Humane Society Website Design: Increasing Adoptions Through Strategic UX

The Challenge

Through competitive analysis of Washington state humane society websites, I identified two critical problems that consistently prevented successful adoption outcomes:

Information Architecture Failures

• Not enough information: Users couldn't get answers to basic questions, leading to abandonment
• Too much information, poorly structured: Excessive, disorganized content made navigation difficult and overwhelming
• Phone call dependencies: Most sites forced users to call for basic information or appointment scheduling
• Multi-step friction: Adoption processes required multiple phone calls and in-person visits before seeing basic details

User Barriers to Adoption

Research from Civic Science's "Dog Shelters vs. Pet Stores" study revealed the top barriers:

• Behavioral concerns (15%): Belief that shelter dogs have behavioral issues
• Age preferences (6%): Wanted puppies or younger dogs specifically
• Fee concerns (6%): Perceived shelter fees as too high
• Other misconceptions (12%): Various unfounded concerns about shelter adoption

"My job is to inform and recruit these lost potential adopters by easing their minds on perceived negatives of adoption."

Research & Discovery

Data-Driven Insights

I consulted authoritative sources to build a foundation of industry data:

• HSUS (Humane Society of the United States): National trends and best practices
• ASPCA: Adoption statistics and donor behavior
• AVMA: Pet ownership demographics and veterinary data
• Government databases: Regional animal welfare statistics

Competitive Analysis: Spokane Humane Society

Deep dive into the 2020 annual report revealed critical insights:

Key Takeaway: Individual donations were the primary income source, making the individual donor experience the main target for my framework design.

User Demographics (AVMA 2017-2018 Sourcebook)

Pet ownership data shaped my user persona development:

• Species preference: Dogs most owned, followed by cats
• Age groups: Ages 25-40 highest ownership (primary), ages 57-75 second highest
• Geography: Less urbanized areas had highest ownership at 67%
• Socioeconomic factors: Higher income, post-secondary education, married individuals more likely to own pets
• Ethnicity: White/Caucasian majority, Latino/Hispanic second

Primary Research Methods

I created interview surveys targeting three stakeholder groups:

1. Shelter workers/volunteers: Understanding operational challenges and adoption process pain points
2. Pet owners who adopted: Learning what worked and what caused friction
3. Pet owners who purchased: Understanding why they chose not to adopt and what could change their minds

User-Centered Design Strategy

User Personas & Journey Mapping

Based on AVMA data and qualitative research, I developed detailed user personas representing:

• Age ranges (25-40 and 57-75)
• Income levels (middle to upper-middle class)
• Family structures (married, families with children)
• Geographic contexts (suburban and semi-rural)
• Motivations, concerns, and decision-making processes

User persona development and journey mapping based on AVMA demographic research

I mapped complete user journeys from awareness through post-adoption to identify friction points and opportunities for improvement.

Wireframes & Information Architecture

I created low-fidelity wireframes to test information architecture before investing in visual design:

Wireframe iterations testing different approaches to content hierarchy and user flows

Information Architecture Goals

I designed the IA to solve common problems found in competitor sites:

• Right amount of information: Provide exactly what users need at each decision point
• Self-service adoption process: Enable users to browse, learn, and schedule without phone calls
• Address misconceptions proactively: Counter behavioral concerns and fee anxieties with transparent information
• Clear donor pathways: Make it easy for supporters to contribute financially

Design Approach

Competitive Analysis: Before & After

I analyzed existing humane society websites to identify common UX failures. Here's an example of a typical shelter website with the problems I aimed to solve:

Typical shelter website showing common issues: text-heavy layout, buried CTAs, and poor information hierarchy

Problems Identified:

• Critical information buried in dense text blocks
• "BY APPOINTMENT ONLY" warning not prominent enough
• Multiple competing calls-to-action without clear priority
• Important details (location, hours, contact) relegated to small footer text
• Volunteer recruitment competing with adoption messaging

Core Requirements

To achieve a successful website, Second Chance needed to:

1. Generate sustainable income: Achieve annual operating budget through optimized donation flows
2. Reduce shelter population: Increase adoption rates by removing barriers
3. Increase volunteer recruitment: Make it easy to learn about and sign up for volunteer opportunities

Strategic Focus Areas

• Content optimization: Improve communication to the public with clear, empathetic messaging
• Service design integration: Seamlessly integrate adoption processes into the user journey
• Online donation infrastructure: Implement secure, user-friendly payment processing
• Information availability: Ensure critical details are accessible and easily found

UX Solutions to Adoption Barriers

I designed specific features to address each barrier identified in research:

Addressing Behavioral Concerns (15% of non-adopters):

• Individual animal profiles with personality assessments and behavioral notes
• Success stories from previous adopters
• Information about behavior evaluation and training programs
• Transparent disclosure with context (e.g., "Needs quiet home" vs. "Has behavioral issues")

Addressing Age Preferences (6% of non-adopters):

• Prominent age filtering in search functionality
• Education on benefits of adult dogs (house-trained, calmer temperament)
• Clear labeling of puppies/kittens when available

Addressing Fee Concerns (6% of non-adopters):

• Transparent pricing with breakdown of what's included (vaccinations, spay/neuter, microchip)
• Cost comparison: adoption vs. purchasing + initial vet costs
• Fee assistance programs and special promotions

Key Features & Solutions

Final Visual Design

The final design incorporated a warm, approachable aesthetic that addresses user concerns while maintaining professionalism:

Final visual designs showing homepage, animal profiles, and donation experience

Streamlined Adoption Process

Removed friction by enabling users to:

• Browse available animals with detailed profiles
• Read about care requirements and personality traits
• Submit adoption applications online
• Schedule meet-and-greet appointments through the website
• Access adoption FAQs and resources

Optimized Donation Experience

Designed to maximize individual donor conversions:

• Multiple giving options (one-time, monthly, memorial, sponsorships)
• Impact messaging ("Your $50 provides...")
• Simplified donation forms
• Secure payment integration
• Donor recognition options

Volunteer Recruitment

• Clear volunteer opportunities and requirements
• Online application and scheduling
• Volunteer testimonials and impact stories

Key Deliverables

Research Methodology

• Stakeholder interviews (ongoing project)
• User surveys targeting adopters and non-adopters
• Competitive website audits (Washington state focus)
• Data analysis of industry reports (AVMA, ASPCA, HSUS)
• Financial analysis (Spokane Humane Society annual report)

Impact & Insights

This project demonstrated the power of research-driven design in the nonprofit space. By addressing specific user concerns with empathetic, data-informed solutions, I created a framework that:

• Reduces adoption barriers through transparency and education
• Streamlines the adoption process to reduce abandonment
• Optimizes donation flows to support organizational sustainability
• Balances multiple stakeholder needs (families, donors, volunteers, staff)

Key Lesson: Understanding the "why" behind user behavior—in this case, misconceptions about shelter animals—is essential to designing effective solutions. Simply making information available isn't enough; you must proactively address concerns users may not even verbalize.