Rebuilding remote owner–pet connections
Problem
More people own pets than ever, yet busy schedules mean owners are frequently apart from them. Existing pet cameras and toys offer limited, one-directional interaction — they let you watch, but not truly connect.
How might we create safe, flexible, and emotionally meaningful connections between pet owners and their pets — even when they're apart?
Solution
PawLink bridges the distance between owners and pets through three products that work together — letting you play, monitor, and bond remotely in real time.
Overlay AR cues onto the real world for immersive remote play.
Central hub for play modes, pet activity, and caretaker access.
AI companion with camera, sensors, mechanical arm, and toy storage.
Real-time data flow between AR Glasses, App, and Waggo Robot
Demo
Video placeholder — add Figma prototype recording or demo walkthrough
01 — Research
5 participants, ages 17–32. Key findings:
Affinity mapping from survey and interview data
02 — Framing
Empathy-driven personas built from research findings
Mapped the emotional arc of separation — from leaving home to returning — to find key moments where design can intervene.
Emotional highs and lows across a typical day away from a pet
03 — Ideation
Cross-referencing user needs with technology, then rapid sketching to explore form and interaction
04 — Lo-Fi Prototyping
Balancing pet safety, autonomous mobility, and playful personality.
Physical form explorations for the Waggo robot
Establishing information architecture and core navigation before visual design.
Information architecture and key task flows
05 — Testing
Ran System Usability Scale (SUS) testing to benchmark usability, followed by post-test interviews to understand the reasoning behind scores.
System Usability Scale results
06 — Iterations
Usability issues from testing drove targeted redesigns. Peer critique added perspective on visual hierarchy and interaction clarity.
Simplified mode switching based on usability findings
Reduced from 5 steps to 3
Final Design
Real-time AR play, recorded sessions, and live pet cam.
Automatically captured moments — a living photo album of your pet's day.
Track feeding, play time, and activity patterns.
Share access with pet sitters or family so everyone stays connected.
Synchronous (real-time play) and asynchronous (recorded, monitoring) modes.
Looking Ahead