Packd is a dog boarding app that was completed as part of Dribbble’s Product Design course and covered the entire product design process. It’s kind of like LinkedIn for dog owners. It helps you create a pack of connections so that you can select a dog boarding service based on reviews and feedback from people you know.

The Problem

During the research phase, it became clear that trust was the main issue. Dog owners needed to be confident in their choice before packing up their dog for an overnight stay.

The User Persona was developed to help capture the needs of our users.

Strategy and Concept

The people I interviewed trusted recommendations from people they knew, or at least knew were real more than a stranger. I needed to find a way to connect family and friends so that we could use them as a resource. Importing their contacts was a good start, but we needed more. In order to access more people we needed additional levels of connections.

User Flow

It was time to start developing the first iteration of the user flow knowing the users’ contacts would play a big part in how we addressed our problem.

Wireframes

After the user flow was determined it was time to move into wireframing. I started to sketch out my ideas to quickly visualize what was in my head. Once the sketches were in a good place they were turned into high fidelity wireframes.

Visual Design

The app should feel calming, grounded and professional and avoid being too whimsical. Trust is the name of the game. It should also be crisp, clean and easy to navigate.

The app went through three iterations based on user testing and peer reviews. I also tested the name to see which one did a better capturing the brand. 

The Final Designs

The final designs improved readability, functionality and consistency, making for a better user experience.

The Pack is what sets this app apart from the rest. Get reviews and feedback from your friends, or your friend’s friends, not a random stranger. 

Prototyping

The following prototype highlights key user flows and would be found directly after the tour. It includes everything from login to booking an overnight stay.

Design System

Now it’s all about consistency. A design system was created so the app could be easily expanded. Colours, typography and reusable components help create the style guide.

Summary

The end result was a product that helps build another level of trust for dog owners, hopefully in a clear and easy to understand way. This project was a good exercise to remember to follow all of the steps and keep referring back to the needs of your user.