Rescuing The Rescue’s Website

First Things First!

Let’s See What The Problem Is:

When looking at the original website there’s too much information on the homepage. The global navigation is using gradients which is hard to read. There's no button to take you to the store or to view their mission statement. Your attention is drawn all over the page. No visual hierarchy established. The desktop site does not carry over to a mobile. The desktop page was laid out using separate image boxes for all CTA’s so it was very difficult to view this on mobile. The original site did not have a header or footer, we wanted to make sure that both the mobile and desktop would have this.

The available dogs page does not have a filter to search for the type of German Shepherd you’re looking for. You have your male dogs first, then have to scroll down to view the females. If you’re interested in filling out the application after viewing the female dogs you have to scroll all the way up to the application button, which is a red button with black text. 

Research:

We began by sending out a survey to those who have adopted dogs specifically from shelters or rescues. Interviewees came from survey answers. My team also conducted comparative and competitive analysis’s.

Key Takeaways:

• Website needs organizing

• Needs a way to filter available dogs

• Merchandise page is hard to find

• Add a donation button

Wireframes:

Wireframe Usability Testing

Two rounds of testing were performed
Round one: Three users were tested
Round two: Three new users and two from round one testing
We used a script to complete certain tasks and performed the testing over Zoom.
• Search Available Dogs • Submit an Application for Charlie • Purchase a mug • Locate the Mission Statement

Round One Takeaways:

What Worked: 

• Users liked the layout

• Easy to understand the menu

What Didn’t: 

• Available Dogs page should be accessible by one click

• Users wouldn’t have known about Merch if not asked to find it

• Applications category could be eliminated

So we took these findings and decided we needed to redo the sitemaps. After going back and forth a couple of times we decided a closed card sorting might help us. We invited three of our interviewers to take this so we could see where they thought everything should be.

Round Two Takeaways:

What Worked:

• Users found Merch with fewer clicks

• Positive feedback to Available Dogs prioritization

What Didn’t Work:

• Make sure language is consistent across site

• Add home button

The new site now features a Hero image for Adopt and Merch. The drop down menu is easier to read and has categories that are easier to follow. We also used the colors of the logo and incorporated some complimentary colors. We wanted to make sure this site was user friendly and that the users would come back.

The adoption page now has big pictures of the dogs. You see all the available dogs first, then have the option to search for a specific gender, age and what they are good with. On the available dog details page each page now features an adopt button, this button will take you right to the adoption form.