INFO-I 245 Portfolio Final

Interaction Design Thinking Portfolio
INFO-I 245 Spring 2021




About The Designer
Worked With:
Sid Rath
Sophomore
Pursuing Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science Team Role: UX Researcher,
Team Lead
Iris Li Shane O’Neill
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Problem Space
Pet Health & Wellness Monitoring
The team decided to tackle the issue of pet health and wellness. The group has chosen to develop a solution for this problem as the proper health and wellness of a pet is one of the pillars towards maintaining a healthy and happy pet.
However, there are limited ways to check the status of a pet’s wellness without visiting a professional (i.e veterinarian) . Furthermore, recommendations given by animal experts cannot be easily checked and tracked by the average person.
Therefore, the group would like to address this problem, using the principles and methodologies that have been covered in the class, for the betterment of every pet and pet owner around the world.
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Mobile Application Dog Tracker
The initial idea to help address the pet health and wellness problem
is a mobile application which will serve as a one stop shop for all pet owners to help keep track of the physical activity of a dog as well as a way for dog owners to view important information for their furry friend such as wellness checkup information and dietary information.
Initial Idea
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Preliminary Research Summary
In order to gain a better understanding of the problem space, conducting secondary research can help paint a better picture of the pet health and wellness space. From exercise reccomendations to dietary restrictions, the team reviewed a variety of secondary research sources. The following were the top three sources which the team found insightful:
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“A Vet’s Guide to Pet Health and Wellness”
• The resource provides insights from professionals regarding common issues and concerns amongst the pet owner community.
• The article is split into three sections - pet body, diet and treats, and exercise and environmental enrichment.
• From a body perspective, the blog discusses the pet condition score and how it can be utilized to measure the obesity of an animal.
“The Basic Necessities of Proper Pet Care”
Figure from “A Vet’s Guide to Pet Health and Wellness” depicting the levels of the Body Condition Score.
• Article discusses that proper pet care is the basis behind being a responsible pet owner.
• Starting with food and water, the article discusses how a proper and appropriate diet can lead to a
happy pet and can lead to a longer lifespan of the animal.
• It then goes into a proper and safe environment for the pet including weather, location, bedding
accessories, and having a place where the animal can go to the bathroom regularly.
“The Importance of Exercise for Your Puppy”
• Article covers the fact that exercise should not be thought of as an afterthought and is essential for a dog’s mental and physical well-being.
• In addition, the article lists out some of the benefits for the animal including promoting houstraining, reducing digestive problems, and building confidence.
• From a mental perspective, if a dog gets the appropriate amount of exercise, it can lead to a dog steering away from problematic behaviors.
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Group Discussion Method - KJ Technique
Since the topic of pet health and wellness is broad, the team wanted to look into the reason behind the importance of keeping a pet healthy and how a pet owner can ensure that they can maintain their pet(s) well-being. From the KJ technique activity, the team wrote out various datapoints, facts, and opinions the team had collected from individual research and the focus group. After following the process, the team has further narrowed down the problem space towards the pet health and wellness product sector. From the team’s general curiosity towards what was on the market, the pros and cons behind these products and their use, and hearing from members of the focus group who had tried to use products on the markets, the team would like to analyze and understand this market segment, with hopes to propose and design an updated system/product.
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Research Method - Focus Group
Focus group was centered around pet owners and how they keep track and maintain pet health and wellness.
The focus group consisted of dog and cat owners. Based upon the questions which the team drafted, there were varying responses. The team found that the pet owners tried to track their pet’s physical activity, but relied more
on memory and time as the form of tracking. In addition, the veterinary check ups were discussed, specifically what recommendations were given to the pet owners as well as how they respond if their veterinarian asked about their pet’s physical activity. To help ease and quantify their pet’s activity, it was asked whether or not they have looked into physical devices. Most of them did not use one, but the one person who did found it useful but it irritated her dog. Finally, a big part of pet health and wellness is nutrition, therefore, the group was asked to explain their pet’s dietary plans and how they maintain this. Overall, the focus group provided great insight into what they are doing and what worked for them. Hearing from a range of perspectives allowed the team to see pet differences, while listening to common issues and methodologies.
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Persona #1
Personas
• Had two dogs while he was growing up.
• Has a dog who requires lots of physical activity.
Demographics:
Persona #2
Name: Sloane Background:
• Animal Lover & Enthusiest
• Mommy to German Shepard Demographics:
• Resides within a metropolis • Salary: $90,000/year
• Age: 30-39
• Supporter of rescue
Name: Tim Background:
organizations/animal shelter
adoptions •
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Resides in a Suburban community Lives with Spouse and two Kids in a two-story home
Age: 40 - 50
Actively tries to get a recommended amount of physical activity with the dog by playing with her in the family’s backyard or by taking her to a dog park.
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Storyboarding
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The storyboarding process was used to represent the overall concept of the mobile application which allows a dog owner to clock into the application, play with the pet, and clock out when finished. Finally, the user will be shown the total time that they played with their pet that day and can view a log of their pet’s physical activity.


Initial Prototyping
To begin the storyboarding process, paper prototypes were developed to visualize the overall design, message, and flow. Five states/screens were conceptualized, as shown below, to depict the overall function and flow
of the mobile application idea. These drawings were not meant to be perfect in terms of design, rather helped understand the overall user experience and flow for someone who would use the application.
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The digital and final prototype depicts a similar layout and flow to the paper prototypes, with the additions of a cleaner user interface. The user will be able to track their pet’s physical, see an overview of that session, and see previous week and day information.
Application Home Screen Details Screen Previous Week Breakdown
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Digital Prototype/Final Prototype


Tracking Check-In Screen Tracking Check-Out Screen Tracking Session Overview Screen
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