Whiskerwise

Empowering pet owners to prepare for unexpected vet costs

Project basics

Independent project

End-to-end

Tools

Figma, Figjam

Whiskerwise

Empowering pet owners to prepare for unexpected vet costs

Project basics

Independent project

End-to-end

Tools

Figma, Figjam

At a glance

The problem

Many new pet owners struggle with the unexpected financial burden of veterinary care. Those aware of pet insurance often receive conflicting advice about its value, and may not realize how much it depends on their and their pet's unique circumstances.

The solution

I designed an app that helps dog and cat owners decide if pet insurance is a good fit for them. It also provides insight into their pet's potential health risks and estimates treatment costs in their area.

At a glance

The problem

The solution

Phase 1

Discovering the problem

Phase 1

Discovering the problem

When I adopted my cat, it took some time for us both to adjust and fall into a happy routine. I decided to find out if other people experienced hurdles during this transition period, and see if I could design a tool to help them.

My goals were:

1) Develop a deep understanding of the needs of new pet owners and identify a common problem area.

2) Design a digital product offering a novel solution to the problem.

Getting to know pet owners

I started by interviewing first-time dog and cat owners to understand the challenges they face in the first year with their new pet. I wanted to know:

What challenges do first-time pet owners face?
What emotions do they feel?
What is unexpected about the experience?
What concrete actions do they take to care for their pet?
Where do they turn for support, and how do they feel about the resources they utilize?
Looking back, what do they wish they had known in advance?

I spoke with 5 people who had gotten their first dog or cat in the past 3 years.

An affinity map helped me pick out patterns in the interview data.

I identified two key challenges faced by new pet owners.

Problem 1: Unexpected burden of veterinary care

4/5 participants experienced a veterinary issue during the first 3 years with their pet. 3/5 had found vet care to be very expensive, and 2/5 wished they’d known more about pet insurance when they got their pet.

Problem 2: Adapting to lifestyle changes with pets

4/5 participants said getting a pet meant less freedom/spontaneity in their life. 3/5 found it challenging to manage pet care alongside a work schedule, and 3/5 talked about having to adjust daily routines around pets’ needs.

My next step would be to move forward with the issue that more significantly impacts pet owners. I noticed that while it wasn’t easy for my interviewees to adapt their lifestyles to pet ownership, the change was expected. On the other hand, the burden of vet care came as more of a shock.

Bolstering user feedback with additional research

To back up my topic choice, I sought more data about how vet costs impact pet owners. I learned that:

1) Veterinary costs in the US increased by nearly 11% from 2022 to 2023. Culturally, we're seeing pets more and more as family, leading owners to invest in more vet care.

2) These rising costs are having a significant financial impact on pet owners, with one study finding that “a vet bill of $999 or less would cause 42% of pet owners to go into debt.”

No wonder the first-time pet owners I spoke with were caught off guard by vet care costs. My research confirmed that this is a real issue that could benefit from novel solutions. Next, I needed to get specific in my focus.

Quote from user interviews

"The amount of money we've spent on vet bills has been jarring. It was very much unexpected how much the vet costs."

Quote from user interviews

"The amount of money we've spent on vet bills has been jarring. It was very much unexpected how much the vet costs."

Phase 2

Defining the problem

Phase 2

Defining the problem

I entered the next stage of this project with two guiding questions:

How might we help new pet owners…

1) feel empowered to handle unexpected future veterinary bills, so they can avoid future financial hardship and stress?

2) learn about pet insurance options, given that they will have fewer choices once health issues arise later on?

Understanding the existing market

I researched products that address paying for vet care, and identified limitations in the market. None of the competitors provided a comprehensive analysis of the factors affecting vet care costs or explained these to users. Additionally, none were designed to support users for whom pet insurance isn’t a good fit.

Competitor research was essential to design a unique, informed solution.

Creating personas

I developed two user personas representing a wide range of user needs. By considering the needs of both personas, I would make sure my product served users in a variety of circumstances.

“Nina” would be likely to save money with pet insurance for her dog, Pixel.

“Alex” might save money by choosing not to insure their cat, Pumpkin.

Considering business goals

Up to this point, I had taken a user-focused perspective. I needed to think about business needs as well.

A venn diagram helped me consider where the needs of the business and the user might align or diverge.

Phase 3

Developing the solution

Phase 3

Developing the solution

In my competitor analysis, I had found a lack of products offering thoughtful, personalized recommendations to help users prepare for potential future vet costs. So I decided to design a product filling this niche.

Building a feature set

I brainstormed a list of possible features for this product. Then, I prioritized them on two axes: necessity and effort to implement.

Using this matrix, I narrowed down the potential features to a set that I planned to pursue in an MVP design:

1) A “care planner” tool that gathers information about the user and their pet, then recommends either pet insurance or a savings plan and offers a detailed, personalized analysis and explanation.

2) A database of pet health concerns and their average treatment costs in the user’s area, plus estimates of the user’s pet’s health risks.

3) A home dashboard and user profile to help the user easily navigate and manage their account.

Quote from user interviews

"I wish I'd known more about pet insurance...it's kind of controversial, so having more information would have been helpful."

Quote from user interviews

"I wish I'd known more about pet insurance...it's kind of controversial, so having more information would have been helpful."

Exploring user interactions

Plotting out user flows helped me take the perspective of a potential user and clarify what screens and interactions I would need to design.

Next, I created a site map to establish a content hierarchy. I also explored how the app's behavior would change depending on whether they'd completed the initial questionnaire.

From concept to form

After sketching on paper to quickly experiment with and iterate on potential design solutions, I reworked the strongest ideas into an initial set of mid-fidelity wireframes based in best-practice design patterns.

At this stage, I transitioned into brand design, choosing a brand name, logo, color scheme, typography, and iconography to establish a cohesive visual identity grounded in a set of brand values. I then applied this brand design to develop a set of UI components.

A selection of UI elements used in the design.

Whiskerwise brand values

Empathetic. Approachable. Informed. Trustworthy. Interested.

Whiskerwise brand values

Empathetic. Approachable. Informed. Trustworthy. Interested.

Creating a polished prototype

My next step was uniting the component library into a satisfying, effortless, high-fidelity user experience. I then brought the wireframes to life with an interactive prototype.

Key design decisions

Phase 4

Validating the solution

Phase 4

Validating the solution

Usability testing would help me determine if Whiskerwise met its goals of being useful, saving users money, and empowering them to manage unexpected vet bills. I also aimed to understand how Whiskerwise compared to users' expectations and their emotional experience with the app."

I planned to test the following flows:

1) Questionnaire and recommendation: User provides information about themself and their pet and then navigates through their recommendation.

2) Main app interface: User shows how they would learn about a condition their pet may be at risk for, update their pet’s age, and search for information about eye conditions.

I held moderated, online usability tests with 5 people who owned dogs and/or cats.

Iterating based on usability testing

I evaluated the results using success metrics such as flow completion, comprehension, satisfaction, and product utility. I uncovered several issues, which I prioritized before designing solutions.

"How do I continue the recommendation?"

Before

After

4/5 users got stuck on the first recommendation screen, not realizing they needed to scroll down. To improve navigation consistency with the rest of the app, this screen has been split into two.

"How do I continue the recommendation?"

Before

After

4/5 users got stuck on the first recommendation screen, not realizing they needed to scroll down. To improve navigation consistency with the rest of the app, this screen has been split into two.

"How do I add a pre-existing condition?"

Before

After

3/5 users found the process of adding a pet’s pre-existing condition unintuitive. The design has been updated to a search overlay including a list of suggested options.

"How do I add a pre-existing condition?"

Before

After

3/5 users found the process of adding a pet’s pre-existing condition unintuitive. The design has been updated to a search overlay including a list of suggested options.

"What does this question mean?"

Before

After

3/5 users were unsure how to answer the financial preference questions in the questionnaire. I've rewritten the questions to be more specific.

"What does this question mean?"

Before

After

3/5 users were unsure how to answer the financial preference questions in the questionnaire. I've rewritten the questions to be more specific.

"Why is the back button down here?"

Before

After

2/5 users found the placement of the back button in the recommendation flow unexpected. Now, it’s at the top left, matching the questionnaire.

"Why is the back button down here?"

Before

After

2/5 users found the placement of the back button in the recommendation flow unexpected. Now, it’s at the top left, matching the questionnaire.

"What does pet insurance cover?"

Users interpreted the recommendation differently depending on how much they knew about pet insurance. I added content about how pet insurance works and swapped the word “premium” for the more accessible “rate.”

"What does pet insurance cover?"

Health risks—oh no!

Before

After

The app’s health risks feature brought up anxiety for 2/5 users. The copy has been reworked to emphasize prevention and education rather than risk.

Health risks—oh no!

Before

After

The app’s health risks feature brought up anxiety for 2/5 users. The copy has been reworked to emphasize prevention and education rather than risk.

Final prototype

This prototype incorporates the changes made based on my usability test findings.

Questionnaire flow

Recommendation flow

Main app interface

Potential next steps

If I were to continue pursuing this project, I would:

1) Test prototypes based on other personas such as “Nina,” the dog owner who would be recommended pet insurance. This would help ensure that the tool works for everyone in the intended user base.

2) Improve long-term usefulness. 2/5 people in my usability tests struggled to picture returning to the app over a long period of time—a possible business issue. I would approach this as its own design challenge, confirming the existence of the problem, then exploring potential solutions before selecting one to pursue.

Takeaways

What I learned

Takeaways

What I learned

1) Consistency is key: Usability testing revealed navigation inconsistencies that tripped up users. I realized that even across different flows, navigation patterns must be consistent for a smooth user experience.

2) Don't assume baseline knowledge: Not everyone in my usability tests had prior knowledge of how pet insurance works. My initial design was influenced by my own bias as someone who already has pet insurance, when I should have considered other perspectives.

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