Project Context
Buddy, Go! is an academic project at Langara College for the Web and Mobile App Design and Development program, completed in an intensive 12-week sprint through a collaborative design–development workflow.
The brief required a hybrid mobile app and a promotional landing page. Evaluation criteria centred on delivering an MVP end-to-end with developer-ready assets and strong accessibility, responsive behaviour, and performance.
Our team set out to create a social platform that connects pet lovers by enabling local discovery, community connection, and pet adoption. As Lead Designer, I shaped the brand and user experience, and set decision principles for clarity, navigation, and accessibility.
The brief required a hybrid mobile app and a promotional landing page. Evaluation criteria centred on delivering an MVP end-to-end with developer-ready assets and strong accessibility, responsive behaviour, and performance.
Our team set out to create a social platform that connects pet lovers by enabling local discovery, community connection, and pet adoption. As Lead Designer, I shaped the brand and user experience, and set decision principles for clarity, navigation, and accessibility.
Research and Strategy
Our market scan showed growing pet spend and “pet humanisation,” but no mainstream platform designed for pet owners. Competitors offer generic social tools with poor local discovery and limited community. Buddy, Go! focuses on nearby places and services, community updates, and trusted recommendations.
We developed personas to turn findings into an actionable strategy. Caregiver, Adopter, and Sharer mapped directly to IA and feature priority, establishing local discovery as the default, adoption as a primary path, and simple posting and messaging. The result was clear decision principles for first-use clarity, predictable navigation, and accessible patterns.
Designing for Engagement
I created an original Buddy, Go! identity that’s recognizable at a glance and reliable at small sizes. Tailored to pet owners, it pairs a charismatic mark with motion that sets the rhythm for micro-interactions.
I expanded the brand into a system that speeds delivery and keeps quality high. Colours, type, icons, and components are standardized so every screen feels consistent, and logo variations stay clear on light or dark backgrounds. Accessibility and legibility were checked for key states. The result is a brand that’s easy to build with, reduces rework, and strengthens first-impression trust.
From Interest to Action
The landing page frames value fast with a clear hero, concise copy, and a primary call to action. Messaging centres on local discovery, community, and pet adoption, with supporting tiles that preview core app flows.
Visual rhythm captures attention and guides visitors from interest to action, while consistent brand elements sustain recognition without feeling repetitive. Optimized assets, responsive imagery, and accessible patterns keep the page fast and clear across devices.
Visual rhythm captures attention and guides visitors from interest to action, while consistent brand elements sustain recognition without feeling repetitive. Optimized assets, responsive imagery, and accessible patterns keep the page fast and clear across devices.
States and edge cases matter. A branded 404 keeps the tone friendly while guiding visitors back through the top navigation.
App Highlights
Buddy, Go! is designed for pet owners first and ships a working product with focused, real-world features:
- Community: Simple posting and lightweight messaging for quick updates without clutter.
- Onboarding: Fast profile set-up with clear steps, photo and details, to reduce drop-off.
- Local Discovery: Map and card views with nearby markers, distance, hours, and ratings to speed decisions.
- Pet Adoption: Primary Adopt path with location and shelter filters to surface available animals first.
- Navigation: Predictable bottom bar and consistent icons to keep paths short.
End-to-End Delivery
In close collaboration with my team, I created the brand and interface system and guided delivery to a working product. We executed the brief and upheld accessibility, performance, and responsive behaviour standards, as required by the course. The result is a credible base for growth: a consistent system, a focused landing page, a pilot-ready MVP serving core pet-owner needs.