Adopt a Pet

1. Overview

Adopt a Pet is one of the largest technology companies that advocates pet adoption in the U.S. & Canada. For more than 20 years, their search engine has helped shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, pet adoption agencies, and private owners advertise their adoptable pets to future pet parents for free.

  • Location: San Francisco, CA

  • Role: UX/UI Designer

  • Scope: Brand identity, UI design

Goals

  • Inspire and influence more people to adopt pets

  • Bring clarity to users around the site’s functionality and purpose

  • Capture the happy, fun, and warm emotions that pets bring to our lives

  • Become the household name for pet adoption searches

The Challenge

The brand currently functions as a faceless search engine with little emotional connection.

The Opportunity

Transform Adopt a Pet into a hub for passionate pet lovers.

2. Target Insights

Pet Seeker Personas

Through surveys and in-depth interviews with potential adopters, we discovered multiple traits and factors influencing how people search for pets. Two core parameters emerged:

  1. Knowledge/Experience Level with Pets (Novice ↔ Expert)

  2. Desired Pet Criteria (Rigid ↔ Flexible)

Persona Highlights

  • New Parents need the most support—before, during, and after adoption. They require trustworthy resources for selecting the right breed, understanding shelters, and preparing for pet care.

  • Idealists may know what they want but still need guidance through the adoption process.

  • Experts and Guardian Angels are experienced but seek confidence that they are connecting with credible organizations.

Across personas, the emotional mindset plays a central role.

  • Experienced adopters already value the unconditional love pets bring.

  • New Parents may struggle to articulate what they want, but all share the desire for a joyful companion that brings happiness into their daily lives.

3. Competitor Analysis

Competitive Landscape

4. Brand Platform

Belief: Unconditional love between humans and animals

Vision: End needless animal deaths and save more pet lives

Mission: Help more pets get seen and adopted by loving homes

Positioning: A kind-hearted ally, giving people confidence and support throughout the adoption journey

Value Proposition: End-to-end support that helps more people create loving homes

Personality Traits: Optimistic, Playful, Approachable, Sincere, Welcoming, Vibrant

5. Brand Identity

Logo

Typography

Color Palettes

6. Design Assessment

Visual Inventory

To understand the current state of the Adopt a Pet interface, I conducted a visual inventory of both mobile and desktop homepages.
This helped identify visual inconsistencies, usability concerns, and areas where the design could better align with the refreshed brand identity.

Mobile Homepage Findings

  • The mobile menu navigation is hardly noticeable, reducing discoverability for key features.

  • The placement of sponsor logos competes with the site header and needs reconsideration.

  • The “Search” CTA button lacks sufficient color contrast, affecting accessibility and visibility.

Desktop Homepage Findings

  • The rebranded logo needs to be updated to reflect the new visual identity.

  • The search engine—core to the product’s functionality—should be emphasized as the primary feature.

  • Photography throughout the site should align with the new brand tone and emotional direction.

  • Sponsor logo and ad placements require restructuring to maintain visual hierarchy and balance.

  • Typography and color usage are inconsistent and should be standardized across the site.

Outcome
This assessment provided a clear foundation for the redesign, guiding visual and structural improvements that enhance usability, consistency, and emotional connection.

7. User Testing

Brand Awareness & Sentiment Study

Goals:

  • Quantify current brand recognition and equity of Adopt a Pet vs. Rehome (subsidiary product)

  • Assess consumer sentiment and clarity of brand purpose

  • Test consumer perception of a potential brand refresh

Method:

  • 26-question survey

  • 999 participants, aged 22–70, across the U.S.

  • Participants had either recently adopted a pet or were actively seeking one

  • Mix of genders, geographies, and pet ownership status

  • Recruitment conducted via Lucid survey platform

  • Fielded April 30–May 8, 2019

Key Insights:

  • Adopt a Pet is strongly associated with search functionality but lacks warmth and emotional identity.

  • Many participants expressed uncertainty about how Rehome fits into the ecosystem.

  • Feedback suggested that a refresh highlighting empathy, trust, and joy would improve brand connection.

Adopt a Pet Brand’s perceived association with Rehome (subsidiary product)

Test Subject Feedback

After conducting the Brand Awareness & Sentiment Study, participants were asked to share their immediate impressions of the refreshed Adopt a Pet branding.

Key Takeaways:

  • Test subjects responded positively to the new logo, especially the paw print, describing it as “cute,” “creative,” and “memorable.”

  • The updated color palette and visual tone made participants feel “happy,” “cheerful,” and “excited.”

  • The refreshed design was perceived as clear, friendly, and approachable, successfully conveying warmth and trust.

Overall, the new branding resonated strongly with users, reinforcing the emotional connection between people and pets — a core goal of the redesign.

8. Final Deliverables

Mobile Mockups

Desktop Mockups

9. Future Iteration

I created a proposal version where two brands coexist in one space.

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Ethos
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Rehome