Portfolio Piece
When you just need to pet a cat RIGHT NOW, the Kitty Katcher app will let you find one near you, rate it, see other ratings, and help you decide if you want to go in for a belly rub.
Background
Inspired by a recent trip I had where stray cats were plentiful, and friendly. I was giving advice to friends that were traveling to the same area when I told them to “go pet this kitty for me!”. And they did! The cats were still where I had said they would be. If there was only an app they could open with the exact location pinned…
About the project
The primary goal was to design an intuitive mobile app that would not only allow users to find a cat, but leave and see reviews others have left about that cat. Navigation was a must, as well as multiple views of where nearby cats could be found.
Katy did, in fact, find the kitty by Mr. Pelicano in Samara
Process
Every successful design project is based on a well-structured and iterative process. For this project, I drew inspiration from various types of apps, including food delivery services, streaming media, and social media. These app types formed the foundation of the project’s architecture and design.
Screenshot from a brainstorm session for login screen
Features
Design system and color scheme
As the app grew and new features were added, I wasn’t sure of the color scheme and icons. Taking inspiration from one of my most favorite-designed apps (Transit), I decided that in a future version I would allow users to choose their desired color scheme based on, you guess it, cats. I choose three cats, found colors based on their coats, and made sure those colors were accessible. Sticking to my original design color scheme (Tuxedo) I created the primary, secondary, and tertiary buttons, decided on fonts, and after a LOT of digging, chose icons. I was lucky enough to find an entire icon library that centered around cats, and I was able to find 1:1 replacements for all of the most recognized icons.
Preview of the cat color-centered design system
Cat reviews, and leaving a review
The main feature of Kitty Katcher is its reliance on user-generated content. Ensuring this content is easy to use, find, and digest was of utmost importance. I embraced the "less is more" philosophy, guiding users through the process with sliders and radio buttons to minimize friction. While users can still leave typed reviews, most of the effort involves simply clicking a few buttons to generate their feedback.
Problem statement
Solution:
Friends / Favorites
Peer-to-peer interactions are a centerpiece of modern social media apps. I decided early on that I did not want to allow users to be able to contact each other in any way other than following and seeing what other users are posting around them. This would keep the app from having to be too moderated, saving money and reduing liability. The ability to “Favorite” cats was also important, allowing users to save and find their favorite street cats.
Problem statement
Solution:
Allow users to Follow other users, liking their posts, but not allowing them to directly message each other.
Summary
The Kitty Katcher app was created with ease of use in mind. Through feedback and interviews with social media app users, I found that an app that was too convoluted, offered too many “things”, or that started simple and soon became complex or bloated was a hard pass. I wanted users to be able to pull out the app and find a cat to pet in the least number of touches. I achieved that, as feedback from users from age 11 - 43 were all able to navigate to a cat in just a few clicks, with no prior use of the app. Cats are for everyone, and we should all be able to pet a cat RIGHT NOW if we wanted to.
Client testimonial
Sam, age 11
“I just like cats a lot”
“I wish there were more cats to pet on my walk to school! But if there are, I’ll find them and add them, and then we can all pet cats. I can’t wait to show this to (best friend) Tina!”