Animal Rescue Collective Concept Project
Animal Rescue Collective
Concept Project
Mobile App Design & Cross Platform UX Skills Development
Client: Personal initiative - self-directed skill development project
Timeline: 4 months (evenings and weekends)
My Role: UX/UI Designer, Product Strategist, Prototyper
Team: Solo project with external research participants
Project Type: Concept development and skill-building initiative

Project Overview.
Project Overview.
Project Overview.
I identified a compelling real-world problem to use as a vehicle for developing my skills in complex stakeholder design: the digital inequality facing small UK animal rescue charities. This personal project became an intensive learning experience fuelled by my love for learning as well as my interest in tech-for-good. I also wanted to showcase my skillset in designing for complex multi-stakeholder mobile ecosystems.
I identified a compelling real-world problem to use as a vehicle for developing my skills in complex stakeholder design: the digital inequality facing small UK animal rescue charities. This personal project became an intensive learning experience fuelled by my love for learning as well as my interest in tech-for-good. I also wanted to showcase my skillset in designing for complex multi-stakeholder mobile ecosystems.
The Problem Space
Small rescue charities rely on fragmented digital approaches (facebook posts, basic websites lacking essential features) while larger platforms favour paid placements and enterprise level features / management, creating visibility inequality in pet adoption.
My Learning Objectives
Develop skills in balancing competing user needs within a single platform
Practice designing native mobile experiences for multiple user types within a single ecosystem
Explore information architecture for marketplace-style platforms with social impact
Develop UI solutions that work for organisations with varying technical capabilities
The Problem Space
Small rescue charities rely on fragmented digital approaches (facebook posts, basic websites lacking essential features) while larger platforms favour paid placements and enterprise level features / management, creating visibility inequality in pet adoption.
My Learning Objectives
Develop skills in balancing competing user needs within a single platform
Practice designing native mobile experiences for multiple user types within a single ecosystem
Explore information architecture for marketplace-style platforms with social impact
Develop UI solutions that work for organisations with varying technical capabilities
The Problem Space
Small rescue charities rely on fragmented digital approaches (facebook posts, basic websites lacking essential features) while larger platforms favour paid placements and enterprise level features / management, creating visibility inequality in pet adoption.
My Learning Objectives
Develop skills in balancing competing user needs within a single platform
Practice designing native mobile experiences for multiple user types within a single ecosystem
Explore information architecture for marketplace-style platforms with social impact
Develop UI solutions that work for organisations with varying technical capabilities

Existing grassroot charities rely heavily on social media platforms to reach wider audiences, however these often lack the features needed to adequately campaign for their charity and the animals they have rescued.
The Challenge & Context
The Challenge & Context
The Challenge & Context
User Challenge
Prospective adopters wanted to support smaller charities but couldn't find them, often defaulting to larger, more visible organisations with the correct digital infrastructure in place. This was verified by speaking to personal contacts within the industry and understanding their pain points.
Design Challenge
Create a platform concept that felt neutral and fair while allowing individual charities to maintain their brand identity and direct adopter relationships. Multiple organisations could coexist and benefit from each other's presence; users would discover new charities while browsing, creating a supportive ecosystem rather than competition, reaching a larger audience.
Technical Challenge
Design for organisations with limited technical resources while maintaining high user experience standards across both charity management and adopter-facing interfaces.
Personal Challenge
Develop skills in mobile-first design, complex information architecture, stakeholder-centered design thinking, and prototyping through hands-on exploration.

Early stage drafting of user personas and basic user flow mapping for the high usage personas to determine minimum features required.
My Strategic Approach
My Strategic Approach
My Strategic Approach
Problem Analysis & Competitive Research
I designed and conducted a comprehensive research program to practice working with complex stakeholder groups:
8 Charity Interviews
Developed skills in sensitive interviewing with resource-constrained organisations.Competitive Analysis
Analysed existing pet adoption apps to understand current patterns.Platform Audit
Studied how current social media platforms fail animal charities.
Key Learning
The biggest opportunity wasn't just creating another pet app; it was designing a mobile ecosystem where charities could benefit from each other's presence rather than compete for visibility. However, managing research with stakeholders who have limited time and varying technical literacy informed me that the product could not be overly complex in features/customisation and require intensive onboarding.
Problem Analysis & Competitive Research
I designed and conducted a comprehensive research program to practice working with complex stakeholder groups:
8 Charity Interviews
Developed skills in sensitive interviewing with resource-constrained organisations.Competitive Analysis
Analysed existing pet adoption apps to understand current patterns.Platform Audit
Studied how current social media platforms fail animal charities.
Key Learning
The biggest opportunity wasn't just creating another pet app; it was designing a mobile ecosystem where charities could benefit from each other's presence rather than compete for visibility. However, managing research with stakeholders who have limited time and varying technical literacy informed me that the product could not be overly complex in features/customisation and require intensive onboarding.
Information Architecture & Mobile UX Strategy
This phase focused on solving the core structural challenges for mobile users:
Information Architecture & Mobile UX Strategy
This phase focused on solving the core structural challenges for mobile users:
Dual-app architecture
Explored whether to create separate apps for charities vs. adopters or one unified experienceDiscovery mechanisms
Designed mobile-optimised browsing that encouraged exploration across multiple charitiesCross-charity navigation
Developed patterns that let users seamlessly move between different organisations while maintaining context
Design Innovation
Created a mobile-first approach where browsing animals naturally led to charity discovery, turning potential competition into collaboration.
Information Architecture & Mobile UX Strategy
This phase focused on solving the core structural challenges for mobile users:
Dual-app architecture
Explored whether to create separate apps for charities vs. adopters or one unified experienceDiscovery mechanisms
Designed mobile-optimised browsing that encouraged exploration across multiple charitiesCross-charity navigation
Developed patterns that let users seamlessly move between different organisations while maintaining context
Design Innovation
Created a mobile-first approach where browsing animals naturally led to charity discovery, turning potential competition into collaboration.
Dual-app architecture
Explored whether to create separate apps for charities vs. adopters or one unified experienceDiscovery mechanisms
Designed mobile-optimised browsing that encouraged exploration across multiple charitiesCross-charity navigation
Developed patterns that let users seamlessly move between different organisations while maintaining context
Design Innovation
Created a mobile-first approach where browsing animals naturally led to charity discovery, turning potential competition into collaboration.
I focused on creating a comprehensive mobile design system addressing real-world constraints:
Responsive component library
Created flexible mobile components that could accommodate varying photo quality and content from different charitiesProgressive disclosure
Designed mobile-optimised filtering and search that remained intuitive despite complexityCross-platform considerations
Developed iOS and Android-friendly patterns while maintaining consistent branding
Key Learning
Designing for resource-constrained organisations on mobile taught me to create robust UI components that work beautifully even with imperfect content input, while ensuring the experience remained delightful for adopters.

Initial wireframing of sign up screen, guiding onboarding between registered charities or users looking to adopt.
UI Design & Mobile Component Development
UI Design & Mobile Component Development
I focused on creating a comprehensive mobile design system addressing real-world constraints:
Responsive component library
Created flexible mobile components that could accommodate varying photo quality and content from different charitiesProgressive disclosure
Designed mobile-optimised filtering and search that remained intuitive despite complexityCross-platform considerations
Developed iOS and Android-friendly patterns while maintaining consistent branding
Key Learning
Designing for resource-constrained organisations on mobile taught me to create robust UI components that work beautifully even with imperfect content input, while ensuring the experience remained delightful for adopters.
I focused on creating a comprehensive mobile design system addressing real-world constraints:
Responsive component library
Created flexible mobile components that could accommodate varying photo quality and content from different charitiesProgressive disclosure
Designed mobile-optimised filtering and search that remained intuitive despite complexityCross-platform considerations
Developed iOS and Android-friendly patterns while maintaining consistent branding
Key Learning
Designing for resource-constrained organisations on mobile taught me to create robust UI components that work beautifully even with imperfect content input, while ensuring the experience remained delightful for adopters.
Design Solutions & Key Features
Design Solutions & Key Features
Design Solutions & Key Features
For Adopters:
Multi-charity discovery
Browse animals across multiple organisations in a single, cohesive feedAdvanced filtering
Location, breed, age, and charity-specific filters optimised for mobile interactionCharity Profiles
Learn about different organisations while browsing the animals for adoptionSaved searches & favourites
Mobile-optimised tools for managing adoption interests
For Charities:
Simple animal management
Easy-to-use mobile forms for adding and updating animal profilesCross-promotion opportunities
Benefit from the collective traffic of the platformPhoto upload optimisation
Mobile-friendly image uploading with automatic resizing and basic editing toolsDirect contact facilitation
Simple messaging system connecting interested adopters directly with charity volunteers or staffProfile status management
Quick toggles to mark animals as adopted, reserved, or featured.
For Adopters:
Multi-charity discovery
Browse animals across multiple organisations in a single, cohesive feedAdvanced filtering
Location, breed, age, and charity-specific filters optimised for mobile interactionCharity Profiles
Learn about different organisations while browsing their animalsSaved searches & favourites
Mobile-optimised tools for managing adoption interests
For Charities:
Simple animal management
Easy-to-use mobile forms for adding and updating animal profilesCross-promotion opportunities
Benefit from the collective traffic of the platformPhoto upload optimisation
Mobile-friendly image uploading with automatic resizing and basic editing toolsDirect contact facilitation
Simple messaging system connecting interested adopters directly with charity volunteers or staffProfile status management
Quick toggles to mark animals as adopted, reserved, or featured.
For Adopters:
Multi-charity discovery
Browse animals across multiple organisations in a single, cohesive feedAdvanced filtering
Location, breed, age, and charity-specific filters optimised for mobile interactionCharity Profiles
Learn about different organisations while browsing their animalsSaved searches & favourites
Mobile-optimised tools for managing adoption interests
For Charities:
Simple animal management
Easy-to-use mobile forms for adding and updating animal profilesCross-promotion opportunities
Benefit from the collective traffic of the platformPhoto upload optimisation
Mobile-friendly image uploading with automatic resizing and basic editing toolsDirect contact facilitation
Simple messaging system connecting interested adopters directly with charity volunteers or staffProfile status management
Quick toggles to mark animals as adopted, reserved, or featured.

Prototype examples of user types : Organisation or User.
Learning Outcomes & Skills Developed
Learning Outcomes & Skills Developed
Learning Outcomes & Skills Developed
Through this intensive personal project, I significantly enhanced my design capabilities:
Mobile-first design thinking
Learned to design for touch interactions, mobile constraints, and varying screen sizes while maintaining feature richness.Multi-stakeholder UX
Developed skills in balancing competing needs between charities (who need efficiency) and adopters (who need discovery and trust-building).Systems thinking
Gained experience in designing platforms where multiple organisations coexist and benefit from shared infrastructure.Prototyping & validation
Improved my skills in creating comprehensive mobile prototypes that effectively communicate complex interaction patterns.
Reflection & Impact
The ARC concept demonstrates how mobile apps can create positive-sum scenarios where collaboration replaces competition. Rather than charities fighting for visibility, the platform design enables them to benefit from collective discovery.
Most importantly, this project showed me the value of designing for social impact while simultaneously developing technical design skills. The constraints of working with resource-limited organisations pushed me to create more thoughtful, resilient design solutions.
Through this intensive personal project, I significantly enhanced my design capabilities:
Mobile-first design thinking
Learned to design for touch interactions, mobile constraints, and varying screen sizes while maintaining feature richness.Multi-stakeholder UX
Developed skills in balancing competing needs between charities (who need efficiency) and adopters (who need discovery and trust-building).Systems thinking
Gained experience in designing platforms where multiple organisations coexist and benefit from shared infrastructure.Prototyping & validation
Improved my skills in creating comprehensive mobile prototypes that effectively communicate complex interaction patterns.
Reflection & Impact
The ARC concept demonstrates how mobile apps can create positive-sum scenarios where collaboration replaces competition. Rather than charities fighting for visibility, the platform design enables them to benefit from collective discovery.
Most importantly, this project showed me the value of designing for social impact while simultaneously developing technical design skills. The constraints of working with resource-limited organisations pushed me to create more thoughtful, resilient design solutions.
Through this intensive personal project, I significantly enhanced my design capabilities:
Mobile-first design thinking
Learned to design for touch interactions, mobile constraints, and varying screen sizes while maintaining feature richness.Multi-stakeholder UX
Developed skills in balancing competing needs between charities (who need efficiency) and adopters (who need discovery and trust-building).Systems thinking
Gained experience in designing platforms where multiple organisations coexist and benefit from shared infrastructure.Prototyping & validation
Improved my skills in creating comprehensive mobile prototypes that effectively communicate complex interaction patterns.