MeetMews
UX DesignProduct Research
A local community product for pet owners seeking trusted recommendations and nearby connections.
Product Designer · 14 weeks · 2023 · 1 PM, 2 Engineers, 2 Designers · iOS
Tools·Figma · Lookback · Notion · ProtoPie
A local community product for pet owners seeking trusted recommendations and nearby connections.
Product Designer · 14 weeks · 2023 · 1 PM, 2 Engineers, 2 Designers · iOS
Tools·Figma · Lookback · Notion · ProtoPie
MeetMews helps pet owners find local services, connect with nearby owners, and keep pet care organized. Much of the design work centered on trust — making the product feel local and safe enough for people to ask questions and share openly.
Useful information lived across Facebook groups, Nextdoor, and word of mouth.
Newer owners often felt isolated and unsure whose advice to trust.
Existing products tended to optimize for engagement more than community quality.
Build a local community where pet care tools live together and people feel safe enough to participate.
Research focused on what makes people comfortable participating online when the topic is their pet. Those findings shaped how verification and locality were handled in the product.
A 2-week diary study with 9 pet owners capturing real moments of need and frustration.
Observed behavior across existing pet forums and local groups to map unmet needs.
Interviewed local vets and groomers to understand the service side of the ecosystem.
separate tools used by the average owner
wanted local, verified recommendations
more trust in owner-to-owner advice
26 · First-time Dog Owner
“I love my dog but I'm constantly second-guessing myself — I just want people nearby I can actually trust.”
The information architecture starts from what’s nearby — local owners and services first, then broader community from there.
Low-fidelity exploration focused on balancing discovery, connection, and pet management without overcrowding navigation. I tested several models until community remained easy to reach.
The brand needed to feel warm without becoming overly playful. Verification and locality had to read as part of the interface from the start.
Cream backgrounds and coral actions create an approachable foundation. Sage marks verified and success states for consistency. Charcoal on cream keeps discovery cards and profiles readable.
Charcoal
#1C1C1C
Primary text
Cream
#FAF6F1
App background
Coral
#E86A4A
Primary actions
Sage
#6B9B7A
Verified & success states
Stone
#9A9188
Secondary text
Plus Jakarta Sans carries most of the interface and stays clear at mobile sizes. Fraunces appears sparingly on community titles and empty states for softer moments. Names and places remain the priority in the hierarchy.
Plus Jakarta Sans
UI, body, and navigation
Fraunces
Section titles & empty states
High-fidelity design uses bold cards and playful photography for a warmer feel. Verified badges and local context are visually prominent, reflecting how consistently trust came up in research.
MeetMews brings discovery, nearby owners, and pet care into one place. Local context and verification are surfaced early so the product feels grounded in a real neighborhood.
Nearby vets, sitters, parks, and events with owner-verified recommendations.
Health, reminders, and milestones in one place — diary study participants were managing this across roughly six apps.
Neighborhood groups with verified members, keeping conversations more relevant and less anonymous.
waitlist signups pre-launch
beta community rating
D30 retention vs. benchmark
This project kept returning to trust — verification, tone, and local context. Those details proved as important as the primary product flows.
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