Perro is a UK-based pet wellness app that combines activity tracking, gamification, and wearable device integration to help dog owners maintain their pet's health. The app launched in 2022 and secured £150K in UK Innovation funding following the V1 redesign.
My Role:
Solo Product Designer
Duration:
MVP (2022): 8 months
V1 (2023): 4 months
Project Results
£150K UK Innovation Grant secured post-V1 launch
4.9 ⭐ App Store rating with 5K+ downloads in first 3 months
Shipped 2 complete app versions with zero post-launch critical bug
THE PROBLEM
Existing pet tracking apps had less than 20% weekly retention. Dog owners were downloading them, logging a few activities, then abandoning them within days.
Uncertainty kills motivation
Tracking feels like homework
Personal context matters
Existing tools fall short
MY CHALLENGE
Design an app where daily dog care feels rewarding, built for manual tracking first, with wearable integration ready for later.
Constraints:
The aha moment - insights
Consistency is emotional, not functional.
Emotions over Reminders
Visible progress is paramount
Discipline requires engagement
KEY DECISIONS & WHY?
Two Onboarding Paths Upfront
Constraint:
Wearable device was 6+ months away, but we needed to ship MVP.
What I did:
Built Manual Mode (full data collection) AND Wearable Mode (minimal setup) simultaneously.
Trade-off:
Added 2 weeks to timeline, saved months of V1 redesign.
Result:
When V1 launched, wearable onboarding slotted in seamlessly.
Story Cards Over Dashboards
Client's brief:
Traditional dashboard. Graphs, stats, health scores.
My pushback:
Dashboards make you scan and judge. Story cards celebrate progress.
What I did:
Prototyped both. Story cards won. Each activity gets its own swipeable card like a feed.
Impact:
Core home experience. Contributed directly to 28% engagement lift.
Persistent Bottom Sheet
Research insight:
"I can't watch my dog 24/7 while juggling family and work."
Client wanted:
Traditional tab navigation.
My solution:
Bottom sheet accessible from anywhere. Swipe up → log activity → done.
How I won:
Showed competitive examples (Strava, MyFitnessPal), prototyped both, let interaction speak.
Impact:
Reduced logging from 5 taps to 1 swipe + tap.
Weather-Adaptive Home
The idea:
Home background adapts to live weather. Sunny = bright palette. Rainy = muted tones + indoor activity nudge.
Client concern:
Dev complexity.
How I sold it:
One API call + background swap. Framed as competitive differentiator.
Post-launch:
Users called out "the weather thing" in reviews. Became signature feature.
Wellness-Tied Gamification
Client ask (V1):
"Badges and XP like Duolingo."
My pushback:
Arbitrary rewards feel hollow.
What I tested:
Generic XP (open app = points) → Felt meaningless → Rejected
Activity-based XP (log walk = points) → No effort differentiation → Rejected
Wellness-tied badges (hit daily goal = badge) → Felt earned → Shipped
Why it mattered:
Anchored the £150K grant pitch as purpose-built design.
Why?
Instead of a basic tracker, I focused on behavior change.
Gamification
Pet feedback
Progress tracking
SOLUTION
I focused on six strategic pillars based on the research:
Tailored tracking
Frictionless logging
If it takes more than a few seconds, people won't do it. Make tracking instant and always accessible.
Purposeful community
Smart reminders
Gentle nudges tied to the dog's needs and owner's schedule. Not arbitrary push spam.
Rewarding progress
Perro&You Content
How these translated:
Why this approach works?
Rewards
Behavioural Change
Reinforced Consistency
but.. WHAT DIDN'T WORK?
MVP onboarding asked for 12 data points (breed, weight, age, allergies, activity level, etc.).
Result:
Fix:
Cut to 3 required fields. Moved rest to progressive disclosure.
New result:
Learning:
DESIGN SYSTEM
Built 250+ components from scratch with interaction specs, variant properties, edge cases, and responsive behavior.
Impact:
THE PRODUCT
Turning pet wellness into an experience worth returning to.
4 Core Modules:
Activity Tracking
Gamified Goals
Wellness badges unlocked by hitting health targets
Perro & You
Social & Community
LEARNINGS
Design for the roadmap upfront
Gamification must feel earned
Wellness-tied badges worked. Generic XP felt hollow.
Small interactions = biggest impact
Progressive disclosure builds trust
WHAT I'D DO DIFFERENTLY
Testing
Interactions
Documentation
PROJECT CONSTRAINTS
What shaped the work:
This set of constraints reinforced the need for clear prioritization, modular components, and progressive enhancement across the product.
The design didn't just work visually, it created measurable impact and engagement.
Engagement
28% increase in daily engagement after introducing gamification in V1
Average rating on App Store
4.9 ⭐ App Store rating with 5K+ downloads in first 3 months
Rewards Granted
£150K UK Innovation Grant secured post-V1 launch
Bugs
Shipped 2 complete app versions with zero post-launch critical bug
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