SyncUP PETS V2
An end to end redesign of the SyncUP PETS app | iOS - Android
Company: T-Mobile
Duration: Approximately 8 months
Team: PETS Design Team
My Role: Principal Product Designer
Case Study: Designing What Could Have Been
Leading the next evolution of T-Mobile’s pet tracking experience, before the project’s unexpected sunset.
Overview
Reimagining Pet Tracking—Smarter, Smoother, Newer
After the success of other SyncUP products like TRACKER and KIDS, T-Mobile’s executive leadership tasked our team with a bold mission: reimagine the original SyncUP PETS experience from the ground up.
As the design lead for both PETS and TRACKER, I spearheaded an intensive design discovery phase focused on transforming every key pain point into opportunity.
This was more than a redesign—it was a full UX overhaul fueled by real user data, cross-product learnings, and a drive to deliver a smarter, more intuitive experience for pet parents everywhere.
Disclaimer:
Internal concept splash screen, created during the PETS v2 redesign phase. Logo shown was part of the original public release of PETS v1.
Problem Solving
Too Many Problems, Not Enough Woof.
The original SyncUP PETS app was weighed down by unnecessary modals, scattered flows, and design workarounds for hardware and backend limitations. User data showed most people skipped creating pet profiles—or added no photos when they did. Location tracking was underutilized, as most pets stayed home. Meanwhile, the bloated menus and lack of visual hierarchy made navigation clunky and frustrating.
And visually? The heavy magenta UI felt outdated and bland. After proving the power of modern minimalism in SyncUP TRACKER, I knew PETS needed a more refined, lovable visual identity to match the redesigned experience.
⬆️ Above - Tucker the dog, PETS' original mascot, redesigned with a bright new look—fresh-eyed and ready for adventure.
Challenges
Designing a smarter, sleeker PETS experience meant working around real-world limitations. We had to account for hardware constraints, navigate clunky legacy flows, and push for a bold new visual direction. One of the toughest (and most rewarding) parts? Breaking away from the sea of magenta and black to champion a cleaner, more colorful interface—without breaking brand rules.
We had to dance around several hardware limits—the OG PETS tracker came with its own UX headaches.
For speed’s sake, we couldn’t redo some clunky legacy flows—making the redesign a fun game of UX dodgeball.
Originally told to keep the tired PETS v1 look, I fought to prove a bold new design could shine—winning approval through relentless brand reviews.
Building a Smarter PETS Experience
My core role: leading a lovable redesign with data, design, and a whole lot of dog energy.
As Principal Product Designer, I led the SyncUP PETS v2 design squad—a small but mighty team of four designers, both junior and senior. Together, we tackled the full app overhaul with kindness, collaboration, and clarity. My work focused on crafting a bold new vision for PETS—where thoughtful UX met heartwarming design.
I directly owned several of the most critical design areas, including:
- Overhauling the onboarding flow to streamline setup
- Designing an all-new pet profile experience, thus improving personalization
- Conducting research on popular dog breeds to support automated suggestions and smarter UX
- Leading the visual redesign of the app—from color palettes to components
- Collaborating on the creation and integration of new PETS mascots to guide users through key moments
This was a deeply fulfilling leadership role that balanced hands-on design work with strategic guidance—pushing the SyncUP PETS experience toward a future users (and their furry friends) would love. 🐾
Project Goals
As a team, we set out to:
- Streamline lengthy flows for faster, smoother onboarding
- Make pet profile creation more fun and engaging
- Encourage users to upload pet photos with visual incentives
- Replace the outdated map home screen with a dynamic Activity Timeline
- Deliver a bold, modern visual style that felt fresh—not magenta-drenched
The Work in Action
From paw prints to polished product
Every screen, every flow, every detail—designed with intention, clarity, and care. As Principal Product Designer, I led the full UX vision from concept to execution, creating a user experience built for both humans and their four-legged companions.
Research
So, what kind of dog do you have?
Dog breed info was a key data point for the pet profile and future health features. To make selection easy, I designed a quick-access sheet featuring the most popular breeds upfront, with a full list below. I researched top breeds from the American Kennel Club and crafted a mockup to share with the product team.
⬆️ Above - Cross-checking the top dog breed rankings in the U.S. over the past decade revealed one thing—popular paws stay popular.
New Onboarding Flow
Fun pet profile interview
I wanted to hook users from the moment they opened the app. The revamped onboarding zeroed in on getting users to complete their pet profiles—introducing playful characters that guided and entertained. Each step was designed with delightful interactions that tested surprisingly well.
Make Users Smile
Every step is a chance to spark a real connection. Below is the full, final onboarding flow—designed to handle every step and curveball with style and care.
Answer Her Questions
Meet Poppy — no fluff, just profile.
New users answer pet questions in a smooth, natural flow while chatting with Poppy the Cat — the adorable mascot rocking stylish glasses. This playful approach crushed it in user tests, sparking smiles and laughter as folks shared their pet details with Poppy.
A Fun, Unique Experience — What Kind of Pet?
Poppy’s expressions change based on the pet selected—adding playful surprise and delight that makes the setup feel personal and memorable.
"You can pick a dog...I guess" - Poppy the Cat
Nosey Poppy Asks About Pet Age
To encourage users to enter their pet’s birthday, this step was designed with one goal: delight.
Poppy appears in a party hat, turning a basic form field into a moment of joy. A small visual touch that made users smile—and boosted birthday input rates during testing.
Need help?
Meet Noodle McFluffins.
As part of the new design direction, we introduced Noodle McFluffins—our second mascot—who appears anytime the user needs more info or is prompted to grant permissions. His role? Deliver helpful guidance while building a stronger emotional connection with users.
When it’s time to explain or ask for permissions, Noodle McFluffins pops in—because no one ignores a fluffy face with purpose. 💁♀️✨
Nosey Noodle McFluffins
When Poppy the Cat asks for the pet’s weight, a familiar face pops in—Noodle McFluffins, peeking around the desk, being adorably nosey.
A subtle animation moment designed to surprise, delight, and make data entry a little more fun.
Solving the Pet Photo Problem
Poppy the Cat brings the glam.
To tackle the lack of pet profile photos in the original PETS app, we introduced a fun and engaging photo step featuring Poppy the Cat—now reimagined as a quirky photographer in her artsy studio.
Dressed in her little beret and holding a camera, Poppy helped turn a dull permissions step into a moment of joy. User testing showed strong emotional response and high success rates for photo and camera access.
Even Errors Can Be Delightful
Turning frustration into smiles with helpful UX and charming visuals.
When it came to error scenarios, our first priority was clarity. I collaborated closely with dev leads to audit every possible PETS error case, ensuring each had a clear, actionable solution.
Once the logic was locked in, we added the magic—custom visuals and personality-packed screens designed to ease tension and keep users smiling, even when things go wrong.
Building the McFluffins Design System
A bold new look, built from scratch.
To support the redesigned PETS app, I created a brand-new design system—affectionately nicknamed the McFluffins Design System. Working closely with senior UX teammates, I developed a fresh library of crisp, animation-ready components, iconography, and custom UI elements.
At the time, the existing SyncUP Design System didn’t meet our visual or functional needs, so every piece—from button styles to playful visuals—was crafted with intention and organized for scale.
Delivering Impact
Designing the future—even if it wasn’t released.
While SyncUP PETS v2 never launched due to a shift in leadership and product direction, the design work was a major success internally. The revamped UX, visual system, and mascot-driven onboarding were met with enthusiastic support across stakeholders, testing exceptionally well with test users.
This project showcased what a pet-focused IoT experience could be—delightful, intuitive, and emotionally connected. It also laid the foundation for future SyncUP product directions and helped me step fully into design leadership.
Disclaimer:
The work shown here was created during my time at T-Mobile and is presented solely for personal portfolio use. All visuals reflect my role and contributions and are shared respectfully to highlight process and craft—not for public or commercial use.
Note:
This work was created while I was at T-Mobile. It’s intended to showcase the process, design thinking, and execution—not for sale, sharing, or distribution. Just a designer sharing their receipts.
Reflections
Lessons from a Cancelled Project
Even though PETS v2 never launched, the work sharpened my ability to lead through uncertainty, collaborate across disciplines, and design with scalability in mind. Not every project ships—but every challenge can level up your skillset.
Here’s what teammates had to say…
"...Focused on delivering the best user experience ..."
William — Software Engineer, T-Mobile
October 8, 2023