CityPups — Design Sprint
CityPups is a fictional startup dedicated to assisting city dwellers in finding their ideal canine companion. Recognizing the unique challenges of urban pet adoption—such as limited space, busy schedules, and city-specific requirements—CityPups is developing a web platform to simplify the process. This case study presents a streamlined version of the Google Ventures Design Sprint, adapted for solo completion. Over five days, I followed the design sprint framework to identify key user pain points, ideate solutions, prototype a matching system, and test its effectiveness. By enhancing the adoption experience, CityPups aims to increase successful matches, leading to happier owners and better forever homes for dogs.
Role
Research synthesis, user experience mapping, UI/UX design, prototyping, design system, art direction, brand design
Tools
Miro, Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator Duration
5 days
Problem
The lifestyle of densely populated cities presents unique challenges in pet adoption, including limited living spaces, busy commuting schedules, and various city-specific criteria. Unlike traditional adoption agencies or shelters, CityPups operates as a facilitator, guiding users to local organizations and shelters. Their primary objective is to boost adoption rates and find better “forever” homes for dogs. With a focus on enhancing user experience, my goal is to help CityPups match individuals with dogs that fit into their lifestyle and cater to their specific needs in the urban environment.
Solution
I created a web application where dog seekers could take a concise questionnaire that would match them with dogs that catered to their personal and city specific needs. Using the structure of a 5 day design sprint based on design thinking methodology, I put myself in the user's shoes to see where improvements could be made, defined key issues users faced, ideated solutions, prototyped ideas for analysis, and tested the validity of prototypes for efficiency.
Day 1 — Map
On Day 1 of the design sprint, I synthesized user interviews through affinity mapping to uncover key pain points in the adoption process. From these insights, I crafted “How Might We” problem statements and mapped out the user experience to identify opportunities for a smoother, more intuitive journey to finding the ideal city-friendly pup.
User Interview Findings
This stage of the process centers on gathering user insights and pinpointing challenges within the adoption journey. Through research and interviews, CityPups identified key obstacles faced by city dwellers when looking for the right dog. Factors such as small living spaces, demanding commute schedules, limited transportation options, and access to dog-friendly outdoor spaces all contribute to the difficulty of finding a suitable canine companion in an urban environment.
Affinity Mapping
I created an affinity map to synthesize research and visualize user needs and pain points derived from interviews and research conducted by CityPups. In addition to basic information they expected on a dog’s bio page, multiple interview participants expressed wanting to know a dog’s energy level and temperament due to their small living spaces and city lifestyle. A common theme that came up repeatedly for dog searchers was the time necessary to inquire about a dog because of missing information and the inability to search for dogs in a commutable distance.
Pain Points
City dwellers face several challenges when adopting a dog, largely due to their unique living environments and lifestyles.
- Small living spaces: Adopters need dogs suited for compact homes, but existing platforms lack guidance on size, energy level, and temperament.
- Dog’s attention needs: Users want more details on temperament and personality to ensure compatibility before adopting.
- Dog’s activity needs: Profiles lack clarity on activity levels, making it difficult for adopters to find a good lifestyle match.
- Good in busy neighborhoods: City life is noisy and crowded; adopters need to know if a dog can handle urban environments.
- Time for inquiry: A complicated or time-consuming inquiry process discourages potential adopters.
- Distance from shelter: A default 25-mile search radius is too broad for city dwellers who need closer adoption options.
How Might We Problem Statements
Having a clear idea of user pain points, I generated “how might we” problem statements that allowed for creative brainstorming and thinking about the problem from multiple perspectives.
- How might we help the user feel confident in their decision?
- How might we save the user time?
- How might we make inquiring easy?
User Experience Map
With user concerns in mind, I created an user experience map of a possible end-to-end experience. The goal is to pair users with their ideal dog and map out the steps the user would need to take to achieve that goal. After mapping out a few potential options, I decided to proceed with a questionnaire solution that pairs users with search results that fit their criteria. I decided this would be the highest impact design decision that would help users the most.
Day 2 — Sketch
Lightning Demo
To get inspired, I conducted a lightning demo where I looked at solutions competitors have produced to solve a problem similar to the one I was trying to solve. I looked at pet-finding websites to gather insight on direct competition and other websites which used questionnaires to guide users to customized results.
Crazy 8s
Reflecting on my map from Day 1, I found the questionnaire stage to be the most critical. The questionnaire segment is crucial for understanding user needs and desires in finding their ideal dog. Taking inspiration from the lightning demos, I brainstormed some questionnaire formats.
Solution Sketch
After completing crazy 8s screen sketches, I drew up a solution sketch of the screens that would come prior and after the questionnaire screens.
Day 3 — Decide
Storyboard
Expanding on my solution sketch, I created a storyboard that allowed me to flush out all the questions I wanted to have in my questionnaire and the format that I wanted the various questions to be in. By sketching out the frames on paper, I was able to manually rearrange the order of the questions and easily take out or add frames. This served as a wireframe for the prototype that I would be building on Day 4.
Day 4 — Prototype
Instead of using Keynote, the suggested software, I chose to build my prototype in Figma, as I was becoming more comfortable with its interface and had prior experience conducting usability tests through its prototyping feature. At this stage, I refined the elements from my initial storyboard, incorporating clearer layouts, intuitive navigation, and user-friendly interactions. I also introduced color and visual design elements, opting for a modern, young, and playful aesthetic that aligned with CityPups' brand identity and mission to make the adoption process engaging and approachable.
Home Page
Questionnaire
Search Results Page
Profile Page
Day 5 — Test
User Testing
After completing the prototype, it was finally time to test and validate my solution. For testing, I recruited 5 individuals who live in cities and have considered adopting a dog. During my test, I wanted to ensure that users were able to:
- Find a dog within their desired proximity
- Feel like they had adequate information about each dog
- Easily inquire about a dog
Testing Results
- Most users found the site to have more functionality and filters compared to other sites they have used.
- Users liked the tags on profile cards indicating special needs or bonded pairs
- Users found the website to be straightforward and easy to navigate
- Some users were confused by the term “pup quiz” as the button to enter the dog matching questionnaire
Conclusion + Takeaways
Challenges
Given the time constraints of this design sprint, I initially felt anxious about how much I could realistically accomplish within a week. The biggest challenge was balancing efficiency with thoughtful design decisions. While I successfully developed a questionnaire to match dog seekers with compatible dogs, I wished I had more time to refine the site into a fully functional experience. Additionally, staying adaptable throughout the process was crucial—although I started with a clear storyboard, I had to make adjustments during prototyping to better address user needs. Despite these limitations, I believe I was able to capture the core essence of my vision and resolve key user frustrations.
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced the importance of embracing the design process with flexibility and an open mind. First, there are no bad ideas—I realized I could have explored a broader range of concepts during the Crazy 8s exercise rather than limiting myself to preconceived notions. Second, I learned not to be afraid of making changes. Although I had a storyboard, deviating from it and iterating on my ideas led to a stronger final solution. Lastly, I was reminded to establish a solid foundation before refining details. I initially focused too much on specifics early on, which resulted in extra revisions later. Moving forward, I plan to prioritize structure first and fine-tune elements once the core framework is in place.
Next Steps
If I had more time, I would develop the prototype into a fully functioning site and evaluate the effectiveness of the questionnaire in matching users with their ideal dogs. Gathering user feedback through testing would help refine the experience and ensure the matching process meets user needs. Additionally, I would implement a chat and scheduling feature, allowing users to easily communicate with shelters and arrange meetups, making the adoption process more seamless and efficient.