Creating a Better Search Experience
After adopting a new puppy, my wife & I noticed that most dog names sites were long, dull A-Z lists. So I designed & developed a website to search for names within categories like funny, tough, sports or movies.
Building the Site
To get started, I did some competitive research and used that inspiration to sketch the primary functionality of the site. Then I built the site in WordPress using a custom database with over 1600 categorized names (which was quite an undertaking!). I then tested with some users to fine-tune the experience.
Saving Dog Names
Users can check names that they like to store them in their favorites. This was done using HTML5 local storage to avoid needing a login system.
Expanding Functionality
Next, I built a breed finder to help prospective dog owners select a breed to match their lifestyle. I diagrammed the tool on my whiteboard to get started. The user selects from a list of compatibility factors and then the tool returns a list of matching breeds. The breeds can then be compared to see differences in size, behavior, care required, and preferred environment.
View the Site
You can check out the live site here to search dog names. I also used the same template to create a site for cat names called Find Cat Names.
