Lovet Pet Health Care
role
Principal Product Designer / Sole IC
agency
DEPT® Agency
project engagement
Aug 2024 - Jun 2025
challenge
Lovet, part of The Aspen Group, faced the dual challenge of rebranding from a localized pet clinic to expanding across the midwest and looking forward towards a national presence. To support growth and gain trust with new patients, they needed a mobile app that unified essential services such as appointment booking, health record access, real-time messaging with vet staff, payments, and account management into one seamless experience. We balanced usability with regulatory compliance and diverse user needs across tech-savvy and tech-late-adopters.
solution
To bring Lovet’s vision to life, we immersed ourselves in their identity through SME interviews and a deep dive into their research and rebranding efforts. This foundation set the stage for a dynamic, multi-day discovery workshop where we co-created personas, pressure tested navigation structures, mapped user flows, and aligned on product goals through hands-on collaboration. Ultimately, we made the choice of Flutter as our development framework to give us the flexibility to invest more time and resources into crafting a thoughtful, seamless design experience for both new and returning users.
These user flows laid the foundation for multiple rounds of iteration and validation by guiding the UX of key features like SSO, user verification, account creation, multi-owner support, and a first-time user app tour.
my responsibilities
· User Interviews & Surveys
· User Flows
· Strategy Mapping
· Wireframing
· Prototyping
· HiFi Visual Design
· QA Testing
· Inclusivity & Accessibility
creative team
Graphic Designer: Ryan Jay
project management
Alex Zieman
design director
Dhruv Chanchani
Strategy & Discovery
Immersion
→ 12 SME interview sessions
→ Comprehensive review of all Lovet research and strategy
→ Review of Lovet re-brand and positioning documentation
Analysis & Synthesis
→ SME interview affinity mapping & synthesis
→ Ideation and re-contextualization of all research and strategy documentation
→ Firm understanding of Lovet brand values, positioning and in-clinic experience
Discovery
→ multiday in-person discovery
→ co-created personas
→ navigation structure
→ mapped & tested user flows
→ product goal alignment
From Onboarding to Application Flow
We careful constructed a site map and information hierarchy to ensure intuitive navigation and content strategy with user needs and business goals in mind.
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Wireframe Testing
Mid-fidelity wireframes and live prototypes became a powerful tool during the strategy and define phase allowing us to test core layouts, interactions, and user flows. They provided the client and users with a tangible, interactive experience to validate assumptions, gather feedback early, and align on functionality before moving into high-fidelity design.
project success
Brand New Booking Engine
• Schedule, edit, & control your pet’s appointments.
Industry Leading Pet Profiles
• Full control over your pet’s appointments, medications, and medical history.
Health Records
• Quick access to all your pet’s health records and ability to send in an instant.
booking an appointment
onboarding
Onboarding
The onboarding experience was designed to be seamless, secure, and user-friendly, setting a new standard for veterinary care apps. Users begin with mobile phone authentication, which streamlines access without requiring a password.
Text Verification
A quick text code verification ensures security while minimizing friction. From there, users can easily link to existing accounts, update outdated information, or create a new account within a single, fluid flow. This adaptive onboarding recognizes returning users and simplifies first-time setup, helping reduce drop-off while maintaining HIPAA-compliant data integrity
Found or Missing Accounts
One key challenge we addressed was the scenario where a user may already exist in the Lovet system, but their phone number on file is outdated or incorrect. In these cases, the text verification process can fail, blocking access and creating frustration. To solve this, we built in a direct communication pathway to the nearest Lovet hospital, allowing users to quickly connect with staff to verify their identity, update their information, and successfully link their account. This human-centered fallback ensures users aren’t left stuck and helps maintains Lovet's high standard of care.
Pets & Appointments
The pet profile page was designed as a centralized, intuitive hub that gives pet owners full visibility and control over their pet’s care. Users can easily book, edit, or cancel appointments with interactive cards that display key details like the pet's name, time, date, and clinic location. This streamlines appointment management and eliminates the need for phone calls or in-person changes. The profile also provides access to health records and lab results, with options to view PDFs or display raw data for transparency. Medications are clearly listed with dosage information, and users can quickly request refills within the app. By combining convenience, clarity, and control in one place, the pet profile page serves as a vital window into your pet’s ongoing health and well-being.
post MVP
Messaging
Real-time messaging with veterinary staff transforms how pet owners engage with care by making support more immediate, accessible, and personal. Within the app, users can communicate through in-app chat or SMS, providing flexibility based on their preferences and lifestyle. Push notifications ensure timely updates, allowing users to respond instantly whether they are at home or on the go. Conversations are organized into clear categories such as general questions, appointments, and pets and treatments, which helps users keep track of different topics easily. This structure also supports multiple open conversations at once, which is especially useful for those managing care for more than one pet at the same time. Users can attach photos and receive professional guidance in real time, including recommendations on whether a follow-up appointment is needed.
App Development
Ultimately, our development team went with Flutter for this project allowing us to work more efficiently within the client’s budget and timeline. By using a single codebase for both iOS and Android, we were able to streamline development, reduce duplication of effort, and accelerate delivery. This approach enabled us to provide a consistent, high-quality user experience across platforms while staying on track and within scope.
project retro
Key Takeaways
Unified Experience: Created a seamless mobile app that combines appointment scheduling, health records, real-time messaging, payments, and prescription management in one easy-to-use platform.
Human-Centered Onboarding: Designed flexible onboarding flows that support account creation, account linking, and resolving issues for users with outdated or incorrect information.
Collaborative Discovery: Conducted SME interviews, brand immersion, and in-person workshops to align the app’s structure and features with both user needs and Lovet’s evolving brand vision.
Scalable Technology Choice: Chose Flutter to develop efficiently across platforms, which allowed the team to dedicate more time to design quality and user experience refinement.
Innovative Veterinary Features: Introduced modern capabilities like multi-pet management, categorized conversations, photo sharing for real-time triage, and access to lab results to raise the standard for pet care apps.
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