Therapuppy App + Site
A first-of-its-kind mobile app and responsive website connect people with therapy dogs anytime, anywhere while offering education, booking options, and a supportive community.
Project type
Product
Deliverables
Vision & Strategy, Research, UX, UI, Product Design, Illustration
Tool
Figma
The problem
How do we make therapy dogs and the benefits they offer more accessible?
Research highlights the profound impact of the human-dog bond on mental and physical health, but many people cannot own or regularly interact with a dog because of their circumstances. A sensible solution is connecting these people with therapy dogs during times of mental and physical distress. However, the channels for connecting with therapy dogs are often stressful or even impossible to navigate, at best offsetting some of the health benefits of these connections and at worst putting them completely out of reach.
The heartwarming vision
Design a dedicated mobile app and responsive website that educates users on dog-assisted therapy, facilitates in-person and virtual visits, and builds a supportive community of volunteers and resources.
Discover and define
I had heartfelt conversations with potential users and created empathy maps to truly understand their needs, challenges, and dreams of connecting with therapy dogs:
4 out of 5 participants struggled to find comprehensive information on dog-assisted therapy and desired a centralized platform.
4 out of 5 participants could not own a dog because of uncontrollable circumstances (e.g., living situation).
5 out of 5 participants wanted therapy dog visits beyond the traditional hospital setting.
3 out of 5 participants expressed interest in virtual therapy dog sessions.
Caretakers and family members of hospital patients emerged as a primary user group, recognizing the benefits of therapy dogs but lacking access or awareness of how to find them. Research insights underscored the need for a user-friendly platform that educates, connects, and facilitates therapy dog experiences.
To better understand the audience, I developed user personas. Henry is a caregiver and teacher who needs an easy way to access therapy dogs in their community.
Ideate
Using the Crazy Eights ideation technique, I “unleashed” my creativity to explore ways I could make therapy dogs more accessible, ensuring every wag and cuddle reaches those who need it most. I focused on enhancing engagement with the dog-therapy community and showcasing its benefits prominently.
Key takeaways from ideation:
Elevate booking options for therapy dog visits.
Provide clear pathways to learning more about dog-assisted therapy.
Ensure an intuitive, engaging user experience.
Prototype and test
Before jumping into Figma, I started with paper sketches, iterating through multiple versions to refine accessibility, flexibility, and available resources. As I moved into digital wireframes, I infused warmth and personality into every element, creating a friendly, inviting experience that every user—whether tech-savvy or not—could easily navigate.
Key priorities in the designs included:
A prominent booking feature that made scheduling a visit seamless and intuitive.
Clear call-to-action buttons and navigation that guided users effortlessly through the process.
Quick modification options to allow users to adjust visit details easily before finalizing bookings.
I conducted two rounds of moderated usability tests and synthesized findings using an affinity map:
Round 1 Feedback: Users were confused about visit duration and booking progress.
Design solution: Added a progress indicator and time range to clarify the process.Round 2 Feedback: Button language needed improvement to prevent confusion.
Design solution: Changed “Book [name]” to “Choose [name]” to indicate a review step before finalizing the booking.
Bringing the brand to life
To infuse personality into the experience and draw visitors in, I illustrated each therapy dog by hand, adding unique details to reflect their traits and charms.
While a fully developed version of Therapuppy would likely include real photos of each therapy dog, hand-drawn illustrations added a warm, playful touch to the presentation, reinforcing the experience’s friendly and inviting nature. These digital illustrations helped to establish an emotional connection between users and the therapy dogs they could book.
Final product
The high-fidelity prototype refined user flows, ensuring a seamless experience for booking therapy dog visits while maintaining clear, user-friendly navigation.
I designed a responsive website alongside the app to provide a seamless experience across devices. The website’s homepage emphasizes the benefits of therapy dogs, streamlines the booking process, and highlights community resources.
Accessibility considerations
High-contrast color palette (WCAG AAA compliant) for vision-impaired users.
Speech recognition functionality for hands-free interaction.
Progress indicators to help users track their booking steps.
Takeaways and next steps
Therapuppy is more than just an app—it’s a heartfelt mission to spread joy, comfort, and companionship to those who need it most, and this is only the beginning of our journey.
The design process helped uncover solutions that are both impactful and feasible. Next steps include further research and expanding educational resources. Through additional research on the app’s success in facilitating in-person versus virtual therapy sessions, I can ensure equitable and accessible services for all users. And adding educational resources will enhance user engagement and awareness of therapy dog benefits.
Bringing this idea to life has the potential to create meaningful connections, offering comfort, joy, and companionship to those who need it most while making the healing power of therapy dogs more accessible to all.