prototype.

Project takeaways

The nature of caring for pets is inherently built upon relationships. Throughout this project, I learned that it’s impossible to serve up the perfect caregiver for every pet. Building a relationship with someone is nuanced and unique for everyone.

Trust is everything
When working with people or even animals, arming users with the tools they need to feel safe and make informed decisions.

Don’t sacrifice information for simplicity
It can be a gut reaction to reduce info to make things easily scannable, but not at the cost of valuable details.

Limit each test to a single user flow
Be as concise as possible when testing a prototype to keep focus on a single flow.

User interviews

The biggest insight found is that owners value consistency and meaningful relationships with their caregivers. Establishing a recurring caregiver for walks or boarding cuts down on the stress for the owners. Once a trustworthy caregiver is found, owners tend to become loyal, returning customers.

Prioritizing owners’ needs

Onboarding
To help owners become more comfortable and knowledgeable before making a decision, the onboarding experience was designed to remove the barrier of commitment and offer a preview of available services and caregivers. A sign-up is only required if users decide to book a service.

User testing

After two rounds of user testing, consisting of four tasks each, users encountered no significant usability issues. Feedback was centered around content, therefore revisions focused on clearer language and pricing formatting in the spirit of transparency.

Tasks to complete