About the App
Pets play an essential part in the lives of their owners, however, there is a need to track our furry friends’ whereabouts and well-being. The wearable market for pets is increasing to strengthen the bond between the animal and the owner. It can also improve the pet’s health.
Problem Statement
Keeping a pet requires a big responsibility. It is a commitment to take care of the pet for the rest of its life. Apart from keeping a pet healthy, other factors are to be considered, such as the pet’s safety. According to American Veterinary Medical Association, owning a pet is a privilege and an obligation to take care of it. Pets that spend time outside mainly require owners to implement measures that protect their health, welfare, and security.
Secondary Research
The Global Positioning System offers a more effective alternative without accessibility limits in geographical space. However, the device needs to have a reliable battery life
A study investigating the effectiveness of a similar technology applicable for human activity monitoring noted up to a 25% disparity inaccuracy [1]. Such disparity may give owners a false sense of security, further risking the safety of their pets.
A study by Swagerman et al. investigated what users would want to have in an interface through a series of interviews. The participants accessed several interfaces, and it was discovered that the main requirement for the users was to view the live location of the pet and receive an alert if the pet is not safe anymore.
Method
The quantitative data-analysis method was used to answer the questions on how to help pet owners find their pet if it’s lost and tighten the bond between the owner and the pet
For this study, an online questionnaire was used. Pet owners were required to give information voluntarily. 105 people filled up the questionnaire consisting of 12 questions—the first three questions sort demographic data verifying pet ownership, age, and the number of pets owned. The next set of questions studied reactions to past experiences of losing a pet. In contrast, the last category of questions demanded a more effective pet tracking technology.
Therefore, the proportion of pet owners that gave the same answer was noted, and the information was presented in graphs and charts for ease of interpretation and deduction
Discover
The survey allowed me to collect statistics about the pet owners’ fears and experiences of losing or taking care of a pet. The following data could be obtained:
• Pet demographics: we allowed respondents to name which type of pet they own: cat, dog, or other pets (for example, snakes, tortoise, hedgehog, fish)
• Pet safety: I asked if the users ever lost a pet, if they have ever been afraid that their pet would wander off by itself, or how long it took the owners to find a lost pet
• Pet routine: I wanted to know if the pet ever goes outside in the backyard, goes outside with supervision, or never goes outside. This question was intended to find out how secure the pet owners keep their animals
• Finally, I’ve asked for further detailed comments by asking “What features would interest you most about the monitoring device?”
45.7%
of participants reported owning three or more pets
25.7%
of the owners only had one pet
54.3%
of the studied population had lost their pets
31.6%
of the pets never returning home
29.8%
found their animals after a couple of days
100%
of the studied population expressed their need for an effective tracking device
Prototype
Wireframes
Visual Design
Interface of the pet’s location on map, the pet menu, owner’s profile, and notifications
Interface of the chat, user’s settings, and pet’s stats
