Turning an offline booking process into a simple digital experience.
Paws Cattery
Project Type: UX Research | Service Design | UX/UI Design \ Responsive Design
Duration: 2-3 weeks
Tools: Figma
Role: UX Researcher, UX Designer & UI Designer
Problem
Paws Cattery is a family-run boarding cattery that has been operating for over 40 years.
Customers currently enquire about availability by email, after which the owner manually checks availability and sends a booking form if space is available.
This entirely manual workflow creates unnecessary friction for both customers and the business owner.
Goal
Redesign the experience as a guided online flow that makes choosing dates of availability, accommodation and extras easier for customers.
Solution
Designed a clear and concise booking flow that allows the customer to see at a glance the cattery’s availability, as well as a seven step process to go from discovery to confirmation booking.
Original process
Email → Download form → Complete form → Return form → Await confirmation
↓
Redesigned process
Dates → Cabin → Pet details → Extras → Review → Payment → Confirmation
User Journey
I started by conducting an audit of the existing user flow, to identify what was working and what wasn’t.
Pain Points
Customers
❌ No indication whether dates are available
❌ Waiting several days for a response
❌ Multiple email exchanges
❌ Long booking process
❌ Uncertainty while making holiday plans
Business
❌ Time spent replying to every enquiry
❌ Repeating the same information
❌ Manual diary management
❌ Increased chance of double bookings
❌ Difficult to scale during busy holiday periods
Competetive Analysis
I then reviewed booking systems used by a handful of local catteries to document any consistencies within the booking systems.
User Insights
As an existing customer of Paws Cattery, I reflected on my own experience.
“I wasn’t sure whether my holiday dates were even available before filling out forms.”
“I had to wait for an email before I could continue.”
“The process felt more like making a special request than making a booking.”
The strongest experiences shared common patterns:
✔ Built in booking form
✔ Mobile responsive
✔ Images of cabins
✔ Detailed FAQs
Problem Statement
Cat owners need a faster way to check availability and reserve boarding because the current email-based process is slow, uncertain and creates unnecessary admin for both customers and the business.
What is the MVP?
Design a booking experience that allows customers to:
Check availability instantly
Select their boarding dates
Complete all required information in one flow
Reduce unnecessary email conversations
Improve confidence before booking
while reducing administration for the owner.
Design Principles
I established four principles before designing:
1.
Availability First
Don’t ask for lots of information until users know space exists.
2.
One Booking Flow
Everything should happen within one experience instead of multiple emails.
3.
Reduce cognitive load
Ask only for information needed at each stage.
4.
Maintain the personal feel
Paws is a small family business, so automation should support the friendly customer experience.
Wireframes
Taking inspiration from the content in the existing booking form, I started to design a seven step process for the booking flow, and iterate a series of wireframes using Figma’s AI agents.
UI Design
The interface uses calming colours to reflect trust and care. The design feels welcoming and reassuring rather than corporate.
Final Design
Expected Outcomes
Customer
✔ Faster booking
✔ Greater confidence
✔ Fewer emails
✔ Better planning
Business
✔ Less administration
✔ Fewer repetitive enquiries
✔ Better organisation
✔ Easier scaling during busy seasons
Reflection
This project reinforced that good UX isn’t always about creating new features—it can be about simplifying existing workflows.
By rethinking the booking journey, I reduced friction for customers while supporting the operational needs of a small family-run business. The solution balances automation with the personal service that makes Paws Cattery successful.