Halo Collar
A companion app for smart GPS dog collar.
Challenge
The Halo Collar App faced critical usability issues that frustrated users and hindered adoption. Firebase analytics and user surveys revealed that pet owners, primarily ages 35-60, struggled with the core fence creation process. Building virtual boundaries manually was tedious, confusing, and time-consuming, requiring precise map interactions that were difficult on mobile devices. Users complained they couldn't understand why fences couldn't be placed near buildings or roads, leading to support tickets and negative reviews. The training module presented another major problem by routing users to a third-party web resource with slow loading times, poor design, and unclear course content that killed motivation. As Lead Designer, I needed to redesign these critical flows while managing the design team and migrating the entire design system from Adobe XD to Figma.
MY ACTIONS
Lead the complete UX redesign of fence creation and training modules, establish design system in Figma, and manage ongoing feature development across iOS and Android platforms. I started by establishing our design infrastructure, leading the migration from Adobe XD to Figma. This wasn't just a simple transfer but an opportunity to build a proper design system with reusable components, design tokens, and clear documentation that would support future development. Working with the design team including Anatoli who handled implementation across various features, I set the visual direction and created initial style guides that defined typography, color systems, spacing, and component patterns. For the fence creation redesign, I personally led the UX work after analyzing Firebase data and user survey responses. The core insight was that manual fence building was fundamentally at odds with how our users thought about the problem. They wanted to say "protect my property" not "plot 47 precise points on a map." I designed an automated fence generation system that could create boundaries based on either the address entered by the user or their current GPS location. The algorithm would intelligently detect property boundaries and suggest optimal fence placement. For users with multiple pets or complex properties, I added functionality to toggle overlapping fences on and off, preventing confusion about which boundaries were active. The edit mode required particular attention because users needed to understand why certain areas were restricted. I designed hazard visualization that highlighted roads, water bodies, and steep terrain where fences shouldn't be placed. Since technical limitations prevented fences too close to buildings or roads, I created contextual help screens that appeared exactly when users encountered these restrictions, briefly explaining the safety reasoning and showing proper manual fence building techniques. I also designed the onboarding flow to set proper expectations from the first use, teaching the automated approach while preparing users for occasional manual adjustments. The training module redesign eliminated the third-party web dependency entirely. Working closely with product managers, I designed native in-app training experiences that loaded quickly and felt cohesive with the rest of the application. The courses were restructured into shorter, more digestible segments with clear progress tracking and motivational elements like completion badges and skill levels. Throughout these redesigns, I collaborated with engineers to ensure technical feasibility and worked with the broader design team to maintain consistency across all app features. I also oversaw the creation of App Store and Google Play promotional materials, ensuring our visual communication matched the improved user experience.
Solution
Delivered a complete UX overhaul focusing on intelligent automation for fence creation and native training experiences, while establishing scalable design infrastructure in Figma. The fence creation transformation centered on removing cognitive burden from users. The automated fence generation meant users could set up pet containment in under two minutes instead of 15-20 minutes of frustrating manual work. The smart algorithm analyzed property data and GPS coordinates to suggest optimal boundaries, which users could then fine-tune if needed. The hazard visualization system provided real-time feedback during editing, showing dangerous areas with contextual explanations. Help screens appeared at decision points rather than buried in a manual, providing guidance exactly when users needed it. The training redesign brought all content in-app with faster loading, better design, and clearer progression. Users could now complete training modules in short sessions during their daily walks rather than sitting through long web-based courses. The native implementation meant faster performance, offline capability, and seamless integration with the collar's training features. Progress tracking and motivational elements increased completion rates significantly. Beyond these major redesigns, the Figma migration created lasting infrastructure benefits. The design system I established enabled faster iteration, easier collaboration between designers, and more consistent implementation by engineers. Component libraries reduced design time for new features while maintaining quality standards. The design team could now work in parallel on different features without creating inconsistencies. The business impact was substantial. User surveys showed dramatic improvements in satisfaction with fence creation, with complaints about the process dropping significantly. Support tickets related to fence building decreased as the automated approach and contextual help answered questions proactively. Training completion rates increased as the native experience removed friction and added motivation. App Store ratings improved as the core user experience became more intuitive and less frustrating. The infrastructure improvements accelerated our development velocity, allowing faster response to user feedback and competitive pressures in the smart pet collar market.
