Pawsitive Change

This case study documents a three-week project that began as a prompt from my UX design bootcamp but evolved into something more meaningful. The initial prompt was: "Propose a tool—whether through advocacy, knowledge sharing, organization, or otherwise—that helps people become more engaged in supporting their community or the world." Inspired by my passion for animal welfare, I developed an app concept that empowers users to stay informed about local animal rights events and engage in activism.

Case Study Summary

🫡 My Role

UX/UI Designer, UX Researcher

⏰ Timeline

3 weeks
Continuous Iteration

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Team

1 UX/UI Designer/Reseacher

📝 Methods

Primary research, Secondary research, Affinity mapping, Competitive analysis, Problem identification, Solutions design

Table of Contents

1

Research

2

Design

3

Final Design

4

Reflection

01 Research

People who care about animal rights often struggle to find ways to engage due to busy schedules and a lack of centralized information. Users want an app that helps them stay informed about animal rights events, provides educational resources, and makes participation accessible.

Website Plan Overview

To better understand user pain points, I conducted interviews with 10 individuals who had previously participated in animal rights activism. Using affinity mapping, I identified the following key insights:

  • 70% wanted an app that provides information about events they can attend.

  • 60% desired regular updates to keep them informed.

  • Common challenges included busy schedules, a lack of time, and insufficient knowledge on how to get involved.

User Interviews

Two key personas emerged from the interviews:

1. Kristin Walters: A busy nurse and former veterinary technician who is passionate about animal welfare but struggles to stay updated on relevant events. She prefers an app with easy access to event information and educational resources on animal care.

2. Wade Warren: A student with limited time who wants to contribute but is not comfortable with protests. He seeks an app that provides clear event listings, weekend opportunities, and a reward system to encourage engagement.

Personas

By conducting an affinity map, I identified several common trends among users.

  • Busy schedules

  • Involved through volunteering, donations, or promoting causes on social media

  • Main challenge were time constraints

  • Wanted an app that would provide information on relevant events and offer automatic updates to keep them informed

Affinity Mapping

I also conducted a competitive analysis to assess existing solutions. The PETA app offers features like signing petitions, a point system, and donation options. However, it doesn’t focus on event participation. The Animal Liberation Conference app serves event purposes but lacks regular updates.

Competitive Analysis

Problem: Busy individuals need an easy way to find and participate in animal rights events because they don’t know where to start or lack the time to research opportunities.


Solution: To address these needs, I designed the Pawsitive Change app. It helps users find events near their location, sign up for them, and track their involvement. The app also includes educational resources and a "My Events" page, where users can manage their event participation.

Problem/Solution

02 Design

Here, you can see the user flow for Pawsitive Change, designed to enable users to effectively address their needs by signing up for events and seamlessly adding those events to their "My Events" page.

User Flow

Sketches

The initial design concept featured a splash page with a community section similar to social media, allowing users to share updates and interact with others. However, feedback indicated that users wanted more in-person community-building rather than online interactions. Based on this, I shifted the focus to prioritize event participation.

After gathering feedback, I made the following changes:

  • Replaced the community section on the splash page with a hub that links to all features.

  • Added a "My Events" page where users can track their involvement.

  • Revised the event page to include more detailed information.

  • Simplified navigation and button labels for better clarity.

Feedback & Iteration

The updated paper prototype reflected these changes. The event page now includes more comprehensive information, and users can view their saved events in the "My Events" section. The app encourages users to engage in animal rights activities, not just through digital means but by facilitating real-world action.

Paper Prototypes

The final design of the Pawsitive Change app is centered around ease of use and accessibility. Users can quickly find events, sign up, and get reminders. The app provides a streamlined experience for people with busy lives to stay involved in animal rights activism.

03 Final Design

04 Reflection

The next steps I would take is further user testing and refining the prototype by developing additional features within the app’s hub. These may include personalized notifications, deeper educational resources, and enhanced social features that foster community interaction around events.