PurrPack

A New Cat Subscription Product for BarkBox

BarkBox is a monthly subscription service that offers dog owners unique products, services, and experiences. The company is currently focused solely on dogs, capturing the potential business of the 48 million US homes with dogs but leaving the 32 million US homes with cats left unaddressed. Americans spend about $99 billion on pets each year, so the market for pet supplies is large. BarkBox has built their brand recognition over the years and has the infrastructure in place to serve more than just dog owners. By offering a cat service line to complement its existing dog products, they can engage the large majority of pet owners in the US.

Project Goals

Creating a new, parallel subscription service aimed at cats can augment BarkBox's services in order to reach a new customer base. By providing stimulating new toys, healthy treats, and owner supplies, cat owners can have the same level of elevated pet ownership experience that BarkBox customers have been enjoying for years.

This responsive website builds upon BarkBox's existing design patterns and UI so that it can integrate seamlessly with the current product line. Desktop, tablet, and mobile breakpoints were considered so that customers can realize the same level of experience regardless of device.

Research

Numerous cat subscription services exist, so initial research consisted of in-depth competitor analysis followed by user interviews, with the primary goal of understanding what cat owners value in shopping for pet products. Users were also asked about other recurring subscription service experiences to uncover common goals and pain points associated with them. The outcomes informed how best to design the new product and its site.

Research Questions

• As a cat owner, what are your typical supply needs and how do you shop for these?
• Do you have a pet subscription service or regular supply delivery set up?  If so, what do you get delivered and how often?  Why these items?
• What other shopping subscriptions and/or recurring deliveries do you have set up?  What encouraged you to set these up?
• What would encourage you to sign up for a new subscription service, specifically a cat service?
• What pet subscription services have you heard of? What is your impression of them?
• What cat supplies would you like help exploring (treats, food, toys, accessories, human accessories, etc.)?

User Interview Results

• Five of six users want to receive items that are effective and appealing to their cats and expect good value in exchange for their commitment to the service.
• Subscription services that cater more specifically to the user are preferred. Cats of different ages have different levels of interest in toys and treats.
• Six of six users want the ability to control their subscriptions easily, such as managing what they receive, skipping deliveries, or canceling.
• Frustrations come from a feeling that the products are piling up and not being used. Four of six users would like sample-sized items to try with the ability to reorder those that go over well with their cat.

Primary User Persona

Based upon the research results, a primary user persona was developed. This persona captured the lessons learned and helped guide the ongoing development of the product and site.

Empathy Map

In addition to the primary persona, user interview results were organized into an empathy map to more thoroughly organize patterns in the user's goals, motivations, and frustrations.

Information Architecture

With research findings collected and a primary user persona developed to guide the product development, focus moved to how users would interact with the site. In order to give users an intuitive experience that aligned with the current BarkBox framework, the navigation and organization of the site was carefully considered.

Site Map & User Flows

PurrPack runs parallel to BarkBox's current services, with certain features available to all site visitors while some are catered to current subscribers. The site map outlines how these features can be accessed and how they knit together with the existing site. Primary user flows were generated to anticipate the most significant tasks to be completed and the prototype pages needed to test these flows.

Wireframe Sketches

Building on the sitemap and user flows, initial site wireframes were studied. This process was done thorough hand sketching where numerous page layouts could be generated quickly to test ideas. These page layouts incorporate the current BarkBox UI and were iteratively refined, then developed for desktop, tablet, and mobile device breakpoints.

UI Design

The user interface design builds upon the existing site branding, using its kit of parts while standing alone as a new product. Each BarkBox service line differentiates itself through color palette and image style but uses a common design framework, and PurrPack follows this lead.

High-Fidelity Mockups

The critical pages identified in the user flows were developed into a first round of high-fidelity mockups. The desktop flows were developed fully, with tablet and mobile versions focused on the flow of skipping the next shipment. These mockups were prepared for usability testing, incorporating microinteractions and other elements to more fully illustrate the anticipated site experience.

Item Reordering Feature

During initial research, interviewees expressed concern about unused subscription service products piling up over time. To minimize the feeling of waste, they prefer that these services send sample-sized items to try, with an option to get more of the items they do end up liking. To address this, a feature was developed that gives customers the ability to identify and reorder specific items from a previous shipment. Customers can view the contents of previous months' shipments and be directed to the site shop page for an item that they and their cat have enjoyed.

Usability Testing

Following additional iteration and refinement of the high-fidelity page mockups, the working prototype of the desktop site was prepared for usability testing. Three participants who aligned with the user persona were recruited for moderated in-person and remote testing of the site. The participants shared their screens and were observed during testing, with their narrated thought process and overall impressions recorded.

Usability Prompts

• Task A - arrive at the current BarkBox site home page and subscribe for the PurrPack service on a monthly basis.
• Task B - returning to the PurrPack home page, purchase an egift card for a friend to redeem later.
• Task C - log in to your user account and skip the next scheduled delivery.
• Task D - from your user account, reorder an item from a previous delivery.

Testing Outcomes

Findings from the usability tests were recorded and organized into an affinity map to help identify patterns and determine what is working well and what areas need improvement. The testing went particularly well and only minor improvements were identified.

• Tasks A, B, and C - 100% task completion rates - all users were able to complete the first three task flows without issue.
• Task D - 66% initial task completion rate - one user took some time to locate the 'previous shipment details' button in the item reorder flow but managed to find it eventually. The two other users found this button without trouble and one even located it and clicked on it before being given the prompt to do so, so no explicit pattern could be established in regards to this issue. Regardless, the visibility of this button could be reconsidered.
• Two out of three users mentioned enjoying small touches, like including the cat's name in the subscription steps once its been provided and the note about the shipment box being a toy for the cat. They felt these made the experience more delightful and personal.
• All three users found the site interface clear and easy to use.

Priority Revisions

Based on the usability testing results, minor revisions to the prototypes were identified. Revised versions of the three prototypes were built as a milestone to record these updates.

• The 'previous shipment details' and 'skip next delivery' buttons were moved up on the account management page to improve their visibility. These would likely be two of the more frequently used features so having them higher up on the page made sense upon reflection.
• Additional microinteractions, such as active checkboxes and secondary link functionality, were introduced to help improve usability feedback.

Reflection & Next Steps

This project was an opportunity to explore the development of a new product within an existing brand framework. It shed light on what people find valuable about subscription and recurring delivery services, and what apprehensions they feel about the commitment that comes along with them. Next steps in the project would include further development of the product, such as building out the subscription box gift process, other user account features, and studying a potential joint dog & cat subscription option for homes with multiple pets.