Sitmydog
As part of my Digital Design module during my masters degree at Brunel University, London, we were presented with a brief which consisted of designing and prototyping an innovative digital experience mobile application. The idea was to create an online platform of carefully vetted dog sitters and walkers, in Malta. Whilst carrying out secondary research, 54.9% own a pet in Malta, with 39.5% resulting in owning a dog (Source: MaltaToday). The change in people’s lifestyle may be a contributing factor to an increase in apps providing on-demand services. The right opportunity has come along to present an application for users to book dog sitting and dog walking services through a mobile application. It is understood that people want a solution to finding dog sitters, but none are available. The challenges of finding a trustworthy dog sitter and walker is a major pain point. The idea is to introduce an integrated experience, where a dog owner is able to communicate with the dog sitter and book their services directly through the application.
The idea was to create an online platform which connects dog owners to dog people, who will treat their dog as family. It is understood that their dog is family, therefore it is always a sensitive situation when needing to leave their dog with strangers or even worse at kennels. Thereby, the platform looks to establish a relationship between dog owners and dog people. The current situation in Malta with regards to dog sitting and dog walking consists of many pain points. It is difficult to establish the rates, availability and trustworthiness of dog sitters and walkers. Booking a dog sitter in Malta is exhausting, firstly collecting recommendations by word of mouth, then individually calling them until one is available. The aim is to create an integrated mobile application where all the above pain points become a seamless process. The application will look to consist of features such as Instant Messaging, Ease of Use, Convienience and Transperancy, 24/7 Vet Line and Pet Insurance to mention a few.
The brand identity consists of all the visual elements of a brand such as logo, colour and design which ultimately distinguishes one brand from another. The two colour combination was used to create a balance. The pink representing a fun and modern brand, whilst the navy represented the seriousness and robust platform that the brand is built on.
Download Brand Identity
The brand colour system I created for Sitmydog is bold, diverse and fun. The primary colour is Midnight Blue, which also serves as the brand colour. The secondary palette allows Sitmydog to be more flexible and dynamic, featuring functional colours for the app, background colours for company headshots and iconography, and accent colours to be used alongside the brand colour to boost brand awareness and not limit any creativity.
Sitmydog's brand font is Futura Bold. Futura is bold, modern, flexible and easy to read. The versatility of the font is uniquely suited for a wide range of visual communications. It was designed to maximize its impact across all sizes and applications while keeping it modern, timeless, and universal. Complementing this font is Helvetica Neue Regular, used as the body font across the application. This font is clear and easy to read on all screens.
Specification
Prior to designing the application, certain specifications were identified in order to be able to understand if the objectives were reached through user testing, which was carried out at the end of the project. In this stage the Sitemap, Red Routes and early Sketches were developed. For example, a key design specification was to allow users view dog sitters profiles without the need to sign up for an account. The process of creating an account also needed to be quick and simple, this to ensure users remain on the application. When designing the application, it was of utmost importance to include a review-based system. This was the unique feature were dog sitters and walkers are able to build a reputable profile. Users were allowed to filter dog sitters and walkers by reviews, price and availability.
Through every step of my process, I worked to unify Sitmydog's vision and design a robust application that will unlock new opportunities. First low fidelity wireframes were developed, focussing on the function rather than design. A clear visual hierarchy was designed to provide a seamless customer journey which conveys Sitmydog's professionalism, while maintaining visual consistency from every entry point. Once the function of the application was established, key design screens were created. The sketches act as a base for the initial wireframes. The digital format was leveraged for added detail and standardisation. As seen above, the focus was on the function of the page rather than the styling. The general layout was identified, together with the information hierarchy, calls to action and UI elements. Once all the functions are set then I moved onto the final UI design of the application on Adobe XD and Figma.
