Tricky Treats Tail: Pawsitively Sustainable!
In a world where pets are cherished family members, Tricky Treats Tail steps in with a revolutionary idea: eco-friendly snacks made from 100% human-grade meat. This case study delves into our journey of crafting an engaging digital platform for Tricky Treats Tail, where every click tells a tale of health, sustainability, and wagging tails. For me, this project marked one of my first solo ventures. While I thrive in collaborative environments, I embraced the opportunity to lead the charge solo, relishing the chance to shoulder greater responsibility and steer the project towards success.
Understanding the Client's Initiative
Tricky Treats Tail's commitment to pet health and environmental sustainability shaped my design approach. With a circular economy model and additive-free snacks, they stood out as pioneers. During my research, I discovered a significant concern among vegan consumers regarding the products' appearance. Addressing this became a key focus of the project. The clients played a huge role in the understanding the significance of their initiative and how to present it to their target audience from Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania in the best way.
Project Overview
Effectively communicating Tricky Treats Tail's brand values, guiding users to purchase locations, and enhancing brand visibility were my primary objectives. Each step of the process, from comprehensive research to the final design, was geared toward achieving these goals, with special attention to addressing the concerns of vegan consumers.
Approaching the project with a mobile-first strategy - as the clients preferred, I prioritized user experiences on handheld devices, reflecting the client's preference. Additionally, I crafted a desktop version of the homepage to provide a glimpse into the future appearance of the site. Personally invested in the project as both a cat and dog owner and huge animal lover, I went an extra mile by personally curating the content. Understanding the significance of storytelling in brand communication, instead of plain Lorem Ipsum, I decided to highlight the Tricky Treats Tail's journey, values, and product benefits, ensuring a cohesive and engaging user experience from start to finish.
I also redesigned their product packages, addressing issues like obscured product names and nutritional information to enhance visibility and clarity. This redesign emphasizes transparency and quality, aligning with the brand's commitment to excellence. Additionally, I crafted voucher and gift card designs to complement the brand's image, providing customers with appealing options for promotions and gifts.
Key Objectives:
1. Enhance Brand Visibility: Increase awareness of Tricky Treats Tail as a leader in eco-friendly pet snacks through an engaging digital platform.
2. Communicate Brand Values: Effectively communicate the brand's commitment to pet health and environmental sustainability through engaging content and imagery.
3. Guide Users to Purchase Locations:Assist users in finding nearby retailers where Tricky Treats Tail products are available for purchase.
4. Foster User Engagement: Promote interaction and engagement among users through features such as a blog section, event calendar, and user feedback mechanisms.
5. Address Concerns of Vegan Consumers: Proactively address concerns regarding product appearance and suitability for vegan consumers, fostering inclusivity and trust within the user community.
Personalized User Experience: Provide personalized experiences for users through account features such as saving articles and events, enhancing user satisfaction and retention.
Chapter 1: Crafting User Personas
Crafting personas was pivotal in understanding user needs. Meet Emi, an eco-conscious cat owner from Skopje, Macedonia, seeking eco-friendly products for her furry friend. On the other hand, there's Adrian, a vegan nutritionist and dog owner from Tirana, Albania. Adrian desires the best possible diet for his dog, especially considering its multiple allergies, and values products from trusted sources. These personas guided the design process, ensuring alignment with diverse user preferences and needs.
Chapter 2: Thorough Research and Analysis
In addition to crafting user personas, I delved deep into comprehensive research methods to gain valuable insights. This included conducting interviews with users from diverse backgrounds, including vegans, to understand their perspectives and preferences. Empathy mapping allowed me to empathize with their experiences and identify pain points and needs. These insights were meticulously gathered and analyzed in Figjam, enabling a thorough understanding of user behaviors and motivations. Competitive analysis, customer journey maps, user flow diagrams, moodboards, and site maps further informed the design process, ensuring that every aspect of the website was strategically aligned with the needs and preferences of the target audience.
Chapter 3: Design Approach
Inspired by Tricky Treats Tail's playful branding, I curated a vibrant color palette and incorporated engaging and fun imagery of dogs and cats to evoke joy and connection. I made some changes to their existing branding elements, like changing their brand typography from Roboto to Nunito to add a playful touch. To address vegan consumers' concerns, I strategically integrated content highlighting the products' nutritional benefits and pointing out that cats and dogs need protein-based diet. While the appearance or aroma of the product may not appeal to some of us, it's crucial to prioritize our pets' health and happiness above all else, recognizing that these snacks are tailored specifically for their well-being.
Chapter 4: Enriching User Experience
Every aspect of the design aimed to enrich user experience. From the Blog section for informative articles by vets to the Event Calendar highlighting upcoming pet-related events, I prioritized engagement and interaction. The addition of a chat bot named Hachi (after my dog 🙂) and user feedback mechanisms further enhanced user engagement. One of the main concerns of the clients were their inability to offer 24/7 chat support, but still wanting to support their customers' needs. I solved that by integrating the FAQ in the chat bot, so it can be useful and informative to the users, and fun and engaging at the same time. The user feedback survey was a strategic way for gathering insights into the user's overall experience on the website, making it easier for the clients to understand their future needs for improvements.
Chapter 5: Boosting Product Visibility
Another one of the main challenges for the client was their unpreparedness for e-commerce functionality, yet they sought a way to enhance product visibility and attract potential buyers. To address this, I initially focused on creating an informative platform about their brand and products. I designed both cat and dog categories and a single product page detailing the nutritional value, including analysis and user reviews, to provide comprehensive information. Additionally, I implemented a locator page where users could find nearby retailers selling Tricky Treats Tail products, enhancing accessibility and visibility for interested buyers.
Chapter 6: Importance of Storytelling
The newly designed website effectively showcased Tricky Treats Tail's commitment to sustainability and pet health. Through engaging content and playful storytelling, I highlighted how the brand champions the circular economy model, repurposing waste from slaughterhouses into nutritious pet snacks. By weaving this narrative throughout the website, especially on the homepage and about us page, visitors were immersed in Tricky Treats Tail's mission and values. The user-friendly interface and inclusion of personalized features further enhanced the experience, earning praise for its friendliness and intuitiveness.
Chapter 7: Refining the Experience - Testing and Iteration
Throughout the further process, rigorous testing was conducted to ensure an optimal user experience. Methods such as usability testing, 5-second tests, Microsoft Desirability Toolkit assessments, A/B testing for key sections, and the use of heatmaps and focus maps were employed. These tests provided invaluable insights, guiding iterative improvements to the website. The outcome was highly satisfying, with users acknowledging Tricky Treats Tail as eco-friendly, engaging, and entertaining. They described the website as very informative, intuitive, fun and easy to use.
