Project Overview

Making pet health tracking
as natural as a meal.

FitFido reimagines how we care for our pets by blending precise weight tracking directly into their feeding routine—so owners can focus on loving their dogs, not stressing over data.

MUSE Silver Award

Silver Award

MUSE DESIGN AWARDS

IDA Bronze Award

Bronze Award

INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS

Product
Software & Hardware
Skills
User Research & Testing
UX Design
Industrial Design
3D Modeling
My Role
UX Researcher
UX Designer
Industrial Design Lead
Timeline
Q4 2024
Team
Yiming Han, Minwei Wu, Qiling Chen
The Market Gap

A disjointed reality.

Today’s pet health tools ask too much of owners. Weighing a dog and feeding a dog happen in two completely different contexts, making consistent tracking almost impossible. As a result: Nearly 59% of pets struggle with obesity simply because owners lack clear, daily feedback.

The Opportunity: What if data collection didn't feel like a chore? By hiding the scale inside the food bowl, we can turn a daily necessity into effortless health tracking.

59%Pet Obesity
Competitor Analysis

Competitors offer pieces, not solutions.

Through competitive analysis, we discovered that users are forced to choose between dumb bowls or overly complex smart feeders that lack integrated health insights.

ProductWeighingAI PortioningHealth InsightsCalorie DetectionPrice
FitFido$149.99
W***$299.00
P***$139.99
E***$42.49
User Research

Listening to the users.

We spoke with 11 dog owners dealing with various weight management challenges. We didn't just ask what they wanted; we dug into the emotional and practical hurdles of keeping their dogs healthy.

0
supporting insights on
Balanced Feeding Habits
0
supporting insights on
Accurate Measurement

"I just pour by feel. Those charts on the back of the bag are impossible to decode."

Insight: Data Blindness

"When I work late, I feel guilty. I usually overfeed treats when I get home to make up for it."

Insight: Emotional Comp.

"I bought a pet scale once. Trying to hold a squirming dog while reading a number was a nightmare."

Insight: Behavioral Friction
Design Objective
3-4

Guide dogs back to a healthy
Body Condition Score (BCS)
of 3-4 within six months, without adding stress to the owner's daily routine.

Solution

The Closed-Loop Ecosystem

1. Invisible Auto-Weighing

High-precision sensors in the base capture the dog's weight the moment they step up to eat. By completely hiding the scale, we removed the hardest part of health tracking.

1. Invisible Auto-Weighing
2. AI Portioning & Recognition

2. AI Portioning & Recognition

Just snap a photo of the food bag. The app instantly extracts the calorie density and, acting as a smart nutritionist, dynamically adjusts the next meal's portion based on today's weight.

3. A Dashboard that Cares

We translated intimidating health metrics into a simple, visual BCS progress bar. It focuses on positive reinforcement, giving owners a clear sense of achievement as their dogs get healthier.

3. A Dashboard that Cares
Evaluative Study

Testing the ecosystem with real users.

We ran a moderated usability study with 6 dog owners to put our hardware prototype and app to the test. We weren't just looking for task completion—we wanted to know how the system made them feel.

TaskSuccess RateAvg. TimeUser Feedback / Insight
T1: Auto-weighing100%3.6s"I didn't even know it was weighing..."
T2: Food Recognition95%12.0s"Numbers are confusing."
T3: Dynamic Portioning83%25.0s"Worried if my dog spills food."
T4: Health Trends100%5.0s"Just like my fitness tracker."
0
SUS Score (Grade A)
-0s
Avg. Time Reduction
Design Iteration

Evidence-Based Iteration.

The Problem

"Users found our initial dashboard overwhelming. The density of the data actually caused 'data blindness,' making it hard to know what to focus on first."

The Iteration

"We stripped away the noise. By adopting a soft, neumorphic design language, we used physical depth and light to create a clear hierarchy. Now, the interface feels less like a spreadsheet and more like a quiet, helpful companion."

V1V1
V2V2
V3V3
V4 (Final)V4 (Final)
Ecosystem

The Unified Hardware-Software Ecosystem

Pet Approaches

Auto-Weighing

Sensors in the base capture real-time weight the moment the dog steps onto the platform to eat.

Data Sync

Cloud Analysis

Weight data is instantly beamed to the cloud and matched with the food's specific calorie density.

Dynamic Adjustment

Smart Algorithm

The system calculates the exact portion needed for the very next meal based on today's weight.

Execution

Precise Dispensing

The feeder releases the calculated food amount with gram-level accuracy, ensuring zero intake error.

Insights

Digital Dashboard

Complex health data turns into an easy-to-read progress bar right on the owner's phone.

Long-Term

Behavioral Shift

Over time, the system gently corrects feeding habits to maintain health and prevent weight rebound.

Final Mockup 1
Hardware & App
Final Mockup 2
UI Design
Final Mockup 3
Usage Scenario
Designer's Reflection

From "Data Anxiety" to "Subconscious Companionship"

Building FitFido fundamentally shifted my perspective on the boundary between a "tool" and a "companion."

While most health tech relies on dense, intimidating charts to look 'smart', they often just make users anxious. I realized the true value of design is folding data collection invisibly into everyday habits.

By leveraging a Neumorphic Minimalist aesthetic, we replaced the anxiety of a glowing screen with the calm of a tactile, resin-like surface. Data is no longer a cold metric; it acts as a digital breath, naturally syncing with the pet's routine.

"The best interface is the one that acts as a silent copilot, intervening only when necessity arises."

This project reinforced that design is not just about how it looks, but how it flows. True technological warmth means dissolving complex AI and sensor technology into a silent, effortless experience.

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