Capstone: Grand Paw
Grand Paw is a conceptual senior dog rescue aiming to redefine senior animal adoption. This year-long project is the result of one semester of research and one semester of design.
Semester 1: Research
Research Topics
As a lifelong animal lover, I went into my capstone project knowing that I wanted to focus on the animal industry. I began my research by writing two essays titled "Brand Transparency in the Pet Retail Industry" and "Emotional Advertising in Nonprofit Brands."
This research provided insight on what modern "pet parents" value; transparency and positivity.
Case Study: Chewy
I continued my research by conducting a case study on the e-commerce pet retail brand, Chewy. Exploring Chewy's methods of maintaining a loyal customer base through a playful visual brand and exceptional customer service (ie. pet portraits, memorial flowers, birthday cards) inspired me to do the same when creating Grand Paw later on.
Survey
At this point in my research, I had decided to create a nonprofit senior dog rescue, inspired by my time volunteering at an animal shelter and bonding with the older animals. Therefore, I conducted a 13-question survey to better understand the attitudes surrounding senior dog adoption.
This survey received 120 responses and highlighted the common motivations and concerns of adopting older dogs. The top motivations expressed among participants were saving senior dogs from euthanasia and helping senior dogs in need, while the most common concerns were expensive vet bills and short life expectancies.
Interviews
My next step was interviewing three marketing and design professionals from various animal rescue organizations. All three professionals echoed what I had learned in my initial research; that potential adopters respond best to uplifting content through modern communication methods like social media.
Competitive Matrices
I concluded my research by creating six competitive matrices to find gaps in the existing world of animal rescues. I realized there is a lack of foster-based rescues exclusively for senior dogs. Additionally, I noticed that many rescues fail to fully embrace the influence of a memorable visual brand and active social media presence. Therefore, I aimed to fill these gaps by introducing a new spin on the typical animal rescue brand.
Semester 2: Design
Logo Design
I began the design process by developing a name and logo. The name "Grand Paw" is meant to reflect the brand's witty personality by playing on the word "grandpa", while also emphasizing the "grand" personalities of senior dogs.
The logomark is inspired by my own senior dog, Louie. I aimed to communicate the playfulness of the brand by doodling an approachable and gentle looking mascot, since senior dog adoption can often seem a bit daunting!
Style Guide
I continued to develop the brand identity by creating a 24-page style guide outlining the proper use of logos, tone of voice, colors, typography, and photography.
You can view the complete style guide below:
Packaging Design
The next stage in my design process was creating the packaging design for a "goody box" that families would be gifted upon adopting a senior dog.
I wanted to expand Grand Paw's playful messaging beyond the existing brand identity, so I created a series of illustrations depicting senior dogs in a variety of retirement homes to echo the idea of their "forever homes."
You can view a close-up of the illustrations by clicking the image to the left.
UX/UI Design
The website acts as a hub for all information about Grand Paw's resources. I created a fully animated prototype to replicate the complete user experience, consisting of essential screens such as a landing page, informational about/foster pages, adoption gallery, donation portal, and foster/adoption applications.
You can view a walkthrough video of the prototype below:
Marketing Campaign
The final stage of design was creating a marketing campaign to promote the rescue through print and digital mediums. I created the "Bark-et List," a play on the existing concept of bucket lists. The goal for this campaign is to highlight how adoptable senior dogs find immense joy in activities that we often take for granted.