A Smarter Way to Partner
The Challenge
New pet parents face a steep learning curve—nutrition, vaccinations, socialization, behavior. Without timely, tailored support, preventable issues escalate, contributing to millions of pets relinquished to U.S. shelters each year. We set out to build a tool that gives families confidence and skills from day one.
The Outcome
We co-founded Scout9, a pet-care management app that acts as a personalized wellness counselor:
Introduced the Pocket Scout, a digital co-pilot that adapts guidance to each dog as an individual.
Blended in-app learning with optional live canine-wellness coaching for higher-touch needs.
Delivered a responsive support model that scales with a family’s experience over the dog’s life.
Key contributions
Defined the product vision & strategy and co-founded the venture.
Built the UX & content strategy for digitally native audiences.
Led design research & prototyping to validate usefulness, clarity, and adoption.
Established a dog-centered framework so recommendations respect animals as individuals.
At a Glance
Role: Co-founder, Head of Design & Strategy
Type: Venture (mobile product)
Focus: Pet-parent onboarding, behavior & wellness support
Methods: User interviews, service-journey mapping, behavioral design, UX research, animal centered design processes & prototyping
Deliverables: Product vision, Pocket Scout concept, UX & content strategy, engagement framework, scalable coaching model, MVP flows
Our Approach
As co-founder, I led the design process to ensure Scout9 was both scientifically grounded and engaging for digitally native pet parents. We created an individualized care model that treated each dog as unique, moving beyond generic breed or age-based advice. To meet the diverse needs of pet families, we designed a hybrid system that blended in-app learning with access to live canine wellness coaches. The user experience drew inspiration from productivity apps, social platforms, and games—delivering content in short, actionable bursts that kept parents motivated rather than overwhelmed. At its core, the app provided behavioral scaffolding, helping families build skills step by step and gain confidence as their dogs grew.
Client Reflection
“We designed an app that recognizes who your dog is and where they are in their growth. By centering the experience on the dog and blending methods from productivity tools and social media, we gave pet parents the skills and tactics they needed to raise a confident, happy pup.” — Luisa Ruge