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 experience

  • Discovery mechanisms
    Designed mobile-optimised browsing that encouraged exploration across multiple charities

  • Cross-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 experience

  • Discovery mechanisms
    Designed mobile-optimised browsing that encouraged exploration across multiple charities

  • Cross-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 experience

  • Discovery mechanisms
    Designed mobile-optimised browsing that encouraged exploration across multiple charities

  • Cross-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 charities

  • Progressive disclosure
    Designed mobile-optimised filtering and search that remained intuitive despite complexity

  • Cross-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 charities

  • Progressive disclosure
    Designed mobile-optimised filtering and search that remained intuitive despite complexity

  • Cross-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 charities

  • Progressive disclosure
    Designed mobile-optimised filtering and search that remained intuitive despite complexity

  • Cross-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 feed

  • Advanced filtering
    Location, breed, age, and charity-specific filters optimised for mobile interaction

  • Charity Profiles
    Learn about different organisations while browsing the animals for adoption

  • Saved searches & favourites
    Mobile-optimised tools for managing adoption interests

For Charities:

  • Simple animal management
    Easy-to-use mobile forms for adding and updating animal profiles

  • Cross-promotion opportunities
    Benefit from the collective traffic of the platform

  • Photo upload optimisation
    Mobile-friendly image uploading with automatic resizing and basic editing tools

  • Direct contact facilitation
    Simple messaging system connecting interested adopters directly with charity volunteers or staff

  • Profile 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 feed

  • Advanced filtering
    Location, breed, age, and charity-specific filters optimised for mobile interaction

  • Charity Profiles
    Learn about different organisations while browsing their animals

  • Saved searches & favourites
    Mobile-optimised tools for managing adoption interests


For Charities:

  • Simple animal management
    Easy-to-use mobile forms for adding and updating animal profiles

  • Cross-promotion opportunities
    Benefit from the collective traffic of the platform

  • Photo upload optimisation
    Mobile-friendly image uploading with automatic resizing and basic editing tools

  • Direct contact facilitation
    Simple messaging system connecting interested adopters directly with charity volunteers or staff

  • Profile 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 feed

  • Advanced filtering
    Location, breed, age, and charity-specific filters optimised for mobile interaction

  • Charity Profiles
    Learn about different organisations while browsing their animals

  • Saved searches & favourites
    Mobile-optimised tools for managing adoption interests


For Charities:

  • Simple animal management
    Easy-to-use mobile forms for adding and updating animal profiles

  • Cross-promotion opportunities
    Benefit from the collective traffic of the platform

  • Photo upload optimisation
    Mobile-friendly image uploading with automatic resizing and basic editing tools

  • Direct contact facilitation
    Simple messaging system connecting interested adopters directly with charity volunteers or staff

  • Profile 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.


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.

UI Design & Mobile Component Development