VetFinder
Veterinarian Finder App
User researcher | UI/UX designer | Visual designer
Value Proposition
The primary objective is to provide a user-friendly platform that connects pet owners with nearby veterinarians and clinics. The goal of a vet finder app is to simplify the process of finding and accessing veterinary care for pets, enhancing the overall well-being of the animals and providing peace of mind for their owners.
Quick Overview The Product
Specialize care
Specialized veterinarians can be easily found by searching for specific health conditions or surgeries.
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Provide a list of all available appointments based on the filter settings.
Available appointments
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Language barrier
Help users overcome any potential language or cultural barriers.
Process Outline
Click to navigate to specific sections
Research
Secondary Research
Conducting the secondary research allowed me to gather insights from similar products, identify user pain points, and uncover emerging trends in the veterinary services sector. This research-oriented approach ensured that our app would not only address current user needs but also incorporate innovative features to stand out in the market.
Key takeaways
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Limited Accessibility to Nearby Vets: Existing users of similar apps often faced difficulties in quickly locating nearby veterinary clinics, especially in urgent situations.
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Quality Assessment Challenges: Users expressed concerns about accurately assessing the quality of veterinary clinics solely through online platforms.
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Growing Demand for Real-Time Services: Emerging trends indicated a growing demand for real-time features, such as instant appointment scheduling, live chat support, and timely updates about wait times at veterinary clinics.
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Appointment Management: Users expressed a desire for easy appointment management, including the ability to book, reschedule, or cancel appointments directly through the app.
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Specialized Services: Research indicated that pet owners often sought specialized veterinary services
Competitor Analysis
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Pet-Focused.
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Appointment Management.
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Health Tracking.
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Wide User Base.
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User-Generated Content.
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Community Engagement.
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Ubiquitous Usage.
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Detailed Information.
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Integration with Google Services.
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Limited General Business Information.
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Limited Scope.
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Dependency on Clinic Adoption.
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Limited Veterinary Focus.
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Varied Quality.
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Limited Focus on Veterinary Services.
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Quality Control.
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Lack of Specialized Features.
Primary Research
Conducted a survey to collect quantitative data from a wider audience and identify user needs and preferences. I reached out to pet owners through social media, relevant Facebook groups, and WeChat groups, and sent them a survey questionnaire.
To gain a deeper understanding of user behaviors, I conducted five one-on-one open-ended interviews. This allowed me to design with empathy and create solutions that resonate on a human level. The interviews were conducted on Zoom and each lasted for 30 mi
Synthesizing Data
In order to analyze the rich data I gathered from the interviews, I compiled the information in an affinity map to identify the major themes and to prioritize the data to form a strategy.
Insight #1 Demand for Appointment Booking
This insight indicates a need for a seamless and user-friendly interface that allows pet owners to quickly secure appointments with veterinary clinics.
Insight #2 Consideration for Emergency Situations
Affinity mapping shows users value app's emergency assistance capabilities, highlighting need for prominent emergency contact options.
Insight #3 Variety of Clinic Services
Users want comprehensive information on veterinary clinic services, including specialized treatments and diagnostics. Clinic profiles should go beyond routine check-ups.
Insight #4 Language Barriers
This insight suggests that clinics should offer multi-language services to overcome potential barriers related to language and culture when discussing a pet's health and treatment options.
Insight #5 Integration with Personal Pet Records
The affinity mapping process reveals that users want to easily access their pet's medical records, vaccinations, and treatment history on the app. This highlights the potential of creating a comprehensive platform for pet health management.
Reframing the problem
To better direct the ideation process, I rephrased the insights from the user research into How might we (HMW) questions.
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How might we assist pet owners to find available appointments effectively?
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How might we assist pet owners in finding a vet who offers 24/7 emergency services during unexpected health crises?
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How might we assist pet owners in finding specialized care for their pets?
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How might we help pet owners to overcome multicultural communities?
Specialization: If a pet requires specialized care, such as for certain health conditions or surgeries, locating a veterinarian with the necessary expertise can be difficult.
Availability: Securing timely appointments, especially during peak hours or for urgent matters, can be a challenge due to varying schedules and high demand.
Emergency Care: Identifying a veterinarian or clinic that offers emergency services and 24/7 availability is essential for addressing unexpected health crises.
Language Barriers: Overcoming potential language or cultural barriers when discussing a pet's health and treatment options can be challenging.
Main findings from research
Ideate
Mapping Out Solutions
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After brainstorming ideas, I selected the app's most crucial functions to effectively tackle user problems. These features would address priority pain points and the four "How Might We" questions.
Search base on specialty
Search base on location
Search base on date
Language option
Video call / in-person visit
Time preference
Building Foundation / User Flow
Design
Sketch Solutions
Red route flow 1: make an appointment
Red route flow 2: filter
Wireframe
A guerilla usability test with 5 random participants was conducted on a prototype created from sketches made with Marvel. Three key findings related to search, list of availability, and the doctor view have directed the design of the subsequent wireframes.
Visual Design
1. Creating mood board
Before beginning my high-fidelity screens I establish the mood board for the brand. It's a visual representation of the app's personality, guiding principles, and the experience I want users to have. The mood board draws inspiration from nature's calming colors, such as soothing blues and natural grays, creating a sense of trust and serenity that aligns with pet owners' care for their furry companions.
2. Developing a logo that that reflects brand attributes
This logo features two "V"s representing veterinarians and conveys that our app provides seamless services and compassionate care for pets and their owners. In addition to providing a nearby vet list, we also care about pet owners' emotional stress.
3. Choosing a typography that is on-brand
SF Pro
Bold SemiBold Regular
4. Establishing Call-to-Action (CTA) buttons
Key finding #1 Complicated booking appointment process
Three of the five participants reported confusion with the "scroll down" and "time range" functions, prompting the use of a "time picker" to streamline the appointment booking process.
Use the specific date instead of "tomorrow" to avoid any confusion.
The "Time Picker" simplifies the process of selecting a time.
Key finding #2 Search function should be user-friendly
Searching is the beginning of a user’s journey so it is important to address it when 3/5 participants mentioned one-click searching.
Provide two searching options.
Use default address and date to improve search efficiency.
Key finding #3 The indicator is unhelpful
The indicator did not specify which section was completed. Clear and helpful health records are essential feature.
It is not clear which section is complicated as the indicator is not clear.
Highlight each section completed status.
Usability Testing
The usability testing was conducted in two rounds with 5 participants each round consisting of 4 moderated tests and 1 unmoderated. In between each round of testing, I made improvements to the design to address the issues identified. The participants for the tests were chosen on the premise that they were pet owners who had experience in finding veterinarians thus, were more likely to use my app. From the two rounds of testing, there were 3 key findings:
Final Product
Key Takeaways
Designing is an iterative process
Designing is never a straight path, instead it is a constant cycle of hypothesizing, testing and iterating on the design. It is always humbling when I gain new insights and when my assumptions are corrected.
User-Centered Approach
Prioritizing the user's perspective throughout the design process is crucial. Successful projects center on solving user problems and enhancing user experiences.
Continuous Learning
Every project offers insights and lessons. Continuously learning from each project, whether it's about design trends or user behavior, contributes to professional growth.
