Pet Travel Platform

Collaborators | Jing-Hsiang Hsu, Wan-Chi Wang
During our participation in the Design Thinking Workshop at NTU D-School, we applied the design thinking process to a project focused on improving the travel experience of pet owners. This led to the development of a user-centered prototype website designed to make pet-friendly travel easier and more enjoyable.
The platform is designed to reduce preparation time by up to 60% and integrates five key functions, including recommended and customizable itineraries, transportation services, equipment rental, and more.

We began by conducting semi-structured interviews (N=3) with pet owners to understand their experiences, frustrations, and unmet needs when traveling with pets. We explored:

• Background and routines of the owner and pet
• Difficulties and emotional challenges during trips
• Causes behind unmet needs and expectations for an ideal travel experience

Using these insights, we created a user persona representing owners who love traveling with their pets but feel overwhelmed by the preparation workload.

Through affinity diagramming and synthesis, we identified four key needs mentioned across interviews:

• Keeping pets safe and close during outings
• Having more pet-friendly transportation options
• Clear agreements with businesses to allow pets to stay with their owners
• A simpler way to prepare for overnight trips with pets

A recurring theme was the low “effort-to-happiness ratio (CP 值)”—owners felt the joy of pet travel did not justify the heavy preparation required.

Point of View (POV):
“Pet owners who dream of taking overnight trips with their dogs need a fast and simple preparation method, because balancing effort and joy is essential to them.”

We used brainstorming and role-playing to generate a diverse range of ideas. After refining and combining concepts, we identified five feasible solution directions:

• Predicting owner–pet happiness levels for different trip types
• Centralizing pet-friendly travel information into one platform
• Offering flexible packaged and customized itineraries
• Establishing institutions to support pet-owner travel needs
• Building pet clubs or resorts for dedicated travel experiences

After evaluating feasibility and alignment with our POV, we selected the final design direction:

→ A web platform offering pet-friendly travel recommendations, flexible trip packages, and customizable itineraries tailored to owner and pet needs.

We created a mid-fidelity prototype consisting of four main pages:
① Homepage

• Recommended pet-friendly travel packages
• Option to create customized itineraries
• A short quiz to identify suitable travel styles

② Recommended Trips

• Filters for budget, stamina, pet energy level, and special needs
• Star-rated indicators for effort required, happiness, and overall suitability
• Right-panel detailed itinerary items
• Drag-and-drop actions for custom itineraries

③ Custom Schedule Builder

• Visual timeline interface for arranging trip activities
• Automatic import of selected activities
• Real-time calculations for owner effort, pet energy, and total cost

④ Equipment Rental & Add-On Services

• Rental of travel gear such as RVs, bowls, water bottles, and food
• Optional products like pet party outfits, swimwear, and custom birthday cakes
• Designed to reduce packing stress and preparation time

Two usability testers evaluated our prototype and provided valuable insights.

Positive Feedback

• Well-integrated and comprehensive information
• Strong customization flexibility
• Significant reduction in time spent researching trips
• Clear and trustworthy trip recommendations

Suggestions for Improvement

• Enhance interface intuitiveness
• Add a real-time online support system
• Provide optional pet travel insurance
• Offer professional driver services for pet-friendly transportation