The Story Behind Pawfectly Design
by Licious
Platform
App
My Role
Sr. DESIGN MANAGER
Industry
E-COM
Product Duration
2 - 3 MONTHS
As designers, we get obsessed with solving real human problems—but sometimes the most meaningful work isn’t just about humans alone. It’s about the relationships we form with those who quietly make our lives better every day. Pawfectly is one such project—born not from a brief, but from a deep empathy for pet parents in India who struggle to find fresh, trustworthy food for their dogs and cats.
Pawfectly now lives inside the trusted world of the Licious app—a space where freshness and quality already mean something to millions of consumers. My role on this project was to steer product design from research to high-fidelity experiences, while always anchoring decisions to real user needs, business goals, and the unique challenges of this new pet-food vertical.
Pet ownership in India is growing quickly—but the food market remains fragmented and low on trust. Many pet parents told us they worry about ingredient quality, nutritional balance, and what really goes into packaged meals. Some preferred home-cooked food because it felt safer, even though it might not be balanced or convenient.
There was a clear question emerging from the insights:
“Where do you find something fresh, safe, and truly trustworthy for your pet?”
That question became the design challenge and the foundation of Pawfectly.
Understanding that Licious already had a high level of trust with its users—we saw an opportunity. Data from our internal surveys showed that while only a small percentage of existing Licious customers bought pet meat, a significant portion said they would if a reliable pet-food experience existed.
We kicked off with deep qualitative research. Over 20 pet parents shared their habits, frustrations, and desires. We didn’t just ask what they bought. We asked them about their routines, what trust meant to them, and how they currently choose food for their pets.
“If Licious made pet food, I’d try it—I already trust them for myself.”
— Dog parent, user research session
These insights validated that trust was the strongest lever we had—and the thing we needed to design around.
One of our early dilemmas was branding. Pawfectly came with an existing brand palette, but it didn’t feel right for this context. It felt dated and neon—too loud for a category where calm trust and reassurance matter.
So we ran a series of mockups with alternative themes, shared them across the design and product team, and even ran a Slack poll to gather opinions. The result was more than aesthetic refinement—it shaped the brand tone we carried into the product.
From a functional standpoint, we prioritized a lean MVP with purpose. Speed to launch was critical, so we focused on core flows:
