The pet owner wants to see the booking system updated with available dates
Real-time updates, photos and videos
Booking system is up to date
Certified and insured pet sitters
USABILITY TESTING
TASK
During usability testing, users were asked to book a pet sitter through the website to evaluate the clarity and efficiency of the booking flow.
Based on their feedback, I made some important changes.
The button didn't read as "next"
People took a while to realise "Tell us what you need" was actually the way to move forward.
Fixed with a clear primary CTA
A new, more prominent primary button removed the guesswork entirely.
Sign in access wasn't clear
Participants couldn't tell if they were already signed up or not.
Users could browse before sign in
Added a sign in page in the end so the users could check available sitters upfront without having to sign in first.
Hero page lacked a clear call to action
The homepage didn't provide a clear path for users to start exploring available sitters.
Introduced a clear CTA in the hero section, making the next step more obvious and improving discoverability.
Making sitter credentials easier to understand
The user didn't understand what was the difference to book a pet sitter that was insured & certified and one that wasn't.
In the main page it was added information about insurance and certified pet sitters.
Registration CTA was confusing
Participants were unsure what "Register with us" would do.
Replaced it with a simpler registration step at the end of the search, allowing users to explore available sitters first and register only when they were ready.
"It really feels like you listened to my feedback. The feature I mentioned during testing was actually addressed.”
USERS FEEDBACK
“I love how the updated flow makes booking a sitter so much easier.
I don't feel lost this time.”
I felt that it was essential to understand exactly what the user's common behaviours were when looking for a pet sitter.
After doing so, I pivoted the focus to defining the necessary functionality. Since the competitors had many features that weren't clear in having this option, I spent time using findings from user research to design what works better for them.
I decided that a website would suit best the users from the research and also they would be able to see pet sitters that were insured and certified, also they wanted to receive constant media updates in a booking system that they can rely on it.
EMPATHIZE
DEFINE
IDEATE
PROTOTYPE
TEST
MY PROCESS
I started by researching and finding out whether
the pet owners were only interested in leaving their pets in places that have insurance and certification/license.
CONTEXT
In England, by law commercial pet care facilities must be licensed by their local council under the Animal Welfare Regulations, many professional pet boarding providers are required to hold an Animal Activity Licence and displaying licence information can help users identify providers who meet local regulatory requirements and build trust during the booking process.
The product is a platform offering pet boarding, dog walking, day care and specialist services such as wedding-day pet sitting including licensed and insured professionals. Every licensed and insured sitter goes through an extensive approval process before going live, with training in pet first aid, diverse animal handling, medications and behavioural management. Full insurance coverage protects against accidents, pet or sitter injuries and property damage, eliminating unexpected costs for everyone involved.
The platform is built for any person who needs professional care for their animals but more specifically, for the owner who won't compromise on accountability. These are people who want verified credentials upfront, not reassurance after the fact.
Problem
Assumption: The users only want to book certified and insured pet sitters.
Pet owners struggled to find reliable local pet care services, often searching across multiple platforms and communication channels before finding a suitable option.
Role: UX Designer Platform: E-commerce Duration: 3 months Tools: Figma, Notion, Google Forms Type of Project: Academic
Designing trust into pet care
Pet Escapes
E-Commerce Website
SOLUTION
The idea of competitors not having this option available such as insured and licensed pet sitters, was the first start point to add to the website. Also the pet owners complained that when they leave their pets, many times they don't receive updates, photos or videos, this was also addressed adding a mandatory option so pet owners feel at easy. An easy booking system was also put in place.
PAIN POINT
No pet sitter updates, photos or videos
Booking system is messy
Difficult finding a reliable business online
These solutions create a safer, simpler and more trustworthy experience for pet owners and their pets.
WIREFRAMES & PROTOTYPING
LOW FIDELITY WIREFRAME
HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
"It’s important to be licensed and insured, I want security for me and my dog."
"I was very happy with their services, I had photos everyday and updates."
"Some websites don’t have the calendar available and this needs improving as it’s important to see first, if they are available."
"I don’t really know what the difference is leaving my pet in a licensed and insured business but I’m curious to know."
41.5% of the users need to book a pet sitter 3x a year
AFFINITY MAPPING
PERSONA
USER JOURNEY MAP
How might we...
RESEARCH
I’ve used 2 research methods, quantitative through survey with 53 people and qualitative method with 4 users interviews. The idea was validated as the majority of users reported that they prefer leaving their pets with certified pet sitters that have a license and insurance.
The majority of the users, 42.5% prefer leaving their pets with certified and insured businesses
28.3% confirmed it's not easy to find a pet sitter, they need to go through different websites/channels to find one
58.5% consider using an online platform when looking for a pet sitter
This fragmented experience made it difficult to compare providers, keep track of conversations and confidently identify businesses that were insured, licensed or certified. As a result, users felt frustrated and uncertain when trying to arrange trusted care for their pets while away.
This project sits between two markets, pet care services and on-demand booking apps, addressing a gap that had long been overlooked: an easy way for pet owners to find insured, certified pet care quickly in their local area.
In this research, the aim was to find out how important it is for pet owners to know whether the pet business has a license and insurance or not and to find out how they think and what they do when searching for a pet sitter.
DESIGN OUTCOME
Here is what I discovered in the surveys:
What users said in the interviews:
KEY INSIGHT
A gap between preference and knowledge and no competitor fills it
Users strongly prefer certified, insured sitters
OPPORTUNITY
The majority of respondents said they would only trust a pet sitter who holds a formal license and insurance; trust signals matter more than price or convenience.
Despite the clear preference for certified sitters, most users couldn't explain what certification actually means or why it matters. No competitor currently surfaces this information, leaving a clear space to educate and differentiate.
Receive updated photos or videos from their pets regularly
Find pet sitters quickly that are certified and insured
Having a simple and efficient booking
USER GOALS
Increase awareness about pet sitters license & insurance for pet owners
Help the pet owners to feel more safe when leaving their pet for the first time
Make sure the pet owners have access to a better booking system when browsing pet sitters online
Motivate pet sitters make pet owners more happy when leaving their pets
SITE MAP
Make easy for users to find reliable, certified & insured pet sitters online
Guarantee that the users will receive updates regularly from pet sitters
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
This opened more opportunities for businesses that follow standard checks, regulations and follow the UK rules to guarantee that pets are taken care of with more security. I saw an opportunity to improve this type of service for the local people.
Create a centralised platform for licensed and insured pet sitters in one trusted place.
Introduce features focused on reassurance, such as photo updates, messaging, and real-time notifications.
Improve transparency by showcasing certifications, insurance, reviews, and sitter environments clearly.
Competitors don't have any information about certified or insured pet sitters in their website.
lessons learned
In the research, it was interesting to find out that many pet owners prefer insured and certified option but they don’t really know what are the benefits
Users valued trust and communication more than price when booking a pet sitter.
Some participants were unaware of the benefits of licensed and insured pet sitters.
Booking experiences often felt fragmented due to unclear availability, outdated websites, and multiple communication channels.
I had to change the design pallet as it wasn't fully accessible.
The survey could have different questions to tackle more important information
Task prompt was too specific, some scenarios nudged people toward the answer instead of letting them find it.