Project Details

Best Friends has long been in the business of connecting people around animal advocacy issues. With the transition from an “animal sanctuary” to an “animal society”, the organization fully embraced this mission by developing their own online social network called “Best Friends Network”. This project was intended to strengthen and build it’s community, by offering a space for members to exchange information, collaborate on current issues, and make personal connections. It was the beginning of the “social” internet, and this use of technology was on everyone’s mind.

I jumped in mid project, after an alpha version had already been developed. They asked me to test and provide feedback on the user experience. With screenshots and markers, I set out to document and improve the quality of this complex application. Along the way, I suggested that the main page could be improved by adding a clickable U.S. map to help on find a local community. As things go, I ended up being the one to make this addition.