Aplicação Móvel para Assistência a Animais de Estimação: Monitorização, Divulgação e Sensibilização

Abstract

Pets have been taking an increasingly important place in our society, going as far as being considered an integral part of the family. In Portugal, animals are abandoned every day and, despite the existence of pounds and associations responsible for sheltering stray animals, these are mainly running out of capacity. The volunteers and managers of associations have trouble managing and monitoring the animals that regularly show up, whether it is with registration, management of health-related events, tasks and availability of volunteers. Since associations are the main center of pet support and they need help, there is an opportunity for technological innovation related to continuous care. The project that I present aims for the development of a mobile application, at first for the Android system, whose main goal is to meet the needs of potential users. In other words, to help volunteers and those in charge of animal associations in the monotoring of their animals, through registration, medication intake, vaccination, treatments, medical appointments and surgeries. The main methodologies dissertation that are relevant to the process of developing this project are based on an approach to User Centered Design and Usability evaluation. Certain tools described by Rubin & Chisnell were used, such as: exploratory interviews, direct observation, personas, usage scenarios, card sorting, storyboards, high and low fidelity prototyping, preparation and execution of user evaluation sessions - using the think aloud protocol with audio-visual recording, interviews and System Usability Scale (SUS) surveys. Therefore, the intention was to design na interface that quickly addresses the problems of the users, so as to allow them to help both the animals that take shelter in the associations and those that are on the streets. The main characteristics pinpointed by the users were the registration and access to important information related to the animal, task management per animal and the quick communication between the members. After the development and evaluation of usability of these in the form of an interactive high fidelity prototype in Invision Studio, users were able to carry out the main tasks - 1) register a new animal; 2) set health appointments such as vaccination, medication, surgeries, treatments and deworming; 3) register events and tasks through the schedule - with minimal mistakes (10.71%) and describing the experience as very good (85% SUS). Despite the limited time for implementation, learning more about the Invision system and the collection of a larger amount of samples, the proposition confirms the need for an application like this for this user base, proving that it can work, help and make the tasks of the managers easier and allowing the volunteers to take better care of the animals. In the future, the suggestions recommended by the users may be implemented, such as the detailed medical history of the pet. This model may be applied, for example, in humanitarian causes/volunteering with the elder population, where it would allow for the management and monotoring of theirneeds.