Madlen Vill
CV
All work

2021 · Side project

Dates for Animals

A dating-style app that matches shelter animals with the right people — designed with the shelters, not just for them.

Role
UX Research & Design (team of two)
Methods
InterviewsSketchingPaper prototypesWireframesFigma

Context

Animal shelters are at their capacity limit. The idea: show interested people only the animals that match their lifestyle — in a familiar, swipe-based format.

Process

  1. Interviews

    Surveyed 15 animal shelters about a progressive placement app. Almost all reacted positively and shared what a transparent application process would need.

  2. Sketches

    Explored four paper-prototype versions of the placement flow and kept the one users understood best.

  3. Wireframes & UI

    Built high-fidelity wireframes and a light, modern UI in Figma, inspired by nature and animals.

  4. Visual refresh (2026)

    Revisited the screens with today's dating-app patterns: full-bleed photo cards, personality tags written in the animals' voice, and a match screen that leads straight to booking a visit.

Artefacts

Discover screen: swipe card of Mango, a nine-year-old ginger cat, with tags and like buttons
Discover — swipe through animals near you
Profile of Luna, a two-year-old shepherd mix, with size, energy and a button to book a meet and greet
Profile — the facts shelters said matter most
Match screen with the applicant and Pepe the cat, and a button to book a shelter visit
Match — straight to a real visit at the shelter
15shelters interviewed
53screens
“How great that someone is looking into us and wants to make this process more advanced.”
— Shelter owner, Lower Saxony

Outcome

53 screens designed; moderated user tests planned as the next step.