This project was part of a University Studio Project and Exegesis in 2017. Over 211,655 dogs have been taken in by shelters across Australia in the year 2017. Around 47, 810 dogs were taken in by the RSPCA alone in 2017.
Although dogs are considered to be man’s best friend, they are still discriminated against certain breeds of dogs based on preconceived notions. An overpowering urge to have a dog as a pet without paying heed to any of the consequences that may arise, combined with our lack of understanding is the first step in the vicious cycle that we, as a society have created, in which lies the fate of the dogs that are deemed unfit for a home.
And thus, to reduce the re-relinquishment of dogs to the shelter, Dog ease has been created. It is a mobile application that aims to enhance the experience of taking care of a dog, where the target audience is first time dog owners. As part of the research, the methods such as the literature review, interviews, cognitive mapping, usability testing, case study and prototyping helped in understanding the depth of the field while it also revealed the gaps in the field.
A High-Fidelity prototype has been created to showcase the functions of the application and it's features. It can be found at:
More often than not, dogs end up being presents for people of all ages. It has been an age old tradition to gift your loved ones a pet, and what better way to tell them you love them, than a loyal dog.
However, this is where the problem arises, while it is a perfectly understandable notion to bring a pet into one’s home for various reasons such as a present or to dispel one’s loneliness, people do not understand the consequences of bringing a dog into their homes. They do not understand that without commitment, time and proper knowledge, it is their four-legged friends that suffer the most.
Ultimately, if they are overwhelmed, they tend to relinquish their dog after much deliberation. Once the dog is placed in a shelter, there are high chances of it being re-relinquished and this is what this exegesis and Dog Ease aims to reduce.
The functions of the application include a daily planner, specific training modules and a medical diary to keep track of one’s furry companions.
To ensure that the application is easy to use, the information architecture and a site map was derived, which helped to understand the various touch points which required fine tuning. To that effect, even the phrases, and the language used in the application is quite simple and straightforward, in order to be easily comprehensible by first time dog owners. While the salient features of the User Interface have been discussed here, one cannot forget the User Experience when it comes to designing a mobile application. With that in mind, Dog ease incorporates micro animations and micro interactions, where the former includes in-app gestures, and the latter consists of interactive layers which can be swiped from left to right or vice versa.
Dog Ease also incorporates progressive disclosure so that the instructions or the information provided does not overwhelm the user and thereby reducing information overload. Finally, the application is customisable and also incorporates multiple users so that the data can be shared in real time without hindrances.
The reason a mobile application, aptly titled Dog ease is being designed, is twofold: first being that the instructions for a first time dog owner is more beneficial if it is on a non-paper based material. Although there are other ways of educating the first time dog owners, such as web applications and websites, research has shown that people between the ages of 20-40, spend 70% of their screen viewing time on mobile phones than on the desktop.
The second reason is that the information on the application is easily shareable, it can be used by multiple profiles which can be connected, which is one feature that is lacking in all the applications that have been analysed previously.
Based on intensive research with regard to design trends and keeping in line with the User Interface and User Experience trends of 2018, Dog ease incorporates unique illustrations into its interface, along with simple sans serif font such as Raleway.
Hand drawn vector illustrations have been used for the graphic elements of the application, which have been digitally redrawn as vectors and have been used here. These unique illustrations are keeping in with the User Interface design trends of 2018, and consistency is critical here, with the concept of character design being employed as a narrative. Furthermore, the illustrations feature specific dog breeds that are most likely to be found in dog shelters so that the user can identify with the instructions easily.