Kennel is a geosocial pet adoption app that emulates the iconic “swipe left or right” functions of the dating app, Tinder. Basically: Kennel is Tinder, but with pets! In partnership with local animal shelters and foster carers, users will swipe left or right in order to like or pass on potential dogs and/or cats that are available for adoption nearby the users location.

By injecting playful elements and gamifying the typically dull, administrative process of pet adoption, Kennel aims to encourage more people to consider adopting a pet in order to combat the growing problem of animal overpopulation causing overcrowding in shelters and thousands of animals left homeless or euthanised just because they could not find a home.

Through designing Kennel, as creatives, we have discovered the sheer power of gamifying as a way to motivate user engagement. Adding playful elements to processes that are typically not intended for entertainment is a very influential method of attracting users and maintaining attention by making users feel like what they are doing is not “work”. This is exemplified in Kennel.

By Marla Kalaw (s3435169) & Derek Xu (s3773894)