Mars Petcare · The Kin

Launched

A softer start for new pet parents.

The Kin is a pet care app from Mars Petcare with 24/7 access to vets, nutrition and behavior experts. I redesigned how new pet parents get into the app and set up their pet, plus the web sign-up that comes before it.

Client: The Kin (Mars Petcare), via Code & Theory
My role: Senior Product Designer, team of three designers
Year: 2023
Scope: Strategy, ideation, UX/UI design
Platforms: Mobile app · Responsive web

In the first 6 weeks after launch

81%: of new users completed onboarding
+25%: longer sessions
2×: more pet quizzes completed after moving it past sign-up
+15%: engagement from playful microcopy

01The challenge

Ask for enough to help, without asking too much.

New pet parents arrived excited, but often overwhelmed. The Kin needed to know about each pet to personalize advice and content, yet every extra question risked losing people before they ever talked to an expert.

How might we

create an onboarding that feels welcoming and intuitive, while helping The Kin capture essential pet data without overwhelming new users?

Goal 1

Frictionless onboarding

A smooth flow that helps people connect with The Kin’s value right away.

Goal 2

A personal pet profile

Profiles that power content, reminders and care tracking.

Goal 3

Expert access

Real professionals to build trust and loyalty.

Goal 4

Data enrichment

More pet data through playful, non-intrusive moments.

02Who we designed for

Three kinds of pet parents, three different needs.

Research pointed to three profiles. Each one shaped a different part of the experience.

First-time pet parent

Needs clear, gentle guidance

Recently adopted a first puppy or kitten. Excited, but unsure what’s normal. “Too much information at once makes me anxious. I’d rather get things little by little.”

Busy professional

Needs speed and reminders

Works long hours and wants care to be simple and organized. “I don’t have time to scroll forever, just give me what I need fast so I can move on.”

Experienced pet owner

Needs respect and discovery

Has had pets for years, but still likes learning new things. “I’ve had pets for years. I don’t want to be treated like I know nothing.”

03Onboarding

Welcome first, questions later.

Three layered flows unlock value step by step. The first one is onboarding: a soft, inviting start that builds a bond with the pet’s digital profile. Every step can be skipped, there’s one question per screen, and the tone feels like meeting a friend, not filling in a form.

You're in The Kin: welcome screen with a cat illustration and an Add a Pet button — Adding a pet: species, breed and a welcome moment. The photo comes last, and it’s optional.

What kind of pet do you have? Dog or cat — Adding a pet: species, breed and a welcome moment. The photo comes last, and it’s optional.

04Expert chat

A vet, one tap away.

People can reach licensed vets, nutrition and behavior experts by chat, phone, video call or email. The chat feels like texting a friend, so asking for help feels easy whenever a worry comes up.

How do you want to get in touch? Chat, phone call, video call or email — Choosing how to get in touch, chatting with a vet, and connecting to a video call.

Chat with a vet about a cat that isn't eating well — Choosing how to get in touch, chatting with a vet, and connecting to a video call.

05Pet quiz

Turning data collection into something fun.

A playful quiz collects deeper pet data, like routines, sensitivities and body condition, and turns it into personalized advice and articles. Answering feels like a reward, not a form.

Find out if your pet is a healthy weight: quiz invitation on Home — The healthy weight quiz: from the invitation on Home to a personal result with articles that might help.

Is her waist well-defined? Yes or no — The healthy weight quiz: from the invitation on Home to a personal result with articles that might help.

06On the web

Before the app: sign up on the website.

The website had to turn curious visitors into subscribers before they downloaded the app. Everything starts with your email; if you’re already a member of The Wildest, you log in with the same details. Then you add your pets, pay and subscribe, and land on a confirmation that sends you to the app.

Less typing

Pre-filled when we know you

First name, last name and email carry over to checkout, and card fields open the numeric keyboard.

Clear rules

A password tooltip that checks as you type

One lower case letter, one number, at least six characters, each one confirmed as you go.

Feedback

Toasts that confirm, then get out of the way

“Account created!” and “Subscription active” appear with a short delay and fade out after a few seconds.

Error states

When payment goes wrong, say exactly what happened.

Checkout covers two different failures: fields filled in wrong, and a card that gets declined. Each one gets its own message right where the problem is, so people can fix it without starting over.

The Kin homepage: chat with licensed pet experts 24/7 — The relaunched homepage, designed by our team of three.

07Iterations

What changed after we watched people use it.

2× completions

Smarter flow

We moved the pet quiz after sign-up instead of during onboarding, to reduce friction. Completions doubled.

Less drop-off

Smoother setup

Uploading a pet photo caused drop-off, so we simplified it and made it optional.

+15% engagement

Delightful details

Playful microcopy like “Tell us about your fur baby” made people more willing to share.

More trust

Real humans matter

Knowing a real expert is one tap away built trust, even for people who never used it.

08What I learned

Trust comes before data.

Once people felt welcomed and knew a real expert was close, they were happy to tell us more about their pets. The best data collection didn’t feel like data collection at all.