UX/UI product prototypes & brand design for a conceptual smart pet collar company.
Active Tails Product UX/UI
Role: Independent Project
Project Type: Concept UX/UI Development; Brand Identity
Timeline: 7 weeks (2024)
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Figma, Mural
I created a brand identity and responsive e-commerce platform for Active Tails, a conceptual smart pet collar company designed for tech-savvy pet owners. This passion project brought together branding, UX/UI, and responsive design to imagine a product that merges wellness tracking and emotional connection, just for pets.
Summary
The pet tech market is growing rapidly as more pet owners turn to technology to support their animal's health and happiness. Smart collars, similar to Fitbits or Apple Watches but for pets, are becoming increasingly popular, but many existing brands either lack emotional appeal or rely on controversial training methods like shock features.
My goal with Active Tails was to position the brand as both credible and compassionate, using clear communication, bold visual design, and thoughtful UX to educate users while encouraging engagement and purchases.
The Challenge
Target Audience
Active Tails is designed for pet owners who seek a deeper, more connected relationship with their pets. These users are:
Wellness-conscious and proactive about their pets' health
Likely millennials with stable, professional lifestyles
Willing to invest in premium products that align with values around health, technology, and convenience
Interested in clear, data insights that bring peace of mind
This audience is drawn to smart products that combine functionality with emotional value, and appreciates design that feels both trustworthy and emotionally engaging.
Our Objectives
Develop a cohesive and expressive brand identity
Convey trust, innovation & playfulness through design
Build an intuitive, conversion-driven shopping experience
Ensure responsive design across devices
I began with a competitive analysis of smart collar companies to identify market gaps and areas where Active Tails could stand out.
Known for its polished brand identity and high-tech aesthetic
Offers tiered product options with GPS tracking, activity and health monitoring, and seamless app integration
Primarily targeted toward dog owners
Lacks emotional storytelling or personality in its brand voice
Strong emphasis on functionality and innovation, such as behavior alerts and health tracking
Utilizes a utilitarian design style with feature-first messaging
UI design and overall branding feel dated compared to others
Limited emotional resonance or lifestyle-focused marketing
Strategic Takeaways
A need for a more emotionally resonant and friendly brand voice that speaks to the bond between the pet and its owner
An opportunity to include and celebrate both cats and dogs, addressing a gap in inclusive marketing
A space to combine strong technical credibility with playful, lifestyle-driven branding
These insights shaped the positioning of Active Tails as a smart collar brand that balances advanced features with visual warmth, personality, and inclusivity.
Pinterest helped inform the tone and look of the brand direction through inspiration.
Competitor Research
Brand Identity
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Typography
Koulen (uppercase) for bold, modern headlines
Webcomic to add a hand-drawn, pet-friendly charm
League Spartan for accessible, clean body text
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Color Pallete
Tech-forward greys and blues for structure
Vibrant pink accents to energize and draw focus
A warm beige background to soften and invite
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Logo Design
Through sketches, iterations, and critiques, I arrived at a clean yet playful wordmark, professional enough for tech credibility, but full of warmth and personality.
UX/UI Design Process
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Information Architecture
Using Mural, I structured the site into five clear navigation categories to support both discovery and conversion goals.
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Wireframes
Low-fidelity sketches explored layout ideas and navigation flow. These wireframes helped visualize the user journey, from homepage through product education and checkout.
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Responsive Prototypes
High-fidelity mockups were designed in Figma for desktop, tablet, and mobile. The final design system applied brand visuals consistently while adapting gracefully across all devices.
The final deliverables included:
A full Brand Identity Guide (typography, color, logo usage)
A Responsive Website Prototype featuring a seamless digital shopping experience
A Product Page Layout optimized to communicate features and encourage engagement
The result: A vibrant, emotionally-driven e-commerce platform that communicates both functionality and care.
The Solution
Impact & Outcomes
Though conceptual, this project showcases my ability to:
Design end-to-end brand identities for digital products
Communicate technical value while building connection
Build user-centered layouts that guide action
Apply responsive design principles across viewports
If launched, success metrics for Active Tails would include:
Increased engagement with product features and wellness insights
Strong conversion rates on product pages
App downloads that reflect product satisfaction and customer retention
These indicators would validate both the functional utility and emotional connection at the core of the brand.
Key Takeaways
Active Tails challenged me to design a brand experience that combined the sleek functionality of a modern tech product with the emotional warmth of a pet-centered lifestyle.
Throughout the project, I deepened my expertise in:
Responsive UX/UI design across desktop, tablet, and mobile
Structuring product information to support both education and conversion to sales
Developing intuitive information architecture with clear, user-focused navigation
Balance of professional credibility and friendliness of product through UI elements like inviting CTAs
The result is a polished, cross-platform digital experience that demonstrates how intentional design can elevate both function and feeling in a product.