PetPulse: Simplifying Pet Health Management

Overview

Given the broad prompt to create an app for pet healthcare management, my team of 4 designers created PetPulse to streamline record-keeping, appointment scheduling, and communication with veterinarians. Developed during a six-week sprint as part of Davis Design Interactive's 2024 Spring Cohort, the project was named "Best Overall Design" by industry judges for its user-centered approach to managing pet health.

Research & Insights

Through survey responses from 50 pet owners, 8 task-based usability interviews, and a competitive analysis of 4 healthcare websites, we identified cognitive overload and communication breakdowns as the main pain points in current pet care access points. Users struggle with fragmented record-keeping and appointment management. Telemedicine adoption varies, with preferences for streamlined scheduling and record organization.

Synthesis & Ideation

I led our brainstorming & affinity mapping sessions, transitioning us from research insights to sketches, user personas, task flows, and a refined problem statement:

How might we create a centralized platform for pet owners to manage health documents and stay informed?

Our answer:

• Appointment scheduling with autofill functionality.

• Medical record tracking with organized lab results, conditions, and vaccinations.

• Vet messaging tools for direct communication.

  

  Prototyping & Usability Testing

  Usability testing with 8 participants revealed areas for improvement, such as information hierarchy and button feedback. A/B testing with 11 participants helped refine views for medical records and appointment management.

  

  Design System

  We prioritized a clean, minimal design inspired by healthcare companies like Kaiser Permanente, utilizing consistent, professional branding to build trust and credibility.

  

  Final Solution

  

  Reflections

  A key challenge was building empathy with users, as no team member owned a pet (!), actually leading to a deeper investment in research. With more time, the team would explore a desktop view and features for veterinarians' interactions with the app. We sincerely thank Insun Ahn, Product Design Manager at Facebook, and Gabrielle Azurdia and Neha Deshmukh, UX Designers at Amazon, for their invaluable feedback and for honoring us with the Best Overall Design award.

  

  (Why am I standing so far off to the right lol??!)