Basic Training
“Basic Training is a dog game for kids, designed to be an ownership training tool!”
“Mum…Dad, Please Can I Have A Dog…I Promise I Will Look After It!”… Sound Familiar?
Most people don’t realize the extent of what goes into owning a dog and all the responsibilities that comes with having one…until they actually get one.
Basic Training is a game app associated with The Pack App. It is an interactive tool for parents to play with their kids that want a dog and goes into the everyday tasks associated with owning a dog.
How many times have parents been begged by their kids to have a dog and promise they will do ALL the chores associated with the dog but in the long run it’s the parents that look after the dog?
Basic Training is intended to be a great interactive tool parents can play with their child that wants a dog. It helps parents explain to their kid all the tasks they will responsible for if they get a dog.
01 - User Empathy
Research was done on how parents interact with their kids when they are asked for dog.
Many said they shrugged it off hoping their kid would forget they asked for one, while some said they asked their kid who would look after the dog?
Alot of them said they never really sat with their child to talk about what having a dog entails and the responsibilities that come with one
Parents themselves usually did not have a clue the full extent of what owning a dog entails and so it was hard for them to have a factual discussion with their kids
02 - Our Goal
What Do We Want To Achieve?
Design an app that is appealing to kids and parents, is interactive, and holds the child’s interest. This app needs to:
Design tasks for the kids and parents to play together that brings a fun element so it holds a kids interest as they play the game throughout the day
The tasks pop up on your phone at any time of the day to make the user realize that some dog responsibilities are not on a regulated schedule and can come up at any time of the day
Include dog tasks that show the day to day responsibilities and realities of owning a dog and can be used as an educational tool for both the parents and kids to bring awareness of all the responsibilities of the real day to day tasks of owning a dog.
The end goal is to get the user to connect with a mentor on The Pack after they play the game with further questions they have about getting and owning a dog.
03 - How does the game work
creating a dog profile
Click Above To Play Video Of Setting Up A Dog Profile
The User will first have to create a dog profile where the user has to:
Select a dog breed
Information on the dog breed selected will be provided to the user
The user then selects the sex of the dog, names the dog, and sets the amount of time they want to play the game.
The number of tasks the user has to complete will be based on the time selected
Task to Walk your dog
Click Above To Play Video Of Task To Walk Your Dog
The Basic Training app will prompt the user with a notification that their dog is restless and they need to walk the dog.
The app uses GPS tracking and will show how much the person has exercised in real time
The GPS tracks the distance, steps, and calories burned bringing awareness that owning a dog = healthy lifestyle
This will make the user aware that dogs have alot of energy and need to be exercised regularly
At the end of this task the app will let the user see a summary of the the tasks completed and what tasks are still left
Task to Bathe your dog
Click Above To Play Video Of Task To Bathe Your Dog
The Basic Training app will prompt the user with a notification that their dog got in a puddle of mud and got dirty so they need to Bathe the dog.
The user will have to tap on the sponge to clean the dirt spots on the dog
This task makes the user aware that dogs get dirty and will need to be bathed regularly.
The app will allocate a specific time for the user to complete the task
At the end of this task the app will let the user see a summary of the the tasks completed and what tasks are still left
Task Completion Status
Click Above To Play Video Of Completion Task Status
After all the tasks are complete The Basic Training app provides a check-off that shows all the tasks the user has achieved.
The user is then directed back to The Pack app where the end goal is the user signs up with a mentor to get more information and help on dog ownership.
04 - How did we get here
our thought process behind the app
Competitive Analysis
Caring for puppy salon games
Generic graphics
Horizontal mode only
Too many ads
Uneasy navigation
Fur Fun
3D Graphics
Sound effects
Easy navigation and settings
No ads
05 - Design
Workflow
A dog game path was created for our users.
The first phase of the app focuses on creating a dog profile, naming the dog, the setting up how many hours the player wants to play the app
The next phase of the game app, the player is notified of the different tasks that they need to complete
The final step gives the player an evaluation of how they did on their tasks. They are then directed to sign up with a mentor on The Pack for guidance on dog ownership
Prototyping & Interactions
The paper sketches and prototypes ensured Basic Training’s game process, animation, layout, usability, and content were well refined and validated our designs to work successfully as a game and to ensure the brand releases the right product. Prototyping made sure our layout, navigation, and visuals are consistent and made it is user friendly and easy to navigate.
UI Design Elements
The app name and visuals of the game is intended to be have a bootcamp feel and make the user feel like they have been recruited to work toward a goal.
Feature UI elements, clear hierarchy, layouts, colors, and images that are visually appealing to kids.
The visuals and animation are intended to be interactive, fun, non-intimidating, personable, and quirky.
Training Never Ends…
“People also need training
to be great dog owners!”
Photography Credits:
Pexels.com - Sam Lion, Ketut Subiyanto, Andrea Piacquadio, Monstera, Nishizuka, Maria Isabella Bernotti, Helena Lopes