Before
After
Project's Results
Recognition
My project won first place in the MVP highlight of the UX design postgraduate course, competing with more than 40 students and being presented to a panel of professors and a representative from MIT Technology Brazil.
Research Impact
📌 104 survey responses
📌 +10 insights gathered
📌4 main pain points identified
4 positive testimonials from test-users
Test-users reviews
Gustavo Santos
I liked the app's proposal and found the interface very intuitive.
Maria de Fátima
I loved the app, I would definitely use it in the future for traveling!
Daniele Silva
I think the app would have helped me a lot when I was traveling with my kitten.
Juliana Gonçalves
I already want to use it for my next trip with my dog!
My role and responsabilities
PetPorte was a personal project developed by me, and I was the sole designer on the project, taking on multiple roles within the UX design process.
I took on all the stages of the UX and UI process, applying Double Diamond methodologies for research, ideation, prototyping and validation., conducted user interviews, interaction design, as well as documenting the process and final prototype.
Design Goals
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✅ More informed and secure users when planning their trips with pets, reducing errors and problems with documentation.
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✅ Ease and convenience in the process of organizing the trip, eliminating the need for multiple searches in unreliable sources.
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✅ Reduced stress for pet owners, with simpler and more practical planning.
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✅ Greater adherence to and trust in the service, ensuring that tutors feel safe using the app.
User Research
In order to better understand the situation and context in which the proposed topic currently finds itself, I began with secondary research, looking for various pieces of content such as news, articles and related websites.
With the information from the previous research, I drew up the CSD matrix, listing everything I knew, thought I knew and didn't know about the topic, so that this information could later be validated, as well as being a framework to help organize the information.
My main objective was to better understand the pet travel market and the process involved in transporting animals on airlines.
The pandemic - and consequently social isolation - was the main factor that led to the growth in the number of pets living at home. As a result, guardians have strengthened their bonds with their pets, who are increasingly present in their daily tasks.
30%
of the population has adopted animals during the pandemic, increasing the number of domesticated animals.
82%
of participants intend to travel with their pets, according to a survey conducted by Hoteis.com in 2020.
170%
an increase in the number of searches for “how to take a dog on a plane” on the internet during the pandemic.
271%
increase in the number of animals transported on airplanes in 2021 compared to 2019, according to Air Europa.
45%
of people in total reported that they had already had the experience of traveling with their pets by plane
65%
of people who have traveled with pets reported having had difficulties with the bureaucratic process of travel
10%
of people who have traveled with pets reported having canceled their trip due to pet-related mishaps
60%
of people who traveled with pets reported that the bureaucratic process took an average of 3-4 months
User Interviews
With my doubts mapped out, I decided to carry out more in-depth research on the subject, seeking direct contact with people. At first, I set up a survey to be sent to specific groups, containing questions related to the topic, with a total of 104 responses.
At the same time as the survey was collecting responses, I invited two people to chat on Zoom about their experiences of traveling with their pets.
02
User Interviews
104
Form responses
Tools used
I used various tools to help me throughout the entire UX design process of the app. I'll list below the tools I used the most:
Research board - MIRO
It helped me with the entire project, gathering all the information about research, interviews, data and insights.
Surveys - Google forms
It helped me put together the survey form to be sent to pet owners in the travel groups.
Testing - MAZE
Used to set up real-time tests of the designed wireframes and analyze user interaction.
Prototyping tool - FIGMA
Used to create high-fidelity interfaces, applying the app's visual identity.
Images and art - Adobe Illustrator
Used to create the visual identity of the app, logos, texts, images, among others.
Main challenge of the project
Difficulty in finding participants for Interviews
One of the main challenges faced during the development of PetPorte was the difficulty in finding available participants for the qualitative interviews. Initially, I planned to conduct interviews with at least five pet owners who had already experienced traveling with their pets.
However, due to the unavailability of some people and the non-attendance of two interviewees, the number of interviews carried out was lower than expected.
Solution and Learning
To get around this limitation, I adopted a few strategies:
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✅ I publicized the survey in social media groups aimed at traveling pet owners, increasing the reach.
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✅ As the quantitative survey had 104 responses, I used the data collected to complement the qualitative information I couldn't obtain via interviews.
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✅ Instead of face-to-face interviews or videoconferencing, I allowed some participants to respond via audios and messages. This made participation more flexible and ensured that I gained relevant insights.
📌 Learning: It's not always possible to follow the initial plan to the letter, and adaptability is essential in the UX process. This challenge taught me to explore different data collection methods to ensure that decisions were based on concrete information.
The Problem
The biggest difficulty is the lack of clear and accessible information for pet owners who want to travel with their pets. Many pet owners don't know where to start, struggle to find reliable information and end up resorting to videos on the internet or forums with no guarantee of accuracy.
With a lack of clear guidance, especially on pet exams and documentation, which involves various certificates and different deadlines for delivering results, pet owners can get lost in the middle of the process.
This can result in errors in the process, travel delays and even the impossibility of boarding the animal due to lack of proper documentation.
Sabrina, 29 - Magé, Rio de Janeiro.
At first I was at a loss as to where to start the process, I had to watch thousands of videos on YouTube to understand, because I went to two vets and they didn't know how to inform me properly. In the end, the whole process took about 4 months, it's very bureaucratic, but it worked. I was flying to Portugal on LATAM. My poodle is 5 kilos and managed to board with me in the cabin, but she had to stay in her crate the whole time.
Pâmela, 32 - Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.
I had problems with the crate, as my dog was in the hold of the plane, the company required a specific type and size of crate and I hadn't been informed about it. I had to reschedule my trip until I got the crate, which was very expensive! I wish the rules were the same for all airlines, because it looks like I'm going to have to have another crate, one for each airline.
Observations & Insights
After collecting all the information about the survey, I compiled all the data into a table in the Miro tool, and began to analyze it in detail, looking for patterns and understanding the main pains of the people taking part in the survey.
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01
Uncertain information
Most people find it difficult to travel with their pet due to the difficulty of finding clear and objective information, both from vets and airlines.
02
Steps with the most doubts
The stage where people have the most doubts is in relation to the issuing of the CVI (International Veterinary Certificate), and the veterinary requirements, such as vaccinations and rabies serology (which is required in certain countries).
03
Seeking information
Most people start by researching the step-by-step process on websites such as blogs, YouTube videos and especially on specific Facebook/Telegram groups.
04
Pet documentation
It takes people an average of 3 to 4 months to sort out their pet's documentation, depending on the destination of the trip, with international trips being the most bureaucratic.
Ideation Process
Personas
Empathy map
Action plan
User flow
MoLIC (Modeling Language for Interaction as Conversation)
MoLIC is a modeling language that represents the interaction between a user and a computer, and is based on the metaphor of a conversation between the user and the system designer.
This language was part of a graduate course at PUC Rio called "Assessment of the quality of system usage" and was used to structure the application's system.
Wireframes
Wireframe testing
Tests were conducted with three people to assess the information structure in the interfaces, and they were given three tasks to complete.
task 01
Register a pet
The user needs to go through the process of registering a new pet in the app.
task 02
Attach documents
The user needs to go through the process of attaching the pet's documents to their registration.
task 03
Register new trip
The user needs to go through the process of registering a new trip with their pet, specifying the destination and airline.
Action items
Based on the tests, I've come up with new improvement proposals for the app.
01
Tooltips
On the "My Pets" screen, add a tooltip or some text to the floating button in the bottom menu, highlighting that its function is solely to register a new trip.
02
Add new pet to trip
On the travel registration screen, add a button to add a pet or register a new one.
03
Limit information
On the travel registration screen, disable dates that have already passed on the calendar, so as not to confuse users.
0%
drop-out rate
50%
direct sucess
40s
average time
Visual identity development
Mali Font
Final results
Project's Summary
PetPorte was a transformative project in my career as a UX Designer. As my first personal case based on a real problem, it allowed me to apply end-to-end design methodologies, from initial research to prototyping and validation with users.
As well as honing my technical skills in UX Research, UI Design and usability testing, this project taught me how to deal with real challenges, such as the difficulty of recruiting participants for interviews and the need to adapt processes in the face of restrictions.
Having PetPorte recognized in first place in PUC-Rio's Highlight MVP in partnership with MIT Technology Review was a significant milestone in my professional evolution. This validation reinforces that I'm on the right track and motivates me to continue developing solutions that positively impact people's lives.
Next steps
The project doesn't end here. Some developments that could be explored include:
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✅ Further validate the user experience and collect feedback to improve specific flows.
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✅ Incorporating new functionalities, such as an interactive checklist for organizing pet travel documents.
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✅ Possibility of integrating PetPorte with airline services, pet-friendly hotels and veterinary clinics, creating a complete ecosystem for pet owners.
PetPorte began as an academic and personal project, but it has the potential to grow even further and become an essential tool for those who want to travel with their pets safely and peacefully.
Shaping Experiences for Digital Solutions
beatrizferreira.ux@gmail.com
+55 21 9 90675458
Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro,
BrazIl
© 2025 made by Beatriz Ferreira. All rights reserved
Introduction
PetPorte is an app that has emerged as an ideal assistant for pet owners who want to travel with their pets. The idea was born from the observation of a real problem during my time as a veterinarian, where many clients had recurring doubts about the process of traveling with animals.
The lack of clear and organized information meant that most of them resorted to videos on the internet or forums without having a reliable, centralized answer.
PetPorte aims to solve this by offering a platform where all the information can be stored and organized.