Project Overview
Second Chances is a concept mobile app created for Love & Second Chances, a non-profit dog rescue organization. The app supports the adoption, fostering, and volunteering of rescue dogs saved from Korean dog meat farms. In addition to adoption listings, the app focuses heavily on education, providing context about the international rescue process, debunking common myths, and preparing adopters for the specific needs of these dogs.
Users & Audience
The app was designed for people interested in giving rescue dogs a second chance, including:
First-time dog owners seeking guidance and reassurance before adopting
Experienced adopters looking to support international rescue efforts
Foster families and volunteers wanting to learn more about the rescue process
Users were often motivated by compassion but hesitant due to misconceptions about dogs rescued from meat farms and uncertainty around care requirements.
Problem Statement
Prospective adopters interested in rescue dogs often lack access to trustworthy information that helps them feel confident in adopting or fostering. Existing pet adoption apps prioritize speed and volume, but often fall short in terms of education, clarity, and emotional reassurance. This creates hesitation, misinformation, and missed opportunities for adoption, fostering, and volunteering.
Solution
The goal of this project was to design a mobile experience that helps users find the right dog while educating them about the rescue process and the realities of caring for these dogs, ultimately encouraging more people to adopt, foster, or volunteer.
Research and Interview Summary
Persona
Information Architecture
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Final Designs
The final designs showcase the core features of the app and how users move through the adoption and learning experience. I focused on creating simple, easy-to-use flows that help users browse dogs, learn about the rescue process, and understand what to expect before adopting or fostering. The visual design and animations were used to create a friendly and supportive experience while keeping the interface clear and consistent.
Homepage and Adoption
The homepage introduces users to the mission of Second Chances and provides a clear starting point for exploring adoptable dogs. From here, users can browse dog profiles with key information to help them find a good match based on lifestyle and experience level. This section was designed to make discovery feel approachable while guiding users toward adoption without feeling overwhelming.
Applications
The application section allows users to apply to adopt, foster, or volunteer directly within the app. Each application flow was designed to be straightforward to complete, breaking down required information into manageable steps. This helped reduce friction and made it clearer what commitment each option involves before users apply.
Education
The education section provides users with resources to help them feel prepared and informed before adopting or fostering. Content includes training tips, guidance on raising a rescue dog, and information about Korean dog meat farms where many dogs are rescued. This section was designed to build trust, increase confidence, and support responsible adoption decisions.
Donations
The donations section gives users a simple way to financially support the rescue organization. It explains how donations are used and highlights their impact on rescue efforts, medical care, and transportation. This section was designed to encourage transparency and make supporting the cause feel accessible, even for users who are not ready to adopt.
Support Website
Alongside the mobile app, I designed a supporting website to extend the experience and provide additional context. The site includes a homepage for app downloads and mission awareness, a resource page with educational content about international rescues and dog care, a Q&A section addressing common concerns and misconceptions, and a contact page for users seeking further information or involvement. This website helped create a cohesive ecosystem that supports education, trust, and engagement beyond the app.
Outcomes and Learning
The final deliverable was a high-fidelity mobile prototype that showcased the full adoption and education flow for a nonprofit rescue app. User testing provided valuable feedback, particularly around the need for more detailed educational content to help users feel prepared to adopt or foster. While the project’s success metrics were conceptual, it demonstrated my ability to take a product from research to polished UI. As an early-career designer, this project helped me develop practical skills in user research, information architecture, component-based design, animation, and presenting my work through a pitch deck and supporting website.
