Bark - Building A Community for City Dog Owners
UI/UX Design | Product Design | Mobile
BARK is a platform that leverages technology to enhance the lives of city dog owners. The App connects dog owners and helps them discover new dog-friendly resources across the city. By bringing together a community of dog owners and providing access to information on dog-friendly places and walking routes, BARK strives to create a supportive social network that enhances the overall well-being of dogs and their owners.
Timeline
3 months
(Feb-May 2023)
Type
Solo Project
Solo Project
My Role
User Research,
Product Design,
Prototyping, UI Design
Product Design,
Prototyping, UI Design
Tool
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro
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Project Introduction
Context
The initial inspiration for BARK came from the issues my friend Lauren encountered as a dog owner in NYC. Many city dog owners are encountering similar issues since research shows that there are roughly 600,000 dogs in the city. That amounts to about one pet in every three homes. However, navigating through the city as dog owners is not an easy thing. It’s frustrating sometimes as there are lots of places you can’t bring them. It took time to find local dog-friendly places and nice dog-walking routes. How might we foster a mutually beneficial community that enables NYC dog owners to share dog-friendly resources?
Impact
BARK serves as a creative solution to these initial problems by building a community for city dog owners. The platform allows users to share and discover dog-friendly resources in the city, including places to visit and walking routes. As navigating the city as a dog owner is challenging, BARK strives to make it easier by providing a comprehensive database of dog-friendly resources and custom walking routes based on user preferences. Additionally, BARK offers social media and messaging features to connect city dog owners and foster a supportive community.
The initial inspiration for BARK came from the issues my friend Lauren encountered as a dog owner in NYC. Many city dog owners are encountering similar issues since research shows that there are roughly 600,000 dogs in the city. That amounts to about one pet in every three homes. However, navigating through the city as dog owners is not an easy thing. It’s frustrating sometimes as there are lots of places you can’t bring them. It took time to find local dog-friendly places and nice dog-walking routes. How might we foster a mutually beneficial community that enables NYC dog owners to share dog-friendly resources?
Impact
BARK serves as a creative solution to these initial problems by building a community for city dog owners. The platform allows users to share and discover dog-friendly resources in the city, including places to visit and walking routes. As navigating the city as a dog owner is challenging, BARK strives to make it easier by providing a comprehensive database of dog-friendly resources and custom walking routes based on user preferences. Additionally, BARK offers social media and messaging features to connect city dog owners and foster a supportive community.
Research
Interview and Survey
After conducting interviews and surveys with dog owners, I realized the design opportunity, which is creating a community based app that creates a supportive social network for information exchange. Whether you are a seasoned city pawrent or a New city pawrent, you can contribute your experiences in the community, and also be able to find dog resources that you are looking for from other pawrents.
Define the Problems
Painpoints:
It’s frustrating sometimes as there are lots of places you can’t bring them. It took time to find local dog-friendly spots and nice dog-walking routes.
Problem Statement:
How might we foster a mutually beneficial community that enables NYC dog owners to share dog-friendly resources?
Design Opportinity:
After conducting interviews and surveys, I identified the need for a community that enables NYC dog owners to share dog-friendly resources.
Goal:
The goal is to foster a vibrant and supportive community for dog-owners, where they can discover new places to walk their dogs, exchange tips and advice, and build lasting friendships.
It’s frustrating sometimes as there are lots of places you can’t bring them. It took time to find local dog-friendly spots and nice dog-walking routes.
Problem Statement:
How might we foster a mutually beneficial community that enables NYC dog owners to share dog-friendly resources?
Design Opportinity:
After conducting interviews and surveys, I identified the need for a community that enables NYC dog owners to share dog-friendly resources.
Goal:
The goal is to foster a vibrant and supportive community for dog-owners, where they can discover new places to walk their dogs, exchange tips and advice, and build lasting friendships.
Design
Design
Ideation
Sketches
In my past experiences working as a UX designer and Visual designer, I worked on products and concepts that have already been created. So I want to take this project as an opportunity to create a brand new product from start to finish. I went through many iterations of sketches and wireframes
In my past experiences working as a UX designer and Visual designer, I worked on products and concepts that have already been created. So I want to take this project as an opportunity to create a brand new product from start to finish. I went through many iterations of sketches and wireframes
Structure
BARK provides users access to a database of dog-friendly places and custom walking routes, along with social media and messaging features for community engagement. BARK was designed around these four main users' needs: the need for discovering dog-friendly spots, planning dog-friendly routes, connecting with other city pawrents, and sharing stories and experiences.
Site Map
I divided the pages needed for each features and created a site map. This process helped define the overall structure.
I divided the pages needed for each features and created a site map. This process helped define the overall structure.
Outcome
Key Features
Discovering dog-friendly spots in the city
Easily find highly rated dog-friendly spots to help yourself connect with dog-related resources in the city.
s
Finding dog-friendly routes
Customize your preferences and find the perfect dog-friendly routes to match your needs.
Curating dog walks
BARK utilizes AI to generate custom dog-friendly walking routes based on user input and provides access to a comprehensive database of dog-friendly places on a map. You can share your interests and needs, and Bark will design the perfect dog walk for you and your furry friend.
Sharing and connecting with other dog owners
Share your experiences, read and write reviews, and connect with other city pawrents in your community. Build friendships and get insider tips.
Location sharing and privacy
You can control who has access to your location. For instance, if somebody else is walking the dog. You can check from a distance to know where your furry friend.
Takeaways
Takeaways
Prioritizing Design Needs
One of the most important lessons I have learned from this app design is the art of prioritizing design needs. City dog owners have a multitude of diverse needs, and attempting to address every single pain point would be an insurmountable task. Initially, during the early research phase, I felt overwhelmed as I grappled with the challenge of prioritizing the pain points identified by users.
However, as I delved deeper into different analysis methods for prioritizing pain points, I gained clarity. This enabled me to discern the key pain points that stood out among the rest. Armed with this understanding, I could then embark on brainstorming potential solutions to address these specific problems.
10mins Live Presentation on Bark
One of the most important lessons I have learned from this app design is the art of prioritizing design needs. City dog owners have a multitude of diverse needs, and attempting to address every single pain point would be an insurmountable task. Initially, during the early research phase, I felt overwhelmed as I grappled with the challenge of prioritizing the pain points identified by users.
However, as I delved deeper into different analysis methods for prioritizing pain points, I gained clarity. This enabled me to discern the key pain points that stood out among the rest. Armed with this understanding, I could then embark on brainstorming potential solutions to address these specific problems.
10mins Live Presentation on Bark