Pet Adoption Management
Rislly
COMPANY
Rislly Sp.z o.o
ROLE
Product Designer
Industry
SaaS
YEAR
2023
Project Description
Rislly streamlines pet adoption by prioritizing security, authenticity, and ease of use, eliminating the risks associated with unreliable, unstructured platforms. The service verifies breeders and pet care providers, ensuring all animals come from trusted sources.
Beyond adoption, Rislly creates a supportive community where pet enthusiasts can connect, share experiences, and access services and products that promote healthier, happier lives for both pets and their owners all within a single trusted ecosystem.
Problem
Rislly solves the problem of unsafe, unstructured, and unreliable pet services. Existing platforms in Poznan, Poland make it difficult to access these services, leading to security risks and poor pet care services.
Objectives
Research and understand the challenges in the pet adoption ecosystem, then design a comprehensive solution that streamlines the adoption process for shelter houses, breeders, and potential pet adopters.
Role
I led the Product Design - User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) - of this project. I also receive constructive feedback from others two designers in order to improve and get other perspectives about what I was designing.
My tasks were:
1. Customers Insights & Ideation
2. Building the Project Vision
3. Planning and scope definition
4. User Interface & Experience
5. Implementation.
Timeline
13 Months
Design Process
The first step of the design process was discovery, where I focused on clearly identifying the problem our product would solve, analyzing the market landscape, and uncovering potential opportunities. This phase yielded valuable insights that directly informed our design strategy, which I developed in close collaboration with Product Managers and key business stakeholders. During the strategic planning, we prioritized work by breaking the project into manageable components based on both implementation effort and potential business impact.
Market Research
Market research revealed Poland's strong pet culture, with 49% of households owning dogs and 40% owning cats in 2023 positioning the country as Eastern Europe's pet ownership leader.
Yet significant challenges persist. Polish municipalities cared for approximately 71,000 homeless dogs in 2022, a number that continues to rise. This underscores the urgent need for better adoption solutions and responsible ownership education.
The current platforms serving this market fall dramatically short. Many prospective pet owners resort to using OLX, a general marketplace not designed for pet adoption. Users consistently report frustrating experiences, particularly citing confusing navigation and the inability to process adoption paperwork within these platforms. This unnecessary friction creates barriers throughout the adoption journey and likely discourages many potential pet parents from completing the process.
User Interviews
I conducted user interviews with two key stakeholder groups in Poznan: recent pet adopters and shelter/breeder representatives. All participants were aged 18-34 and had direct experience with pet adoption between 2020-2025.
The interview structure explored:
Basic demographic information
Motivations for pet adoption
Key concerns throughout the adoption process
Detailed accounts of their personal adoption experiences
This dual perspective approach provided valuable insights into both sides of the adoption journey, highlighting pain points, expectations, and opportunities for improvement that wouldn't have been visible from examining just one user group.
Insights
Based on the survey data, we can see clear patterns in both motivations for pet adoption and concerns about the process:
Motivations for Pet Adoption
42% are seeking companionship
28.6% want emotional support
28.6% wish to add to their family
Primary Concerns
57.1% of respondents worry about:
Unpredictable pet behavior
Verifying pet health and authenticity
Navigating complicated adoption procedures
These insights directly validate our problem statement around improving document management and verification systems. By streamlining the adoption process and creating robust verification mechanisms, we can address the primary barriers that prevent potential pet owners from moving forward.
The data also reveals that companionship is the leading motivation for adoption. This insight should guide how we present pets and frame the adoption journey in our solution, emphasizing the relationship aspect rather than treating pets as mere acquisitions.
Tools and Methodology
Tools : Figma, Notion, Typeform, Google Form, Perplexity AI
Methods : Desk Research.
Define
Problem Statement Definition
How might we improve the document management and verification processes for shelter houses, breeders, and potential pet adopters in Poznań ensuring trust, efficiency, and a smooth adoption experience?
Solution Design
Based on the defined problem, we designed a user flow to address the document management and verification challenges faced by shelters, breeders, and adopters. Through several iterations, we developed a streamlined process that supports easy document uploads, clear onboarding for shelters and breeders, and a smooth adoption journey for users.
This refined flow formed the foundation for the platform’s user experience and guided the development of wireframes and interface design.
Low Fidelity
The Wireframe was designed to build the structure and architecture of the information and only then go to visual and interactions.
High Fidelity
The high-fidelity prototype allows both shelter houses/pet breeders and potential adopters to create personalized profiles, enabling them to track and manage the entire adoption journey. This includes monitoring document verification, application status, and communication touchpoints, ensuring a transparent and user-friendly experience for all parties involved.
Results and Impact
After completing the design process, we transitioned into the documentation, implementation, and testing phases. However, the product's initial adoption rate was lower than expected. Follow-up research revealed that our target market was too narrowly defined. To reach a broader audience and improve adoption, we identified the need to localize the platform by developing a Polish-language version tailored to the local market’s needs and preferences.