Project Overview
The Project
Furever Pets is a conceptual animal shelter website created as a design exercise to explore how digital experiences can connect rescue animals with potential adopters. This project allowed me to practice user-centered design principles in a meaningful context.
The goal was to create a warm, inviting digital experience that would increase adoptions, volunteer signups, and donations while making it easy for potential pet parents to find their perfect companion.
My Role: UX designer
How might we create a digital experience that not only showcases adoptable pets effectively but also builds an emotional connection with visitors and encourages meaningful action?
The Challenge
The Goal
Create a pet adoption website to increase successful, permanent adoptions by streamlining the user experience for prospective owners while maximizing visibility for sheltered animals
Impact Goal
Increase pet adobtion rates by 75%
Target Audience
Families that want to adopt a pet
Timeline
6 weeks from researcher to final prototype
Research & Discovery
85% of users wanted to see detailed information on personality (e.g., high-energy, couch potato), history with children/other pets, and known behavioral issues.
Potential owners wanted complete, upfront information regarding vaccinations, spay/neuter status, and any ongoing health needs or costs.
Users wanted high-quality visuals that show the pet in a home-like setting, not just in a cage.
Users wanted a clear breakdown of what the adoption fee includes (e.g., vaccines, microchip, spay/neuter).
I conducted user interviews with 12 potential people that are looking to adopt a pet
Key Findings
Personas
Based on research, I created two primary personas representing our target users.
Susie
29 years old, Florist, Looking for a small dog companion
Goals
Ability to search by breed, age, size, energy level, and compatibility with other pets (cats, dogs, kids).
Transparency on fees
Easy application process
Pain Points
Lengthy adoption process
Lack of communication
Worried about dog temeperment
“I would like to find a companion that I can take with me everywhere, including my shop.”
Lucy
57 years old, Stay-at-home mom, Looking for german shepard for her kids
Goals
Information on how the pet has reacted to, or been trained in, a foster home environment.
Complete, upfront information regarding vaccinations, spay/neuter status, and any ongoing health needs or costs.
Easy application process
Pain Points
Location of shelter
If the dog fits with the family
Worried about dog temeperment
“I need find a dog that is good my kids but is also a protector of the family. I want them to have a personality”
Design Process
I followed a user-centered design approach with continuous iteration.
Sketched wireframe concepts focusing on minimal-click booking flows, along with creating site map.
Ideation
Wireframing
Created low-fidelity wireframes for mobile-first experience
Prototype
Built high-fidelity interactive prototype in Adobe XD
Testing
Designed an intuitive navigation system with clear categories for Dogs, Cats, About, Volunteer, and Donate
Created individual pet profiles with engaging photos, personality descriptions, and adoption feesComplex pricing with deposits buried
Implemented a warm color palette centered around a friendly coral red (#ff6565) to convey care and compassion
Added a 'Meet the Staff' section to humanize the organization and build trust
Featured a hero pet on the homepage to create an immediate emotional connection
Included prominent calls-to-action for volunteering and donating throughout the experience
I designed a comprehensive website that puts the animals first while making it easy for visitors to take action. The design balances emotional storytelling with practical functionality.
Design Solutions
Conducted usability tests with 8 participants
Results and Impact
This conceptual project demonstrates how thoughtful design decisions can create measurable impact. Here are the projected outcomes based on industry benchmarks and UX best practices.
Increase in Adoption Inquiries
More Volunteer Signups
Positive User Feedback
Increase in Donations
Key Takeaways
2.4x
98%
45%
89%
Creating an emotional connection through imagery and storytelling is crucial for driving adoption decisions in animal welfare contexts.
Clear navigation and focused calls-to-action help users accomplish their goals without feeling overwhelmed.
Featuring staff members and their stories can significantly increase user confidence in nonprofit organizations.
Researching similar websites showed over 60% of users access animal shelter sites on mobile devices, validating the responsive design strategy.
Want to discuss this project?
I'd love to share more details about the research process, design decisions, or technical implementation.