Project Snapshot

Role: UX & CX Researcher / Learning Experience Designer

Scope: Independently designed and executed a data-driven learning tool for prospective puppy buyers and ethical breeders by:

• Surveying 50+ ethical breeders to identify buyer misconceptions, breed-specific behavior, and education gaps
• Creating data-driven buyer and breeder personas, plus an average buyer journey map
• Developing 4 interactive microlearning modules (Rumie Bytes) covering health testing, ethical breeder recognition, puppy costs, and socialization
• Using SQL and Python to analyze survey data and generate insights for module content and persona development
• Planning a phased roadmap for scenario-based, breed-specific learning modules in Articulate

Outcome: Enabled buyers to make informed, responsible decisions, reduced repetitive teaching burden for breeders, and established a scalable, data-driven education tool with measurable engagement metrics (301 learners, 75 completions, 25% completion rate).

The Challenge

Prospective dog owners and ethical breeders face a disconnect that leads to confusion and missed opportunities. Specifically:

• Buyers encounter conflicting information about breeds, making it hard to set realistic expectations.
• Ethical breeders struggle to communicate their values and educate buyers effectively.
• Buyers often misunderstand health testing, breed behavior, and socialization needs.
• Differentiating between responsible breeders and backyard breeders/puppy mills is challenging.
• There is a lack of streamlined, engaging educational tools to guide informed, responsible pet ownership.

The Approach

CX Vision Statement

Puppy Pathways empowers would-be puppy owners to make informed, confident choices through concise, research-backed learning experiences. Breeders gain a trusted resource they can share to educate and support their future buyers.

CX Hypothesis

‍If prospective puppy owners engage with the scenario-based Rumie Bytes modules, then at least 50% of learners will complete all four modules and interact with multiple micro-lessons, demonstrating increased retention and understanding of breed-specific knowledge.

CX Design Principles

These principles guided the design of Puppy Pathways to ensure a seamless, engaging, and accessible learning experience:

1. Ease of Sharing – Content should be easy for breeders to share and for prospective buyers to access without friction.
2. Low Barrier to Entry – Chose Rumie Bytes as the delivery platform because it required minimal setup and low barrier entry for buyers.
3. Clarity and Conciseness – Present information in short, digestible modules to reduce cognitive load and prevent overwhelm.
4. Scenario-Based Learning – Use real-world examples to help learners understand and retain knowledge.
5. Engagement Across Touchpoints – Ensure that learners can interact with the modules on multiple platforms and integrate the experience with breeder websites.

Research & Discovery

• Surveyed 50+ ethical breeders to uncover buyer misconceptions, breed-specific behavior, and gaps in understanding.
• Identified key pain points:
  • Confusion about health testing and its significance
  • Misaligned expectations about breed temperament and care requirements
  • Difficulty identifying ethical breeders
  • Limited understanding of costs and effort associated with responsible breeding
• Collected preferences for learning formats: short videos, interactive content, and infographics were most engaging for buyers

Data Analysis & Insights using SQL & Python

After collecting survey responses from over 50 ethical breeders, I used Python and Pandas to analyze the data and extract actionable insights. My analysis focused on understanding buyer misconceptions, breed behavior, and breeder practices, which directly informed the design of the Rumie Bytes microlearning modules and the next, breed-specific survey.

Insights Informing Learning Design:

• Buyers frequently underestimate the time, cost, and effort required to care for puppies.
• Misconceptions around socialization, training, and health testing were common.
• Certain breeds align better with specific household types, highlighting the need for scenario-based learning.
• Most ethical breeders follow recommended practices, which could be highlighted to educate buyers.

Outcome:
This analysis directly shaped the content priorities for the Rumie Bytes, validated the need for scenario-based learning, and provided a clear framework for the next breed-specific survey.

SAM Adult Learning Approach

I applied a SAM (Successive Approximation Model) iterative design process to turn insights from breeder surveys into engaging, effective microlearning modules. This approach allowed me to rapidly prototype, test, and refine content based on real learner feedback, ensuring that each module addressed actual buyer needs and misconceptions.

• Survey & Analysis: Gathered data from 50+ ethical breeders to identify common buyer misconceptions and breed-specific insights.
• Prototype & Development: Built four Rumie Bytes microlearning modules to test content, engagement, and clarity.
• Evaluation & Iteration: Tracked learner engagement, completions, and feedback to validate the approach.
• Scenario-Based Modules: Insights from initial modules and ongoing breed-specific surveys are informing next-step, scenario-based learning experiences in Articulate.

Personas & Buyer Journey

• Created buyer and breeder personas and an average buyer journey map to visualize motivations, pain points, and decision-making processes.
• Buyer Persona: Emma
  • Overwhelmed by conflicting breed information
  • Needs guidance to identify ethical breeders
  • Motivated by responsible pet ownership and long-term companionship

• Breeder Persona: Ethel
  • Faces repetitive buyer questions
  • Needs scalable ways to educate prospective owners
  • Motivated to maintain ethical breeding standards

• Emma's Buyer Journey Insights
  
  • Critical touchpoints: health testing, ethical breeder recognition, puppy costs, socialization
  • Moments where interactive learning has maximum impact identified
  • Helped structure microlearning content to address real pain points

The Solution

Based on my research, personas, and journey insights, I designed 2 of 4 interactive Bytes that directly support the buyer’s path:

1. Why Puppies from Ethical Breeders Are Expensive
2. Finding the Right Dog Breed for Your Lifestyle
3. Why Health Testing Matters
4. What to Expect from a Ethical Breeder

Each module is short, scenario-based, and interactive, helping buyers internalize lessons while reducing repetitive questions for breeders.

Marketing & Outreach

To validate my survey and test my Rumie Bytes, I applied a lean marketing approach:

• Recruited participants through Facebook breeder and owner groups
• Shared prototypes and Rumie Bytes for early feedback and iteration
• Captured insights on message resonance, clarity, and engagement
• Built initial awareness of the educational tool among target communities

This lightweight outreach confirmed there was an audience for Puppy Pathways and helped refine the messaging before scaling.

Metrics & Impact:

I tracked engagement and feedback from the Rumie Bytes to measure the effectiveness of the microlearning modules, finding that buyers gained clear, actionable guidance at key decision points, ethical breeders experienced reduced repetitive teaching burden, and the engagement metrics validated the approach and informed next steps for scenario-based learning modules.

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Real-World Recognition

This educational project has been highlighted by Laura Reeves a respected ethical breeder in the dog show industry as a valuable resource for prospective dog owners.

This recognition demonstrates that my work addresses a real industry need, provides practical guidance for buyers, and supports ethical breeders in communicating their practices effectively.

Next Steps:

• Fielding a comprehensive breed survey to capture:
• Breed-specific personality, social interaction, environment suitability, and exercise/mental stimulation
• Use insights to create breed specific scenario-based learning modules in Articulate
• This ensures buyers receive tailored, realistic guidance, and breeders have a scalable, data-driven education tool.