MeowMate
AI-Powered Pet Care Solution for Cat Owners.
ROLE
Product Designer
TEam
Solo Project
DURATION
15 Weeks
Skills
User Research
Design Thinking
Visual Design
Interaction Design
MeowMate is a pet health management app powered by AI. It collects and analyzes daily data from your cat to monitor its health in real-time.
It provides cat owners with intelligent health analysis reports and personalized care recommendations, helping them better understand and care for their pets, ensuring their cats' health and well-being.
Brief
Initial Problem Discovery
What problem am I trying to solve?
How can I help cat owners detect potential health issues in their cats?
Initial Problem Discovery
Why is this problem important?
78.6% of cats with urinary diseases may die from complications if not treated promptly.
Whose problem am I solving?
Understanding Target Audience
Cat health protection not only concerns owners and veterinarians but also directly enhances the cat's quality of life.
In the U.S., approximately 70% of households own at least one pet, with 43% of them being cat owners.
In 2023, U.S. households spent approximately $147 billion on pets, with $38.3 billion of that amount going toward veterinary care and related product sales.
Effective health management tools can reduce veterinary costs and improve pet health.
Why does this matter ?
Research & Explanation
How are people currently solving this problem?
UX Research
The goal of my interview with cat owners is to understand their pain points, needs, and experiences in managing their cats' health and well-being.
To gain a more empathetic perspective, I created an empathy map.
Summarizing Research
What did did I take away from my research?
How might we help cat owners proactively manage their pets' health with early detection and easy monitoring ?
How might we Statement
Problem/Opportunity Spaces
How am I going to address the problem spaces in my designs?
Problem space #1: Many cats dislike wearing collars, making it difficult to monitor their health status.
I want to Use devices cats are already familiar with, like water dispensers and automatic litter boxes, to collect health data seamlessly without disrupting their routine.
This highlights the critical importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment, as many conditions can progress unnoticed, significantly increasing the risk of fatal outcomes.
Veterinary Visits
Routine check-ups are the most common approach for identifying and addressing health issues
social media consultation
This approach leverages the collective knowledge of a wide community, helping people get insights into pet health, behavior, or other issues.
Health Apps and Wearables
Certain pet health apps and wearable trackers are now available, allowing owners to track cat daily life
What are other apps doing to solve this problem
PetPace
The Smart Dog Collar tracks health metrics and provides GPS for early disease detection
T1sPro
The T1sPro Dog Training Collar is a waterproof, remote-controlled collar with customizable modes and a 2600ft range.
iHealth
iHealth Neo Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor, Upper Arm Cuff, Bluetooth Blood Pressure Machine
40%
of cat owners struggle to recognize stress, illness, or discomfort in their cats
28%
of pet owners skip or delay vet check-ups due to time or cost
74%
of cat owners report their biggest worry is missing signs of illness in their cat
53%
of pet owners report feeling anxious about emergency veterinary costs
What's the public sentiment about utilizing AI for tracking feline health?
79%
of people expressed interest in technology solutions that help monitor their pets' health
58%
42% of people are willing to pay for a service if it can effectively monitor their cat's health issues.
Cat owners are most concerned about their cat's health protection and quick response.
Potential for Increased Adoption of AI
Pet owner interest in Health-Monitoring Technology
Willingness to Pay for Effective Monitoring
They’re anxious about high vet costs and check-up challenges
If cat owners have access to an affordable, AI-driven health monitoring app that alerts them to early signs of illness, then they will be more likely to catch health issues early, reducing emergency vet visits and associated costs.
Hypothesis Statement (So what)?
From the feline's perspective
Using familiar devices for health monitoring reduces anxiety and maintains comfort.
Why did I design it this way？
From the user's perspective
Integrating health tracking into existing devices makes it easy for owners to track their cat's health.
From the product perspective
The product can expand to other pet care devices, driving market growth and brand visibility.
Problem space #2 : Cats' high pain tolerance makes it hard for owners to notice illness, often resulting in missed treatment opportunities.
Use AI to detect early signs of illness in cats by analyzing health data, allowing owners to act before problems become serious.
Design Solution
Use AI to analyze the health data
Record daily data of the cat
Provide real-time updates on cats' health data
Problem space #3 : Users often struggle to interpret their cat’s daily behavioral data and understand its significance
Use AI to analyze and interpret cats' behavioral data, providing owners with clear insights on what specific behaviors mean for their cat’s health
Design Solution
Use color coding to distinguish between data within a safe range and data that requires attention
Provide users with insights on their cat's various health metrics
Allow users to set custom alerts based on their cat’s typical behavior patterns
Style Guide
UI Component
What I learned
Make the most of existing resources
By integrating and reusing existing resources, new application scenarios can be discovered.
My passion for UX design
This was my first ever long-term UX design endeavor, and I found so much fulfillment in being able to do my own primary research, as well as conduct secondary research to further develop my application.
© 2024 Yan Zhang. All rights reserved.
Let’s get in touch!
© 2024 Yan Zhang. All rights reserved.
Let’s get in touch!
