Tia Rafa Pet Shop

Pet owners in small towns struggle to find clear, trustworthy information about pet shop services. Relying only on social media and messaging apps often leaves them feeling unsure about prices, staff, and the grooming process. Without a more organised and welcoming way to share this information, pet shops risk losing clients — and their reputation — fast

Introduction to My Role

This project began quite organically, following a conversation with the owner of a pet grooming shop located in a small town in Brazil. She expressed some frustration about not having a more organised space—beyond her Instagram profile—to share important information such as pricing, services, and contact details, which customers were frequently asking about.

Seeing an opportunity for mutual benefit, I offered to design a simple landing page for her free of charge. While she would receive a more structured and visually appealing way to communicate with her clients, I would gain valuable experience by applying and refining my UX/UI design skills.

Once she agreed, I kicked off the UX process, including research, analysis, wireframing, and ultimately delivering a high-fidelity prototype.

Design Process

Although this was a relatively small-scale project, I approached it with the same level of structure and intention as I would a larger one. I chose to follow the Double Diamond framework as my design process, as I believe it offers a complete path from problem to solution. This helped me stay organised and ensure that every step— from discovery to delivery — was rooted in research and user needs.

Discover - Research

To begin the research process, I immersed myself in desk research to better understand the local pet shop and grooming market in Minas Gerais and surrounding areas. I needed to get a clear sense of the market landscape before taking the first steps in the design process. This initial research helped me gain insight into current trends, consumer behaviour, and the specific challenges faced by pet shop owners in this region.

Results

  • Growing Demand for Pet Services

In recent years, the pet industry in Brazil—particularly in states like Minas Gerais—has experienced notable growth. According to Fecomércio MG, 66% of pet shops in the region already offer grooming services, and consumer demand continues to rise as pets are increasingly treated as family members. In 2023, the Brazilian pet market reached an estimated R$ 68 billion in revenue, growing over 14% from the previous year.

  • The Rise of Online Booking

Alongside this growth, there has been a shift towards digital service management. Platforms like Doggi and Agenda do Pet have introduced online scheduling for grooming services, allowing customers to book appointments conveniently from their phones. This reflects a clear consumer preference for quick, self-managed scheduling experiences, especially in urban and semi-urban areas.

  • WhatsApp as the Main Booking Channel

Despite this trend, the most commonly used channel for booking appointments in small businesses—particularly pet shops—remains WhatsApp. Its popularity is driven by its accessibility and the direct contact it provides between clients and shop owners.

However, this channel is not without challenges:

  • Slow response times, especially during busy hours;

  • Miscommunication regarding service details or availability;

  • Lack of automated reminders, leading to no-shows or late arrivals;

  • Increased workload for business owners managing messages manually.

As a result, there is a growing interest in adopting integrated online booking tools that combine the familiarity of WhatsApp with the efficiency of automated systems.

Identifying the Real Problem: User Research

At first glance, the main issue seemed to be simply the lack of an organised space to share information about the business. But I began to wonder: What kind of information were customers actually looking for? What weren’t they interested in? What was frustrating them about their experience with the pet shop? And did they have any suggestions for improvement?

There was only one way to find out: user research.

To reach potential users, I embedded myself in online communities related to pet care — Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats, and Telegram channels about pets. With a friendly and respectful tone, I shared a short survey (under five minutes to complete). It was a quick, qualitative study, chosen due to time and budget constraints — I was working voluntarily on this project, and my client needed fast, actionable insights.

  • Recommendations matter: Most people prefer to book with pet shops that were recommended by someone they trust. Word of mouth is huge.

  • The way you’re treated makes or breaks the experience: From the very first message or chat, people are already judging. If the response feels cold or robotic, they’ll often just move on — and maybe tell others to do the same.

  • People want to know who’s handling their pet: It’s not enough to say “Ana will be grooming your dog.” Users love to see a face, a short intro, or even a picture of the groomer. It builds trust.

  • They always ask about the grooming process: What’s done? How is it done? This is one of the first questions people ask before booking.

  • They love visuals: Photos of happy pets, smiling customers, and a nice-looking space make a big difference. A clean, friendly and up-to-date design builds confidence.

  • One bad experience can lose a customer for good: It doesn’t take much. If something goes wrong or the vibe feels off, they’ll probably not come back — and they might tell others not to go either.

  • Most users have small to medium-sized dogs: That’s the main audience looking for these services.

  • They usually book through social media: Instagram and WhatsApp are the go-to channels. People like being able to talk to someone real to ask questions, but they also want the process to be quick and easy.

  • Not knowing the staff feels risky: If users can’t find basic info about who works there, they start to doubt if the place is trustworthy.

Here’s what stood out the most:

Competitor Analysis

With the research in hand, I knew it was time to take a look around.

What were the other pet shops offering? What were they doing brilliantly? And where were they falling short?

Competitor analysis felt a bit like a treasure hunt: I was looking for the gaps we could fill to make our solution truly stand out

📌 Key Findings

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📌 Key Findings *

Provide an easy-to-use booking platform (a responsive website or WhatsApp with a smart form).

Introduce the team to build trust (with photos, mini bios, and qualifications).

Clearly explain the grooming and bathing processes (to reduce pet owners' anxiety).

Invest in emotional visual content (stories of pets, photos of happy animals).

Organise information in a user-friendly way (highlighting services, prices, and opening hours).

Only one local competitor currently offers a good online experience.

Define - Persona

With a clearer view of our users, it was time to give them a face, a name, and a story.

That’s how Sarah was born — a real representation based on all the pains, desires, and behaviours revealed through the research.

Having a persona helped keep the project grounded and our hearts in the right place: focused on people.

Empathy Map — Sarah and her dog Lilo

But creating Sarah wasn’t enough.

If I really wanted to design something for her, I needed to feel what she felt.

That’s where the empathy map came in — a deeper dive into Sarah’s world, uncovering her thoughts, frustrations, and what would make her trust (or not trust) a pet shop.

✨ Insights

Sarah's behaviour shows a strong need for easy-to-access, transparent, and detailed information before trusting a service with her pet. Good visual content is important, but without solid, clear communication about service quality and staff care, businesses risk losing potential customers like her.

📍 Scenario

Sarah is looking for a new pet shop/grooming service for her dog, Lilo. She is researching various websites and social media profiles to find the perfect place that meets her expectations.

After all the research, one solution becomes very clear:

A simple, friendly platform that showcases staff profiles, explains service procedures, and reassures pet owners about their pets' safety could make all the difference.

Develop - Site Map

Let’s keep it simple — for the company and for their customers.

Before designing the screens, I had to step back and look at the big picture. We’re talking about a small, local pet shop with only three staff members managing everything — from product sales and reception to grooming services. The main focus of the business is in-person: grooming (bath and haircut) and physical product sales. With that in mind, it became clear that the best solution at this stage would be something simple, effective, and low-maintenance. An e-commerce platform, while tempting, was ruled out. Introducing an online shopping system would require the team to constantly update stock, handle integrated payment systems, and manage online orders — a load that could easily overwhelm such a small team. Instead of helping, it might cause more confusion and frustration for both the business and its customers.

Through my research, I found that most pet shop clients prefer to reach out via social media — especially WhatsApp and Instagram. So, the design needed to shine on mobile, with clear buttons and quick paths to contact. No hunting, no scrolling around. Just fast, friendly access to the people behind the service.

Low Fidelity Wireframes - And tests

Let’s keep it simple — for them and for their customers.

  • To streamline navigation and encourage action, I included multiple CTA buttons across the website that take users straight to WhatsApp booking.

  • On the homepage, I added a short introduction to the pet shop’s story, followed by a CTA encouraging users to learn more on the "About Us" page.

  • Since trust in staff was a key concern among users, I added photos and brief descriptions of the team. Further details are available on the "About Us" page.

  • The homepage highlights the main services offered in a simplified way. For those seeking more detail, the “Services” and “Grooming” page provides complete information.

  • I reserved a section to clearly display the pet shop’s address and contact details, making this vital information easily accessible.

  • I added a fixed CTA button in the footer of every page, allowing users to book directly via WhatsApp at any time.

Final results of the design

The Impact — and What I Learned

The new website helped solve real issues for both the business owner and her customers. Basic questions that used to flood her WhatsApp — things like prices, opening hours and service details — dropped significantly. That freed up her time to focus on what matters most: actually caring for the pets. She now gets a steady flow of direct messages from the website saying things like “I’d like to book an appointment for my dog” — a clear sign the users are finding what they need more easily.

So, yes — the main problem was solved. But one thing I’ve learned since day one is this: no design is ever truly finished. There’s always something to improve. For now, the site meets the needs of the business and its customers, but as the company grows, there’ll be room to evolve — adding features like an online store and a proper booking system, for example.

What I took away from this project:

Even small, local projects can have surprisingly deep UX layers. If you take the time to ask questions, dig into user needs, and listen carefully — even in casual conversations — you’ll uncover problems that don’t require fancy solutions, just thoughtful ones. Sometimes the fix is simple, but spotting it takes a shift in perspective: from designer to real user.
I also learned that, sometimes, creativity strikes at 3am — and you’ll feel the urge to completely redesign your entire project. And honestly? Sometimes you’ll actually get out of bed, open your laptop, fire up Figma and just go for it.