Date: March 29, 2018

To: Petfinder Website Division

From: Cheyenne Milanovits

Subject: How to Adopt or Sponsor a Cat on Petfinder

Distribution List: Petfinder employees

The following concerns the usability report of the instruction set, “How to Adopt or Sponsor a Cat on
Petfinder.” Three participants were given a usability test handout along with the instruction set. Once
they had completed the instructions, the participants were asked to respond to seven questions (four
close ended and three open ended). The instructions will be amended according to participants’
recommendations (see App. B).

TEST OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this usability test were to evaluate which steps would be aided with visuals, to assess
the clarity of each step, and to determine if the instructions were too basic or too detailed for the
average user.

The tasks participants were expected to complete were: selecting a cat (with or without the use of
filters), beginning the process of adopting a cat through a shelter or foster company, and beginning the
process of sponsoring a cat.

RESULTS
Three participants were asked to complete the tasks and report on areas of strength and areas for
improvement.

Areas of Strength
All three participants concluded the instruction were indeed clear and steps were well thought out.

Areas of Improvement
All three again came to the same conclusion regarding areas of improvement: the instructions were too
detailed for the average user. Two of the participants suggested screen shots of buttons the user
needed to click.

Questionnaire
Three participants were asked seven questions (four close ended and three open ended). All three came
to the same general consensus: the original instructions were clear, but too wordy, and would benefit
from screenshots taken from the website. Below are the participants’ answers to the questions.
Close Ended Question Results

Q1: Were the instructions clear?

• P1: Yes
• P2: Yes
• P3: Yes

Q2: Do you think the instructions would be improved with pictures?

• P1: Possibly
• P2: Maybe
• P3: Maybe

Q3: Are these steps too basic and/or too detailed for the average user?

• P1: No, but there’s a lot of detail

• P2: The steps were good but too wordy
• P3: Not too basic, but too much detail

Q4: Overall, how do you feel about the instructions (1 through 5)?

• P1: 4
• P2: 4
• P3: 4

Open Ended Question Results

Q1: How would you improve on the clarity?

• P1: Very informative but less like instructions

• P2: Too verbose, need less detail
• P3: Too detailed

Q2: Which steps would benefit the most from the addition of pictures?

• P1: Places where a button is referenced

• P2: Inquiry/Sponsor, Shelter side bar screen capture
• P3: Areas that talk about buttons to click

Q3: [Are these steps too basic/too detailed] If yes, which steps would you eliminate, if any?

• P1: Not eliminate, but reduce description

• P2: Remove the selection detail in the beginning (age, breed, gender)
• P3: Wouldn’t eliminate but would scale down
RECOMMENDATIONS
It was recommended that I remove unnecessary detail, such as explaining what “breed,” “age,” and
“gender” referred to as well as superfluous information about how to research shelters and what to
expect after you have contacted a shelter. Based on the feedback from the usability test, I should also
add images when referring to a button to click.
APPENDIXES
App. A: Instruction Draft
How to Adopt or Sponsor a Pet on Petfinder

1. Go to Petfinder.com
2. Click “Find a Cat” button on homepage bar
3. Begin your search immediately or refine your results
a. Refining
i. You may filter by breed, age, and gender; sort by nearest, recently added, or available
longest; and restrict how far the database will search (in miles)
1. Breed: Petfinder has over 60 breeds to choose from and allows you to select multiple
breeds
2. Age: You may choose kitten, young (around 1 year old), adult, or senior
3. Gender: Male or female
ii. If you click on more filters, you can refine your search even more by appearance,
health/behavior, and name of pet/shelter
4. Selecting a cat
a. To select a cat, click on its picture
b. The following page will give you more details on the cat, such as appearance, health, and a quick
bio describing its personality
c. On the right side towards the bottom of the page, you can research more about the
shelter/foster company that currently houses the cat by clicking on “More About Us”
5. Adopting a cat
a. While you cannot adopt a cat directly through Petfinder, there are a few ways to give your
selected cat a forever home
i. Inquiring through Petfinder: Directly under the header picture, click on the “Ask About
____” button
1. This will lead you to a form where you may ask any questions you have about the cat and
Petfinder will send it directly to the shelter/foster company that houses them
2. This will also let the shelter/foster company know you are interested and they will reach
out to you for further details
ii. Contacting the shelter/foster company directly: Occasionally, within the bio, the company
will inform you on how to adopt through them by posting a web address
1. Even if they do not, all companies are required to post an email where you can send your
interest about a certain cat
2. This is located on the bottom right side of the page above the “More About Us” button
a. To aid the company in your adoption process, it is best to put your full name,
location, and additional contact information as well as any inquiries you have about
the cat
b. Based on hours of operation and volunteers available, responses may take a few
business days but the company will let you know all the necessary steps to finalize
your adoption
6. Sponsoring a cat
a. Click the “Sponsor ____” button underneath “Ask About ____”
b. Click “Ok” on the pop-up box to proceed in a new tab
c. Pick your desired amount to sponsor ($25, $50, $100, $150, $200, $250, and $500 available)
and click “Donate Now”
d. On the following page, fill out your credit card and billing information to complete your
sponsorship
App. B: Revised Instructions

How to Adopt or Sponsor a Pet on Petfinder

Have you ever wanted to adopt or sponsor a cat, but were unsure where to look? With Petfinder, now it
is easier than ever! Simply follow the instructions below to begin your journey on giving a shelter cat a
second chance.

1. Go to Petfinder.com
2. Click “Find a Cat” button on homepage bar

3. Begin your search immediately or refine your results

a. Refining
i. You may filter by breed, age, and gender; sort by nearest, recently added, or available
longest; and restrict how far the database will search (in miles)
ii. If you click on “More Filters”, you can refine your search even more by appearance,
health/behavior, and name of pet/shelter

4. Selecting a cat
a. To select a cat, click on its picture
b. The following page will give you more details on the cat, such as appearance, health, and a quick
bio describing its personality
5. Adopting a cat
a. While you cannot adopt a cat directly through Petfinder, there are a few ways to give your
selected cat a forever home
b. Inquiring through Petfinder
i. Directly under the header picture, click on the “Ask About ____” button
ii. This will lead you to a form where you may ask any questions you have about the cat
c. Contacting the shelter/foster company directly
i. Click on the email located on the bottom right side of the page below the Google maps
widget
6. Sponsoring a cat
a. Click the “Sponsor ____” button underneath “Ask
About ____”
b. Click “Ok” on the pop-up box to proceed in a new tab
c. Pick your desired amount to sponsor ($25, $50, $100,
$150, $200, $250, and $500 available) and click
“Donate Now”
d. On the following page, fill out your credit card and
billing information to complete your sponsorship