CocoBot

Smart Products for Dog Parents

Introduction

My goal is to design a habit-forming product that motivates pet parents to walk their dogs daily. I will leverage several models and frameworks, including the Build, Measure, & Learn Model, the Hooked Model by Nir Eyal, and The Right It by Alberto Savoia.

Habit Forming Product for Dog Parents 

I am focusing on creating two types of products in this project

  1. A GUI product in the form of a conversational app: The conversational app will utilize the Hooked Model to create a seamless and engaging user experience that encourages pet parents to form a daily walking habit with their dogs

  2. A non-GUI product in the form of a wearable device: the wearable device will be designed to seamlessly integrate into the pet parent's daily routine and provide constant feedback and encouragement to help establish the habit of daily dog walking.

Maintaining a Daily Dog Walking Routine in a Busy World

After two years of WOH and the pandemic, pet owners have adjusted to the new normal their dogs got sufficient time for their walks. With Pandemic rules relaxing and everyone returning to work, adapting to pre-covid normal has taken a toll on pets and pet owners. My roommate and friends struggle with this; they try to walk their dogs daily and manage their commute, work, and self-care. But sometimes, they find it challenging to take their dog out for a good walk and hire dog walkers.

How can busy pet owners build a daily habit of walking their dogs?

Problem Background

30% - 70% of people walk their dogs regularly

40% of people do not walk their dogs regularly

20 - 30 minutes of vigorous exercise are needed per day.

Research & Strategy

As part of our Competitive Analysis, I examined the top dog-walking and pet-service apps and discovered that most focus on scheduling dog walkers to take dogs for a walk. Additionally, I came across a few gamified apps for dog owners and their furry friends that revolve around active pursuits and charitable walks/runs.

Studies cited in our bibliography underscored the significance of dog owners walking alongside their pets. Furthermore, I conducted user interviews with five dog owners who confirmed the necessity for a habit-forming app to help them commit to walking their dogs daily.

Conversational App Design

CocoBot is your dog's best friend and your accountability partner. The AI Chatbot is designed to motivate you to create a daily habit of walking your dog, and on each completed walk, you'll receive treats that can be redeemed in your next pet product shopping.

You're not failing as a pet owner if you miss a walk — Cocobot ensures your dog is getting the exercise needed regularly.

CocoBot Uniqueness

CocoBot stands out as a unique product as an accountability partner and digital pet for pet owners. Its innovative reward system for daily walks also makes it an effective tool for habit-forming and promoting regular dog exercise.

Accountability Partner

Digital Pet

Rewards

Habit-Forming

Habit forming using Hooked Model

CocoBot utilizes the Hooked model to help users develop a daily walking routine for their furry friends. The app employs a four-step Hooked Model process to facilitate Habit Testing and foster habitual behavior.

  • Trigger phase: the app presents a trigger or cue, reminding dog parents to take their pets for a walk.

  • Action phase: encourages dog owners to complete the task by offering them a straightforward way to track their walks and monitor their progress.

  • Variable rewards phase: personalized milestones and rewards to motivate dog parents and keep them engaged.

  • Investment phase: encouraging users to invest in their progress by offering social accountability and feedback features

Based on Research Insight and the Hooked Model, we created a storyboard with a user story - a person who loves her dog but finds it hard to manage her time.

Design Process

Storyboard

Discovery of the product: Sam downloads Cocobot to help create the daily habits of walking her dog.

Use of the product: Sam is going out for a walk with her dog and cocobot.

Feedback from the product: Sam gets feedback from cocobot about their walks, keeping her motivated.

MOSCOW

The storyboarding and the hooked model helped prioritize the scope, key features, and experiences using the MOSCOW method. Each feature and core experience was categorized into different experiences - basic, performance, & delight.

User Flow

Using the MOSCOW and after many ideation, I designed the user flow to present the right informations and the components.

Conversation Design Framework

I used a conversational design framework to expand on how Cocobot would interact and encourage dog parents to walk their dogs. It took a few iterations, but this gave me a good understanding of how a chatbot or voice bot interacts with users.

Coco’s Style

Lo-Fi Wireframe

Overview of the main  user flow in Cocobot app  using Hook Model.

Digital Prototype

Non-GUI Design

In the second half of the semester, we focused on scaling our GUI product into a Non-GUI Product. We explored different non-GUI categories and determined the best one that works for our product. Using Pretotyping by Alberto Savoia (from his book The Right it), I tested my non-GUI product idea using the Risky Assumption Matrix and created a Pretotype Plan.  

User Testing

Validating Desirability Risks

Pretotype Experiment

To gauge the app's desirability, utilize YouTube and Instagram to observe the number of people who register and show interest by liking the video and posts.

Outcome of Pretotyping

25% of the market wanted to purchase Coco Smart Collar to walk their dogs.

20% of Dog owners were motivated to buy Coco Smart Collar cause of Treats that to them a discount on pet supplies.