Doing something for free has its challenges and its awards. When its something I love for something I also love, its makes it pretty simple. The Nerdery hosts an even each year, the “Overnight Website Challenge” and this was the year that I decided to participate. We were tasked with meeting, planning, and designing a site with the client in under 24 hours.
We had a couple objectives, make pet finding easier for those involved. Tap in to the pet finder API to help keep track of the animals and sort them in the system. Present the animals in a way that would make them irresistible. We go to work on the UX almost immediately.
We discovered quickly that we wanted to make the strategy a lot like an online dating site. We'd give each pet a profile, discuss significant details and then allow users to match themselves with a pet. Due to restrictions we could only partly implement the idea but we did focus our efforts on creating lasting connection through photography. The homepage featured the most unique layout on the site, a full page photo of the animals to draw people in to learning more. Owners could also submit “happy tails” about their adoptions and how their lives have changed due to the decision to adopt an animal.
“I can't believe how good the site looks. Its completely different and it actually looks like it was professionally done.”
Kate Benvenuti Head of Operations
We only had 24 hours and we used every second.
When you’re running on fumes sometimes you need that nitrous oxide boost to win the race.
Sleep is overrated.
