Happy Pets Make Happy Owners – The Pet Compass

A furry friend can be a joyful addition to your life and a loyal companion. But what if it is not at all what we were expecting?
Animals deserve love, respect and care.
THE PROBLEM
LOVING PETS FOR LIFE



After a brief companionship, once much loved pets are being neglected and dropped off at shelters. Animals are suffering great trauma and stress, owners are left with disappointment and frustration, and animal shelters are exceeding their capacities.

Fall in love with your pet and stay in love for life.


THE PROCESS
HOW CAN WE HELP PET OWNERS



We created a survey asking pet owners about their experiences during the adoption process. We also interviewed pet owners and soon-to-be pet owners, as well as a vet and employees at an animal shelter. This helped us a lot to understand our users and create experience mappings. Playing out all possible scenarios and outcomes during the adoption process we manage to pinpoint the pain points when adopting a pet.

The main cause comes down to insufficient preparation and consideration pre-adoption. Initially, owners are excited about having their new pet around, though soon they start getting more and more overwhelmed by the various tasks, responsibilities, costs, and restrictions that also come with the joy of having a furry friend. Future pet owners need guidance: We need to help those who are considering to get a pet to find the right fit for them and guide them through the entire adoption process.
Introducing the pet compass, the guide to responsible pet ownership.
THE RESULTS
MEET YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND



We decided to work on the following concept consisting of two parts: A website and a folder with booklets. The journey begins on the website where users get to complete a quick questionnaire on their pet of choice. Afterwards, they receive feedback on their answers including tips on how to optimize their current lifestyle and situation to better fulfil the needs of a pet. The printed booklets are available for order online or to pick up at the animal shelter. There are three different folders for the most popular pets – dogs, cats, and rodents. The dog folder includes a preparation book for the pre-adoption period, a checklist with tasks that need to be taken care of before the adoption, and a book informing the new owner of the legalities of owning a pet. The folder can later be used to store away all pet-related documents. This way the new owners are guided through the entire adoption process, from the decision to get a pet up to the move-in of their new friend.











CONTEXT
BA Communication Design
Hochschule für Gestaltung
Schwäbisch Gmünd

supervised by
Prof. Michael Götte
Prof. Daniel Utz
TEAM
Seda Hancer
Pauline Jahl
Jessica Ledl