Solving uncertainty in hiring pet sitters
Project Type
End-to-end product design
Tools
Figma, Notion
Context
Finding a pet sitter is hard and there are a lot of uncertainties involved. As a pet parent and product designer I gave myself the challenge to design a digital solution to solve this problem. I conducted research, tested my solution revised the designed solution based on user feedback.
So, what’s the problem?
The global pet-sitting industry is worth 2.4 billion yet pet parents hesitate to hire pet sitters from the many platforms that exist. Some reviews on these platforms and news articles show why.
The solution
Keeper: Trained and reliable sitters
History, Stats and Photos
Trained Sitters
Tailor to your pet
Sitter’s profile gives brief info about them including their service’s satisfaction rate from previous jobs done
All sitters are required to undergo training to learn best practices for handling pets. Trainers with advanced training can be hired for special needs.
Tell sitter your pet’s schedule by adding message for them
Reliability & Qualification concerns
Pet parents feel hesitant to hire pet sitters from apps and prefer to rely on family members.
I don't trust pet sitters I can hire on pet-sitting platforms, I've read many bad stories and can’t imagine something like that happening with my dog.
James, Pet Parent
Age 45
What do pet parents say
I conducted user interviews with 20 pet parents to make sure I fully understood their frustrations. Interview details here
Research Summary
Pet parents want to have no doubts about their sitter’s reliability. They want their pet and belongings to be safe.
Pain Point #1
Pain Point #3
Safety concerns
Pet parents are concerned about the safety of their pet and their belongings.
Unfortunately, I had a sitter who seemed great at first but then neglected my pet’s routine. My dog was very stressed when I returned, and it took a few days for things to get back to normal.
Sarah, Pet Parent
Age 36
Pain Point #2
Pet’s comfort and Routine
The expectation is to take them for walks and play with them as per the pet’s regular schedule.
My dog needs regular medication and exercise. I need to know that they have the necessary skills to handle this.
Sarah, Pet Parent
Age 36
Ideation
While exploring ideas, I came up with the concept of the pet-sitting platform with a focus on these 3 functionalities to resolve pet parents’ concerns.
History, Stats, and Photos
Allowing pet owners to see the history of their pet sitter along with stats and photos from previous jobs would help resolve this.
Mandatory Training
Before sitters join the platform, mandatory training for pet sitters would reassure pet owners and boost their confidence in booking sitters.
Custom Instructions
Pet parents can leave instructions for the sitter to ensure the pet’s medication and routine needs are being met.
After a couple of rounds of iterations, I landed on these screens and prototyped them to test them with users. A task flow was also made to map out the booking process.
Sketching out ideas
How do users feel about it?
I ran 2 rounds of usability tests, each with 5 users. Users were asked to speak their thoughts out loud and complete the process of booking a pet sitter. Doing so gave me insights into usability issues, things I had not considered, and things that could provide a better user experience
Though users completed the task successfully they did experience some usability issues mentioned below. Additionally, I also made changes to the copy and design for clarity and better usability as some users were confused about it.
Revising solution
1. Before: Users were confused about the “show verified sitters only” filter since the platform only allows verified and trained sitters to be on this platform.
After: “Show verified pet sitters” was removed as it did not prove to be necessary and created confusion among users.
2.Before: Applied filters bar confused the users.
After: Applied filters were split into cards.
3. Before: Users found the verified badge to be redundant.
After: Verified badge was removed as it did not prove to be necessary.
4. Before: Users wanted to see the total amount for booking rather than the “Hourly Rate”.
After: “Hourly Rate” was changed to “Total Cost” also helping them see which sitter fits their budget.
5. Before: Missing “Total cost” on the review booking page.
After: “Total Cost” added.
Giving the platform a voice
I made a branding kit that had a logo, and colors for the brand. A design system was also made to maintain consistency throughout the design.
Accessibility
To ensure my product is accessible to everyone, I used Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) guidelines by testing text color contrast on colored backgrounds, meeting AA standards for broader audience accessibility, regardless of the visual abilities of users.
The final product was tested with pet owners and pet sitters and received positive feedback. Pet owners expressed interest in using a product like this. as a method to solve their issues around booking pet sitters eventually allowing them to travel with peace of mind.
Measuring Impact
Initially, I believed existing market solutions were effective for this issue. However, through research and conversations with pet owners, I discovered their flaws and gained insight into why trust is lacking in these platforms which helped me design Keeper.
Takeaways
Nacho - Inspiration behind Keeper
Its not all that bad..
As part of the initial interview with pet parent, we also asked them to share their positive experiences.
Once, I had a sitter who not only followed all instructions perfectly but also took my dog to the vet for a scheduled check-up, which was incredibly helpful.
I once had a sitter who kept my dog so entertained and happy that he seemed to barely notice I was gone. It made my trip much less stressful.
A sitter who went above and beyond by teaching my dog a new trick and sending me a video of it. It was such a pleasant surprise and made me feel more at ease.
I had a sitter who not only followed all instructions perfectly but also took my dog to the vet for a scheduled check-up, which was incredibly helpful.