Welcome to my case study on PawPal - the go to app that connects dog owners with trusted trainers!
How did the story begin?
With a deep love for dogs, I embarked on the journey of designing a dog-training. My goal was to enhance the experience for dog owners in finding reliable dog trainers based on their dog's breed & behavioural issues.
Brief
In a fast-moving world, dog owners often struggle to find reliable, qualified trainers who can meet their pet’s specific behavioural and training needs. How might we simplify this process and build trust in every connection?
PawPal is a mobile platform designed to connect dog owners with trusted, breed-specific trainers, yet many dog owners still struggle to find trustworthy and breed specified-trainers. The current experience of sourcing qualified trainers is overwhelming, and often lacks the credibility users need to feel confident in their choice.
We set out to design a mobile app that simplifies trainer discovery, reinforces trust through verified profiles and reviews, and streamlines the booking and communication experience for dog owners.
I led the project and worked on all aspects of the UX process- from initial research, competitive analysis, and user interviews to wireframes, prototyping, and usability testing. I also designed the high-fidelity UI and ensured each interaction reflected the unique needs of dog owners seeking guidance for their pet’s behaviour and development.
Market Research
I explored the three apps listed below by downloading them and testing their features firsthand. I also reviewed user testimonials from the app stores and conducted a heuristic analysis to evaluate their usability. Below is a brief overview of my findings:
Persona: Ava & Luna
and husband, Marcus (the "fun" dog dad)
Motivation & Goals
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Help Luna become calm and controlled in public spaces.
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Avoid dangerous or escalated behaviour.
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Regain his peace of mind during walks.
Pain Points
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No filters available for training specialties (e.g. leash pulling, aggression)
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Time-consuming and inconsistent booking process
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Difficulty finding trusted and verified trainers
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Unclear or inconsistent pricing information
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Limited transparency and confidence in trainer selection
User Flow
The user begins by creating an account and completing dog onboarding. From there, they can search for trainers and optionally apply filters based on breed, behavior, or location.
Filtered results display trainer profiles with ratings, verification badges, and pricing. Users can explore detailed profiles, including bios, availability, and reviews.
If they choose to book, they’re prompted to select a time and confirm the session. Login is only required at the point of booking, keeping early exploration frictionless. Once booked, users can message the trainer and view upcoming sessions.
Wireframe
For PawPal, I began by identifying the core features needed for the app, drawing directly from the user stories I had previously developed during our bootcamp home assignment. These stories guided me in prioritizing the functionality that would best support dog owners seeking trusted trainers.
Once the key features were defined, I moved into the wireframing phase. This stage was crucial in visualizing the user experience and layout. It required a bit of experimentation to find the most intuitive arrangement of elements, but the process was incredibly insightful.
I started with low-fidelity sketches and gradually transitioned to digital wireframes, which laid the groundwork for the visual design and overall structure of the app.
Style Guide
In designing the PawPal app, I created this style guide to ensure visual consistency across the app. I chose soft, friendly tones and legible typography to build user trust, reflect warmth, and support accessibility in every interaction.
Prototyping
It was the perfect moment to see my PawPal designs come to life. This phase allowed me to clearly identify which elements were working well and where improvements or redesigns were needed to better support dog owners and their training journey.
