Exploring Sustainable Pet Care: A UX Research Case Study with LOMI
LOMI is a Swedish pet care brand committed to fostering a natural, sustainable, and healthy lifestyle for pets worldwide. The brand faces unique challenges in the EU market, prompting an investigation into consumer behaviours and preferences concerning sustainable pet care products. With the predefined problem statement of “How might we create behaviour changes in favour of sustainable products,” I began a UX research project. I aimed to uncover insights that could inform strategies for promoting sustainability and driving consumer behaviour change among LOMI’s audience in Europe.
User Needs and Hypothesis Mapping
As part of the brief, I was provided with a predefined persona:
Helena is vibrant 39-year-old and dedicated dog owner (…) Her dog and family is her anchor, and she values quality time them (…) she prioritizes products that seamlessly integrate into her routine, emphasizing both quality and sustainability (…) she’s willing to invest in products that align with her values, putting the well-being of her furry companion first.
This predefined persona served as the starting point for mapping user needs and later hypotheses. Helena’s characteristics and preferences provided valuable insights into the behaviours and values of potential users.
Based on the user needs matrix, I identified the most critical needs and formulated hypotheses based on them.
The hypotheses derived from Helena’s persona were later subjected to research to either prove or disprove them
Research
Screener Survey: As the next step in the research was to conduct interviews, it was essential to recruit suitable participants. To ensure that the interviews provided valuable insights aligned with my research goals, I prepared a screener survey. I aimed to avoid narrowing the focus too much due to the limited data available to support the initial persona - I wanted to allow room for its evolution. I prioritized three primary criteria: participants must have a pet, reside in Europe, and consider their pet as an integral part of their family. In addition to these primary criteria, I included initial questions about participants’ pet care practices to enrich the data gathered.
Interviews: Thanks to the screener survey, I was able to select the six most suitable participants for the interviews. In preparation for the interviews, I developed an interview guide consisting of a set of open-ended questions tailored to each hypothesis. This approach ensured a smooth flow of conversation during the interviews.
Cart sorting: Once the main interview was complete, I transitioned to conducting cart sorting exercise with each of the participants. This activity involved presenting participants with a set of cards representing potential features for an online pet care shop. They were asked to categorize these features into four groups: “Must have,” “Should have,” “Nice to have,” and “Don’t want". This hands-on approach provided deeper insights into participants’ priorities and preferences, enriching the overall understanding gained from the interviews.
Findings
After conducting the interviews, the next step involved synthesizing the gathered data. This process included analyzing the transcripts and notes from each interview to distill key insights. The insights served as the foundation for crafting principles aimed at enhancing the user experience and guiding future strategies at LOMI. I identified 8 insights, with 3 of them collecting the most data and consistently pointing in the same direction. These insights were marked with a “High confidence level” label.
To analyze the cart sorting results, I mapped them all and found that ingredient transparency emerged as a top priority among users, aligning closely with the insights gathered during the interviews. This reinforces the significance of the “Users value ingredient and production and transparency and associate it with sustainability” insight. Additionally, pet reviews were a must have for 4 out of 6 participants.
Next steps
For the three principles in which I had the highest confidence, I’ve outlined suggested next steps. These actionable initiatives can guide the brand towards implementing the identified principles effectively.
Reflections
As I delved into the research process, I encountered various challenges that ultimately shaped my understanding of pet owner’s needs and preferences. During the interviews, I realized that the balance between the number of questions and the allotted time was not ideal, which affected the depth of our discussions. The same issue arose during cart sorting, where the focus could have been narrowed down. Additionally, addressing sustainability proved challenging, as I aimed to avoid unintentionally making participants feel guilty about their practices. I discovered that asking broader questions about their lifestyle provided a more natural entry point into discussing sustainability concerns
The challenges I faced along the way have enriched my learning journey. Despite them, I’ve gained significant insights into the world of pet care and user preferences. The contributions of interview participants have been essential, guiding me toward a deeper understanding of user needs and preferences. I hope the research findings will serve as a solid foundation for LOMI to prioritize user-centricity and further develop the brand accordingly.
