Matchmaking platform for dog owners

Project overview

  • Duration

    7 month, 2200 hours

  • Methodology

    Waterfall

  • Technologies

    • Backend: Java 8, Spring Boot, jOOQ, Lombok, Thumbnailator, Apache Commons, PostgresSQL, AWS
    • Web: Angular 6, TypeScript, RxJS, Angular CLI, Amazon (S3, CloudFront)
    • iOS: Swift 4.1, Swagger Codegen, Auto Layout, Storyboard, RxSwift
    • Android: Firebase Messaging, Retrofit, Kotlin, Android Support Library

  • Project Team

    • 1 backend developer
    • 2 frontend developers
    • 2 iOS developers
    • 1 business analyst / project manager
    • 2 designers
    • 1 QA engineer

Objective

Develop a tool which allows dog owners and dog caretakers to connect, communicate and exchange services with each other.

We had the following business tasks:

  • Provide dog owners and dog hosts with ability to find best matches according to requested profile parameters and location
  • Provide dog owners with a possibility to request from a dog care providers services for their pets
  • Provide dog hosts with possibility to request a job

Technical tasks

  • Develop a system, supporting 2 key roles for mobile users and 1 admin role to moderate the content in the system
  • Implement functionality for smart filtering
  • Implement positioning functionality by GPS and device Geo IP
  • Implement messaging feature

Design Process

  • Discovery & Research

    Conduct qualitative user interviews and field studies to gather user data and analyse competitors

  • Synthesis Research

    Use affinity map to find actionable insights and build personas

  • Design Strategy

    Define the problem, user goals and needs, user flows

  • Prototyping

    Wireframe Prototypes

  • Usability Testing

    User Testing

Solution

We’ve started with project description, and on this stage we defined that main thing for a released project will be to get lots of clients at the beginning and retain them by not making the app difficult in use. So we were focused on finding the best matches for users without requiring too much information from them. We’ve implemented the pattern when all users can see the matches at least on their country level or use filters and specify all the details. The users can find each other, add other users or their pets to “Favorites”, communicate one with another via messaging. For better user experience, the mobile apps allow users to rate and review the users they have worked with. Our team has also developed a web application to provide the client with access to view mobile users and maintain the system.

GDPR

We’ve been in the process of the development when GPDR was applied. As the app used to be released on the territory of European Union, we have had to make several changes in the apps to satisfy the law’s requirements.

Smart filters & positioning

As the app had no client base from the start, we needed to balance between applying filters to find relevant users/pets and limiting filters so users do not see empty screens if the app is not used in the searcher’s country widely. That’s why we’ve implemented Geo IP positioning to cut off irrelevant user profiles in the beginning and allowed users to manage filters’ parameters on any level they want.

The app involves the following features

  • Authorization

    Visualized step-by-step process of creating profiles for dog owners, dog hosts and admin

  • Profiles

    Filling out profile details depending on a user role. Setting up sub-profiles of dogs for dog owners

  • Search & filter

    Filtering other users depending on when and for whom the help is needed, adding profiles to bookmarks for easy access

  • Rate & Review

    Users who have already got an experience of work with other users can rate and review them. This way other users can decide based on this feedback to whom they would like to give an order

  • Messaging

    Messaging feature allows users to request or offer their services in the simplest way

Results of the work done

Multi-functional mobile applications for Android/iOS which users can apply in cases:

  • Dog owners — search and request help with pets
  • Dog hosts — suggest their assistance

For a further stage, some major updates are planned: adding of an Orders feature so the users could monitor statuses of their orders in real-time; adding of a Payment system for the users to support the service.

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