Maryland Institute College of Art

Trusted Housesitters UX Research Project: How can we improve pet sitter experiences through app design?

Final Research Presentation:

Watch presentation video

Introduction:

Trusted Housesitters (THS) is a platform that facilitates free pet sitting in exchange for free accommodation. Pet owners create 'listings' and add dates and pet sitters apply for the 'sit'.

My Role:

UX researcher - created the research plan, screener survey, conducted interviews, tagging, affinity mapping, analysis, insights, personas, and recommendations

The Problem:

Pet sitters using Trusted Housesitters have had bad sit experiences leading to dissatisfaction and membership cancellations

How might we facilitate better sit experiences for pet sitters through THS app design?

My Insights:

1. Listings need to be detailed and consistent

2. Communication should be clear and centralized

3. Structure can help expectations get met

My Recommendations:

1. Create templates for owners to easily add detailed pet information to their listings

2. Build video calls into the app and display preferences for calling/meeting in person

3. Add interactive pre-sit cleaning checklists for owners into the app

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The Process:

Coming soon...