Individual App design:
Luigi’s List
Overview
In today’s saturated digital landscape, creating an original app presents a real challenge—there seems to be an app for nearly everything. This project pushed us to overcome that hurdle by researching, sketching, and ultimately designing a fully interactive application. The goal was to either develop a completely original concept or significantly improve an existing app with notable shortcomings. All design work was executed using Figma, allowing for a streamlined and professional prototyping process from concept to interface.
Research process
Background and Insights
For my individual app project, I chose to revisit and expand upon an idea I had developed in a previous class—this time with a deeper focus on research and design. The beginning of the year was especially difficult for me, as I had recently lost one of my closest companions of 12 years—my beloved black Labrador, Luigi—to cancer. This loss inspired me to create something truly meaningful: an app dedicated to helping dog owners better care for their pets, particularly those who may be new to the responsibilities that come with pet ownership.
This app is a tribute to Luigi, whose presence brought joy, loyalty, and love into my life. In developing this project, I conducted extensive research and found a gap in the market: there was no single, comprehensive app that offered everything a dog owner—whether experienced or new—might need. While some apps offered localized business searches and others focused solely on dog walking services, none provided an all-in-one solution that integrated features like veterinary resources, grooming, walking, training, and more.
As someone who has owned multiple dogs and continues to learn about the evolving pet care industry, I wanted to create a tool that was both informative and convenient. I also explored strategic planning questions and potential success metrics to ensure the app not only served a valuable purpose but had the potential to thrive in a competitive market.
Competitive Analysis and Strategic Roadmapping
While researching the current landscape of dog-related apps, it became evident that most platforms focus on a single function—whether it’s locating pet-friendly businesses, booking walkers, or offering veterinary advice. However, none provided a comprehensive, all-in-one solution tailored to the full range of needs that modern dog owners face.
Through a detailed competitor analysis of apps like DogHood, Rover, BringFido, and PetCoach, I examined each platform’s strengths, interface design, and core features. This research revealed a clear opportunity: to unify these scattered services into a single, intuitive experience.
Luigi’s List was designed to meet this need by integrating local business directories, appointment scheduling, breed-specific resources, community chats, and more. Strategically, the app aims to partner with over 3,000 businesses globally, reach 250,000 users in its first year, and foster a community of 130+ user-led discussion groups. More than just an app, Luigi’s List is envisioned as a trusted resource and supportive network for dog owners—created with care, driven by insight, and inspired by love.
Interviews & User personas
To gain deeper insight into the behaviors and needs of potential users, I conducted a series of structured interviews using a carefully designed set of open-ended questions. These interviews began with background inquiries—such as who primarily cares for the dog and how much time is spent with them—followed by scenario-based questions related to grooming, nutrition, service accessibility, and emergency care. The goal was to uncover both practical and emotional challenges that dog owners regularly face.
Insights gathered from these interviews informed the development of five user personas, each representing a unique demographic and lifestyle. For example, Kareem, a college student, is actively involved in his family dog’s care and seeks to connect with a wider pet care community. Lisa, a full-time manager, often struggles with finding a reliable groomer and needs support during travel. Other personas, like Debby and Priscilla, highlighted the need for trustworthy services that fit within demanding schedules and specific pet care requirements.
These personas played a crucial role in shaping the direction of Luigi’s List. They validated the need for a centralized, easy-to-use platform that supports everyday pet care, encourages peer-to-peer connection, and provides access to local services. By grounding design decisions in real user experiences, the app is positioned to offer meaningful value to a diverse range of dog owners.
Design process
Information architecture & User flow
Creating a user-friendly and intuitive experience was central to the design of Luigi’s List. To support this, I developed a clear and organized information architecture that maps out how users would navigate through the app. From the homepage, users can easily access essential features such as business directories, community groups, appointment tracking, and pet profiles. Key areas like the account menu, help center, and news feed are all thoughtfully structured to make important information quick to find and simple to interact with. Whether a user is new to pet ownership or more experienced, the layout is designed to feel approachable and easy to follow.
Alongside the architecture, I created a detailed user flow to illustrate the step-by-step journey someone would take through the app—from signing up and adding their dog, to browsing local services or posting in community groups. Each path considers real scenarios dog owners might face, like adding multiple pets, locating a new groomer, or choosing whether to share their location for tailored results.
These flows ensure that no matter the goal, users are guided smoothly and efficiently through the experience. By grounding the structure in real needs and daily routines, Luigi’s List becomes more than just an app—it becomes a trusted companion in everyday dog care.
Features of the app
The main feature for the app is the ability for dog owners alike to go and look for local companies that have services or products for them and their best furry friends.
We have also designed a social feature where users can post about their dogs, talk with others in groups, read about news stories that concern dogs, and even watch live streams of dogs.
A vet feature was very demanded due to the fact of its capabilities where you can look for local vets, search symptoms for your dog, as well as just search your dog’s breed or breeds that you are thinking of adopting. Their is also local adoption centers for the breeds of dogs as well.
If you are interested in local adoption events, dog related events, we have added a feature to search for these type of events as well as more exciting opportunities.
There are many more features that were added to make this prototype as interactive as possible.