Paws - Making pet care personal
My Role
Product Designer
My Team
Product Manager
Product Designer
Senior Product Designer
Product Design Lead
Agency Developers
Tools
Figma
FigJam
Vue Storefront
Timeline
2022
Context
Transforming an e-commerce platform into a personalised pet wellness experience
Description
In late 2022, Paws set out on a big challenge: moving from a traditional e-commerce platform to a subscription-first pet wellness service. The old platform wasn’t built for recurring, personalised care, and with only 20% of pet owners having insurance, there was a clear opportunity. Younger, digitally-savvy pet parents were looking for smarter ways to care for their pets, and we wanted to make that easier.
Our research highlighted the main pain points for pet owners: juggling reliable care with work, managing separation anxiety and behavioural issues, and keeping fussy eaters happy and healthy. These insights shaped how we reimagined the platform and its features.
Discovery
Understanding the problem
My role focused on transforming three core platform areas to support a subscription-first model. Research was key: through user journey mapping, interviews, and competitive analysis, we identified friction points and opportunities to make the experience more intuitive for both new and returning users.
Basket
Simplifying the basket
One area we tackled was the purchase flow and account management. Research showed users often missed subscription benefits and struggled to navigate their accounts. We integrated subscription options into product cards, set contextual defaults, and surfaced community reviews to build trust.
For My Account, we reorganised features into a hub-and-spoke dashboard, keeping pets central and making essential functions easier to access. Personalised content and seasonal tips added extra value.
Pet Profile
Personalising the Pet Profile
Another focus was the Pet Profile and Health Check. Long onboarding forms were a pain point, so we split the profile into small, manageable steps to make personalisation feel natural and keep users engaged.
The Health Check simplified complex tracking with clear structure and visual hierarchy, guiding users through regular check-ins and helping them stay on top of their pet’s health.
