PETAR.
An AI-powered virtual pet app that enhances emotional connection through immersive AR interactions.
Estimate Reading Time: 6 mins
Contribution
UX Research
Product Design
Visual Design
Prototyping
Tools
Figma
Adobe Photoshop
Deliverable
Ios App
Android App
Ipad App
How to use AI companions help us feel less alone?
Goal
Our goal is to redefine digital pet companionship by making interaction feel natural, engaging, & emotionally satisfying.
01
Problem Discovery
Loneliness & the
challenges of
owning a real pet
(time, space, cost)
In today’s digital world, many feel disconnected despite constant online interactions. The pandemic has amplified this emotional void, and owning a pet is often not a feasible solution due to space, time, or resource constraints.
That inspired me to research how others face similar challenges and how I could create a user-friendly solution.
Research Methods (
02
Research Methods
Discover the opportunities
Online Survey
13 key questions | 40+ form received |8+ Key Insights
Source link: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/
In-depth User Interview
5+ interviewee | 45+ minutes interview | 8+ Key Insights
I have prepared for the interview by writing down relevant questions and creating a script. My goal is to confirm or refute my hypotheses through these interviews.
Key Insights
Based on our survey and in-depth interview.
01
Customization is key
Users want to have personalized pet customization, not regular rote routines.
02
Real emotional needs
Users want dynamic and adaptive interactions, not just button based actions.
03
Appealing pet appearance
The appearance of the pet has a direct impact on their willingness to engage with the app.
Research Methods (
03
Persona
Come to meet our primary audience.
Research Methods (
04
Problems
Identified Challenges
01
Lacked depth and meaningful responses
Users felt that existing virtual pets The action is dull and not interactive.
02
Emotional solutions for small space individuals
How to Help Small Space Individuals Get the best pet experience possible.
03
Apps on the market lacks personalization
Most apps focus on gamification rather than companionship and emotional personalization.
Research Methods (
05
Wireframes
Discover the opportunities
Research Methods (
06
Design System & Visual Guideline
The overall color is bright and lively, which not only strengthens the brand recognition but also expresses a unique visual sensation.
Suitable for a variety of design scenarios to enhance the user’s visual experience and emotional resonance.
Unified style guide with consistent design specifications to facilitate subsequent modifications.
06
Solutions
Discover the opportunities
Solution 1
Fully personal & customization option
I created an onboarding flow where users can customize their pet’s appearance, voice, and personality. This allows each pet to feel unique and emotionally connected to its owner from the start.
As a UX designer, I would like to make every user to feel an instant emotional bond by shaping a pet that mirrors their identity — because true connection starts with personalization.
Solution 2
AI-powered
real interaction
Built a conversational system where pets respond with real-time expressions and voice. This makes every interaction feel alive and emotionally supportive — especially for users seeking comfort and companionship.
Solution 3
Social Sharing &
Pet Friendship
Users can share their pet’s info card to invite friends, who can then create their own pets. This transforms the experience from personal bonding into a playful, shared journey across users and their virtual pets.
Solution 4
Immersive AR experience
With AR, pets can appear in the user’s real environment — sitting on a desk or curling up in a hand. This bridges the digital and physical worlds, making the companionship feel more real and present.
Research Methods (
07
Navigating Architecture Map
Creating a architecture map is crucial for understanding a product’s structure. It’s like a digital blueprint, helping us see how pages connect and content flows.
Research Methods (
08
Iteration
User Usability Test
After the prototyping, I did a user test again to analyze the flows are user friendly and easy engagement.
Objective: To determine how easily users can talk with pet, and using the AR function on PetAR.
Feedback-to-Design
Mapping
Based on user feedback, we redesigned the voice interaction experience to include floating chat bubbles with scrollable history to make conversations clearer and more continuous. And we added emotional tone detection, so that the pet can detect the user’s emotions through the tone of voice.
To enhance the onboarding experience, we added preview animations for voice and personality options. This helps users make more emotionally appealing choices.
Finally, we integrated a lightweight emotional memory system that allows the pet to remember the user’s past emotional states and interactions.
Take Away
Designing from 0 to 1 is a journey of
exploration, iteration, and learning. This project
challenged me to think critically, embrace user
feedback, and refine interactions.
Through countless iterations, I transformed an
idea into an immersive AI-driven experience,
reinforcing my belief that
great design fosters meaningful connections.