WWF is the most well known company that allows you to adopt animals. This site is well done as it is clear to use, and the content is interesting to the user if they are planning to help the cause. Not only does it allow you to adopt animals, but it also works to conserve places around the world. It educates on the threats the species/places face.
Home Page
Above the fold on the home page, it is very clear and clean with a heavy use of imagery.
Slider
- High res, emotive, close up imagery
- Quick facts about the image
- Link to that article/page
Navigation
- Quick, stand out buttons for adopt/donate
- Species, places, threats, our work
Mid section
- Links to different pages
News/Contact
- Subscribe to newsletter
- Social media icons
- Contact address
- Latest news/blog posts
- Link to buy merch
- Footer/logo
Not The Usual
This site sells lots of different gifts, and one of the product it sells is packages for adopting different animals. The packaging is a gift box which comes with different inserts.
ZSL
This is a London zoo which allows you to adopt animals there. I felt the website process was quite lengthy, and could have been reduced.
So here is the introduction to adopting the animals, and I feel like it is too bulky - it could be more separated visually into sections. There are 10 different animals you can adopt.
Underneath that, there are the different animals you can adopt with their name and photo.
Once you click on one of them, you are directed to their shop - it doesn't matter which animal you click on, because they are all featured here anyway, so the previous step seems irrelevant.
Once you click on one of these, you are provided with the product description and a chance to add it to your cart.
Here is what you get inside the pack.
Overall I found the experience too long, and I will try and find a way to make it as short as possible within my own web design.
Chester Zoo
This is another zoo where you can adopt animals that live there.
Home Page
I think this page is quite fun and quirky, with the uneven header and hand drawn font. I quite like the style, and I think it makes the site friendly and approachable. I think it adds personality to the page, which I think is needed because of the nature of the product. It would make me more likely to adopt an animal if I knew it had personality and wasn't just a front to make money.
There are different links directing you to information about adopting animals.
Although the adoption pack page fits in the style of the website, I find it quite boring and standard. I think there are definitely ways in which to make the information more visual.
The Spinall Foundation
This website has a range of animals you can adopt, and it is easy to use, but I don't find it engaging, interesting or fun. I think it is very formal and dull, and I would definitely rather purchase one of the previous site over this.
Pack Contents
This column on the website shows you what you get inside the pack. I think the blue is too overpowering and you can't concentrate on the content. There is a certificate, factsheet, desktop wallpaper, monthly newsletter, yearly update and park tickets.
There is a step system which allows you to pick the animal/package you want. I think a step system is a good idea, but it just isn't done well here. It isn't engaging, it's too formal and looks boring.
Again with the package, it doesn't make you feel like you're adopting an animal. It isn't emotive at all.
Then you are led to a form which is very standard and again, boring. There are also no images on here which I think is off-putting.
Living Rainforest
There is an incredibly small link saying 'To adopt, click here.' I think this is awful user experience as it is very easy to skim past, and it is the main thing you should want your users to click on.
This is the list of the animals you can buy. I think it's very unappealing the way everything is laid out and designed. Even the drop down box says 'default sorting' - I don't think that is something people would want to search by. It looks as though they haven't thought about their content and it's almost placeholder text.
This is the only product description the user sees - no facts about the animal, nothing about what you get, just the price. I think this is very impersonal and wouldn't make me want to adopt anything.
Water Aid
Although this isn't an adopt an animal website, it is a charity. I chose to look at this because it is really well designed, and what I think to be really progressive web design. I think it has pushed boundaries with its layout and ideas.
These appear one by one as you scroll down, making it interesting - making the user wait for the other two to see what they are, rather than scroll past. The illustrations paired with the facts also make it more engaging and visually interesting.
It gives the users reasons to donate.
When a user sets up a fundraising page, you can see their statistics in an easy to view and digest format, that is also very visual.
You can 'gift' someones story. This is the more emotive way to persuade someone to donate. I think this is important in my own project as people react strongly to when animals are in danger or have been treated badly, and it will make them feel good if they donate/adopt.
The illustrations that accompany the story give it more personality, and makes it easier to digest.
Even the 'button' which asks you to donate is more than just a button - it's an illustration, an animated cloud, a whole section of the page. It is really different to anything I have seen before.
What I have taken from this:
- Make the images/text emotive to persuade people to adopt
- High res images
- Make it easy for the user to donate/adopt
- Make it clear to the user where to donate/adopt
- Give it personality
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