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WHOOZA
Simplifying every step of dog ownership.
"Whooza good boy?"
The goal of Whooza was to create a scalable, monetizeable product that consolidates fragmented tools for dog care into one platform. Pet owners are often willing to spend more when they feel empowered to make better choices for their pets. Whooza aligns with a growing market of informed pet parents and offers multiple monetization streams:
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Premium subscription tiers for advanced features (e.g. health tracking, emergency tools)
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Affiliate partnerships with dog brands, trainers, vets, etc.
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Data-driven insights on consumer behavior for future service expansions
PROJECT BRIEF
ROLE
PRODUCT DESIGNER
TEAM
SOLO PROJECT
TIMELINE
MAY 2025 - Ongoing
SKILLS / TOOLS
IDEATION
USER RESEARCH
USER JOURNEY MAPPING
PERSONAS
USER FLOWS
WIREFRAMING
PROTOTYPING
INTERACTION DESIGN
USABILITY TESTING
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FIGMA
PROTO.IO
MAZE
MIRO
OBJECTIVE
Create a user-centered, emotionally intelligent platform that:
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Consolidates essential dog health and care tools
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Provides proactive wellness and preventive care tracking
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Offers instant access to emergency resources
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Builds a connected, knowledgable community of dog owners
TARGET AUDIENCE
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First-time dog owners seeking education and support
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Experienced owners managing multiple pets
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Owners looking for local pet events, services, and community
DESIGN FOCUS
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Empathy-driven UX with emotionally intuitive navigation
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Scalable UI system for future features and wearable integration
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Localization to tailor resources and community tools to user location
PROBLEM
GOAL
Dog owners often juggle multiple apps and tools to track medical records, schedule appointments, seek training resources, and connect with the local pet community. This fragmented experience leads to missed vaccinations, poor tracking of wellness habits, and difficulty accessing reliable resources in emergencies.
Design an intuitive, feature-rich, and emotionally resonant platform that consolidates essential dog ownership needs, from medical care to community connection, in a single place.
USER RESEARCH
I conducted user research to explore how modern dog owners manage their pets’ daily needs, how they react in high-stress situations (like illnesses or emergencies), and where the biggest gaps in their care tools currently exist. I wanted to learn:
What systems they use (if any) to track health, training, or care
What features they wish existed, or what they've tried that failed
Whether they trust community feedback, trainers, or vets most when making care decisions
Where they feel most stressed or uncertain in their pet parenting journey
How they prefer to receive care reminders or educational content
How they prefer to receive care reminders or educational content
MY FINDINGS:
1. They don't have a single, consolidated place to manage all aspects of their dog's care:
I have a reminder app for vet visits, my camera roll for vaccine cards, and then my notes app for things like his weight, his diet, and when I gave him his medicine.
2. Most apps focus on one thing, like training, vet history, or community, rather than the full picture:
One app tracks her meds, another is for training videos, and I'm in a Facebook group for questions. I wish it all lived in one place.
3. Daily wellness logs and preventative care aren't easily trackable without a routine system:
I always mean to keep track of his poop or when I last gave him flea meds, but there's no way to log that unless I write it on paper.
4. Owners want to do what's best, but don't always feel confident in their decision:
Sometimes I just Google stuff and hope it's right. Like, is he supposed to be eating this much? Should I call the vet? I never really know.
5. Emergencies or behavioral issues introduce panic, where clarity and support are most needed:
When my dog ate something weird, I freaked out. I didn't know what was toxic or which vet was even open at that hour, I just panicked.
6. Users want reminders that feel helpful, not disruptive:
I want reminders, but not in a way that overwhelms me. Something subtle like a gentle nudge not spam notifications every 5 minutes.
User interviews revealed that dog owners often feel overwhelmed by the scattered nature of pet care tools and information. While they deeply want to care for their pets responsibly, they lack a centralized, reliable system to manage daily routines, medical records, and wellness tasks. Most existing apps only address one aspect of dog ownership, forcing users to juggle multiple platforms or rely on memory. Owners expressed a desire for clear, trusted guidance, especially during emergencies or when exploring nuanced topics like training or nutrition. Additionally, they preferred gentle, personalized care reminders that integrate seamlessly into their lifestyle.
So I’m left with this question:
How might we create a centralized, emotionally intuitive platform that helps dog owners confidently manage every aspect of their pet’s care—without overwhelming them?
How might we create a centralized, emotionally intuitive platform that helps dog owners confidently manage every aspect of their pet’s care—without overwhelming them?
USER PERSONAS
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SURVEY REPORT
"Would you use an all-in-one app for managing every aspect of your dog's care?"
of respondents said they'd find value in a centralized app that combined health tracking, reminders, education, and community.
90%
85%
75%
70%
95%
KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE RESEARCH
Through interviews with dog owners at various stages of experience, several recurring themes emerged.
Through interviews with dog owners at various stages of experience, several recurring themes emerged.
1. Care is fragmented across too many tools
Most users rely on a patchwork of apps, calendars, saved social media posts, written and mental notes to track health, food, training, and emergencies. This scattered system creates friction and leads to missed or delayed care.
2. Confidence varies, but everyone wants reassurance and community support
Newer pet owners crave clarity and guidance, while experienced owners want validation and oversight. Regardless of experience level, most users aren't sure they're doing "enough", especially with preventative care, training, and socialization.
3. Emergencies highlight a major information gap
In urgent moments, users feel panic, not because they don't care. but because they don't know what to do. Having trusted resources (like vet contacts or toxic food database) instantly accessible is a major need.
4. Daily wellness isn't often tracked, but it should be.
Mood changes, diet reactions, or unusual behavior are often forgotten or dismissed. Users expressed a desire for lightweight tracking tools to log small-but-important shifts over time, as well as symptoms to present to a vet if needed.
5. Multi-dog households amplify the challenge
Owners with more than one dog find it especially hard to keep everything straight. Each dog may have different needs, timelines, behaviors, yet most tools treat pet care as "one-size-fits-all".
6. Users want passive structure, not pressure
Most interviewees want reminders, insights, and organization, but not constant notifications or guilt-including nudges. The ideal solution should be smart, gentle, and user-centered.
7. Owners want to make more informed nutrition decisions
Users are increasingly conscious of what goes in their dog's body, from avoiding harmful ingredients to exploring raw or homemade diets and treats. They want education, customization, community and tools to help them feel confident in the food decisions they're making everyday.