Design for Felines

This site is a look at design principles as applied to cats. It’s a chance to enjoy our feline friends’ foibles and learn about design. The next big market: Feline Design. Created by @LizDykes

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Wearable Tech

Wearable tech is all the rage as it pulls patterns from your everyday life. Who knows you better than you? Your wearable technology. 

This article states that the future of wearable tech is individualized fashion. People want to look different and make a statement. 

I'd like to add that it's not too long before we'll be tracking our pet's activities and health in similar ways. It may not be about fashion for Kitty, but it will be about flexibility. Have you seen them squeeze into a vase?

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General rule of thumb when designing- a discerning second pair of eyes on your work is always helpful.

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Looking for Inspiration

Designing for felines is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. Let's talk about that 10%. 

You might see your kitty struggling with something, and immediately have a stroke of genius. Finally, an idea!

But as Chuck Close says, professionals can't sit around and wait for inspiration to strike. They show up and get to work. 

There's an in-between. Maybe you're already busy with a design project and see the perfect idea to store for later. Or maybe someone else came up with something brilliant that you'd love to put your own spin on in a future design. 

Evernote Web Clipper is perfect for that content you know you're going to want to revisit in the future. It helps you track articles, design patterns, and ideas. 

Naturally, another great way to track visual inspiration is Pinterest. It allows you to capture a beautiful design and, later, when you're looking for some inspirational sparks, you can scroll through your design boards. 

Keep in mind that being a pile o' inspiration doesn't help if you don't put it into practice. 37 signals' blog recommends taking some time to copy your hero- not to turn it in as your own work- but to recognize why you like the idea and truly beef up your repertoire. 

Just some ideas. Show up and get to work. 

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Travel Apps for Cats

Cats love exploration and new destinations, but if you've ever been in a car with a cat, you know that they hate the act of traveling more than the Dowager Countess hates poor people. 

But cats have places to go and things to rub their rump on. There lies the challenge- an app that makes the experience of traveling more soothing for Sir Snuggles and less frazzling for their driver.

Here’s where research comes into play. From anecdotal evidence, we’ve heard that classical music soothes irate kitties, and we know that they’re easily distracted. Why not created a stimulating yet soothing experience for them? 

Perhaps an iPad app that lets them bat mice that dart around the screen and play a note from a symphony every time the cat hits them. It would provide an engrossing interface that distracts them from the feeling of motion as their furry bodies hurtle through space. Maybe the game will eventually tucker out their kitty brains and allow them to sleep for awhile, much to the relief of their owner.

So take your hunches, put them into a prototype and test on your jet-setting kitty to see what soothes them most efficiently.

Or you can try medication, but it’s also well-known that cats can and will fight against sleep aids through sheer (and impressive) will power to punish you for transporting them.

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Spin us a yarn

Who doesn’t love a good story? They allow us to become lost in another experience and inspire new ideas. Not surprisingly, our pointy-eared counterparts enjoy a good yarn as well- they just don’t have much patience. Cats have a lot to deal with. 

They must be told the story quickly and immediately. No three page fairy tale of feathered birds for them! No, instead they wish to see a gif of the high point: the ill-fated meatbag flying into their waiting mouths. Now that’s a good cat story.

How does one tell an engaging story quickly? Through well-thought out visuals. It lets the viewer immediately grasp what’s going on. 

Here’s a good example: 

You see yourself in this story, don’t you? If you’re a decent human being that does laundry, you should. You’re a busy meatbag, and this handy app lets you control your washing through a mobile device. Simple!

And that’s all that Mitzy and Mewmers expect as well. Tell them a simple story to draw them in. If they’re intrigued, they’ll dig their claws in further. 

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kitty clues

Affordance, a term brought from the world of psychology into the realm of design by Donald Norman, describes the notion that an object should have a clue in its appearance as to how it's supposed to be used. For example, this door knob's function is immediately apparent to an on-the-go kitty. 

However, this door might cause it to stop in its fuzzy tracks: 

You can see that affordances save time and frustration for users. Cat's can't read (or so they have led us to believe), so don't rely on a sign or instructions for a user to understand something.

This applies to the digital realm as well. Designers can add knobs, dials, sliders, and so many other controls that not only delight the user, but quickly show how the application functions.

This large dial, with its indicator and light up panel, visually suggests turning the knob to where the user wishes it to fall on the spectrum. 

It's key that you test your assumptions. You may think something is obvious to a cat, but it might not be. Cats sometimes mistake their own tail for a snake, so don't assume they'll understand anything. Test, test, test. 

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For the Busy Furball

Kitties have many things to attend to, and figuring out an application shouldn’t be one of them.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by a variety of choices and slide into a stupor that will result in a five hour nap. This is why progressive disclosure is key to any experience for the busy furball.

Progressive disclosure guides the user rather than throwing many options at them all at once, which could potentially cause confusion and increase the time it takes to find what they want.

Create a clean, simple interface that allows the user to explore further. This is especially key for mobile browsing, which means a small screen and an environment where the user’s attention is constantly shifting.

Research should be conducted so that the design team knows the top priorities of the user and can showcase popular offerings for fast and easy browsing.

You can read more about progressive disclosure here. 

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signal to noise ratio

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Cats see wonder in everything, and thus they are very easily distracted. That's why it's key that there is a very high signal to noise ratio in designs for this overly perceptive audience.

Signal is the message, noise is any unnecessary elements in the design that could compromise the message.

This app is a great example of high signal, low noise:

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This app informs the user quickly through a simple visual and offers more details if he or she wants to dig deeper by scrolling. The preparation tab, the secondary action the user would want to take, is immediately available. Simple, effective, and with little to no noise. 

It should be noted that this is only for explanation purposes- cats should never drink or alter their perceptions in any way because they can already see through time, and that's enough. Offer them cat nip at your own risk.

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Curiousity

Experience design is all about your user's wants and needs. Here's a delightful experience for any kitty, designed by Dan Golden.

Dan Golden

As we all know, cats love jumping into the void. 

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Fitts' Law

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Fitts' Law states that the amount of time and ease with which you select an item (or target) is function of its size. It is especially relevant when referring to controls or buttons that are critical for an application’s use.

Think about your smart phone. Important, critical actions are large buttons easily within reach. For our furry friends with their large paws that lack precision, this is particularly important.

Decrease errors and frustration by making targets large and easy to hit, especially when quick actions are required and accuracy is important.

With this in mind, make targets that would cause frustration if accidentally hit (such as a delete button) further away, smaller and less prominent.