Cattle Tracker App
Overview
About: The Cattle Tracker App empowers ranchers to manage their cattle herds by providing real-time location tracking, centralized medical recordkeeping, and streamlined breeding management.
Objective: How might we design the app to provide instant access to real-time location and health data, allowing ranchers to make quicker and more informed decisions about their herds?
Solution Statement: The Cattle Tracking App aims to streamline ranch management by providing a comprehensive solution for cattle herd movements. By enabling users to monitor the location of their herd, record medical information, and track breeding notes. Ultimately, this intuitive tool will enhance productivity, reduce manual paperwork, and improve resource operations.
Quantitative Analysis
The quantitative analysis was conducted through phone surveys with six ranchers. The research aimed to provide insights into how ranchers collect information for cattle breeding seasons and the extent of data they need to document.
How old are you?
What type of cattle herd do you raise?
How many cow/calf pairs do raise?
What is the farthest distance from your home base do you graze cattle?
How do you keep your records for your cattle herds?
How many people do you need to share your cattle records with?
Pain Points
Lost Data
Ranchers face a constant struggle with data loss due to their reliance on a fragmented system for tracking cattle information. This system involves using a mix of pen and paper notes, text message threads, and manual data entry into spreadsheets. The problem is further compounded by having multiple team members reporting this data in different ways, increasing the likelihood of inconsistencies and errors.
Cumbersome workflow
Manually transferring data from pen and paper notes, text messages, and various sources into spreadsheets for analysis is a cumbersome workflow. This time-consuming process hinders ranchers' ability to efficiently evaluate herd and the ranch’s earnings.
Unable to Act Fast
The current lack of real-time herd monitoring makes it difficult to identify cattle that separate from the herd throughout the day. This delayed awareness can be detrimental, as a lone cow may be experiencing illness, injury, or birthing complications. Immediate intervention could significantly improve the animal's well-being, but the current system often leads to delayed discovery until the next headcount.
TIME-CONSUMING Searches
Ranchers often graze cattle on property that have dense brush and trees hinder calf location, leading to time-consuming searches and issues of lost calves on neighboring properties, causing stress for both ranchers and animals.
Competitive Analysis
Persona
Name: Mark Clark
Age: 35
Education: Bachelor’s in
Animal Science
Location: Kansas
frustration
Unable to share information in a smooth communication system.
Long searches looking for calves that are in thick brush
Unable to attend to cows in need of assistance.
Needs
A platform for ranchers to track cattle information like birth dates, weights, pairs, and health details.
An easy way to locate cattle from a mobile device.
Data sharing among team members, a way to collaborate with efficiency.
Biography
Mark Clark operates a family-owned ranch alongside his brother. The ranch spans 2000 acres of land and supports a cow/calf herd of around 200 pairs. The ranch serves as the main source of income for both brothers, their wives, and children.
Goals
Efficiently locate calves during searches.
Seamlessly exchange information with partners and team members.
Increase quality family time.
We target tech-savvy ranchers between the ages of 35-50 seeking to simplify cattle record-keeping such as breeding & medical information via mobile app. They require a mobile solution that allows them to track their cattle's location in real-time from their devices. Seamless data sharing is a crucial need, enabling them to collaborate effectively with partners, employees, and team members.
Empathy Map
says
There should be an easy way to share information with my business partners.
I’m always looking for a way to organize records during the calving season.
I wish there was an affordable app that tracks cattle locations without a Wi-Fi connection
Does
I rely on a single team member to manually sift through text messages and enter data into the Excel sheet.
I use notes or pen and paper and then transfers the data to an Excel sheet
When unable to find a calf, I hold on to blind faith that the calf will eventually come out from hiding.
Feels
I feel frustrated with pen and paper as well as lost data.
It is confusing to share data through text threads and I get annoyed with frequent text notifications.
Keeping tabs on cows in all heavy brush and dead trees is worrisome. There's gotta be a better way to track them and manage the herd.
thinks
I think using the Excel app is the best option but wish there was something more intuitive for the cattle industry.
I wish there was an app to do both record-keeping and tracking cattle.
Information Architecture
Designed an intuitive and visually appealing app interface that prioritized user navigation. Effectively organized diverse information into distinct, easily accessible formats without overwhelming the user.
User Flow
This user flow represents the core functionality of our app, enabling users to efficiently manage critical data related to their livestock. By streamlining the process of recording births, deaths, purchases, and other occurrences, we empower users to make informed decisions about their herds.
The flow begins with the user selecting the appropriate category (breeding, medical, or herd). Subsequently, they choose the specific event type (these choices vary depending on the category) and input relevant details such as date, animal information, and any additional notes. To enhance usability, the flow includes clear prompts and validation checks to guide users through the process accurately.
The app securely stores all inputted data for convenient access within the Breeding, Herds, Location and My Cattle sections. These areas are designed for easy navigation and data comprehension.
The diagram below illustrates the user path by tapping the add button and selecting the users' Breeding journey.
STyle guide
Primary Colors
The color palette for the Cattle Tracker App was intentionally designed to immerse users in the agricultural landscape. Bold orange, reminiscent of earthy tones, serves as the foundation, evoking a sense of warmth and familiarity. Complementary hues of deep green and teal introduce a calming and refreshing contrast, mirroring the natural environment.
To enhance usability and clarity, secondary colors were strategically implemented. Slate green, harvest gold, and reddish grey distinguish bulls, steers, and cows respectively, facilitating rapid identification. This color coding system reinforces the app's connection to the agricultural world while prioritizing efficiency and user experience.
Secondary Colors
Active Tabs
Icons: Simple icons were chosen to ensure rapid user comprehension and navigation. This will decrease the user's frustration with visual clutter.
Typography
Font: A highly legible font was selected to optimize readability across various screen sizes and lighting conditions. This ensures that users can comfortably consume content without eye strain.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Format: Data was meticulously organized to support efficient information scanning. By grouping related information and using clear labels, users can quickly locate desired data points.
High Fidelity
Introducing the Cattle Tracker App, a tool for cattle ranchers to optimize operations. The prototype includes herd management, medical data and pasture tracking. With easy navigation, ranchers can log animal data,such as breeding and cattle history. The app supports data-driven decisions, enhancing productivity and livestock well-being. Experience innovative cattle management with Cattle Track App. Click here for the protype.
The homepage offers quick and easy access to essential features. The Recent Activity section provides a valuable overview of recent data entries, especially for team collaboration. Clear buttons and intuitive navigation enhance the overall user experience.
Homepage
The My Cattle display is the core data storage area of the app. Each animal is designated a number which is color-coded for quick identification as a steer, bull, heifer, or cow. The filter function allows users to efficiently manage large groups of animals, such as marking them as sold or updating medical records. Data from My Cattle seamlessly integrates with other app sections like Breeding, Herds, and Location, enabling flexible data reformatting for rapid information access.
My Cattle
Tag Information
A unique identification number is assigned to each cow and imprinted on an ear tag equipped with tracking capabilities. This enables precise location monitoring of cattle while grazing.
Users can quickly access essential animal data—location, general information, medical records, and breeding history—with a simple tag tap.
The location tab offers ranchers quick access to herd locations, new calf movement, and detailed herd health and inventory information. The tab also includes property line monitoring to prevent livestock straying.
Location
Breeding
The breeding tab presents a clear structure of cow-calf pairings, linked to their associated bulls for easy reference.
By tapping the Add which is the floating action button, ranchers can create comprehensive records for their cattle. This feature is particularly useful for tracking new calves with details like birth information, lineage, and tag identification. This information is crucial for future breeding.
Add
Usability Study: Findings
Problem: The My Cattle and Sold buttons were not recognized as buttons. Users struggled to identify the My Cattle and Sold buttons as interactive elements.
Solution: We made the buttons a more distinguishing color change when tapping the My Cattle and the Sold buttons.
Before
After
Problem: Users were unable to access the Save and Cancel buttons due to their proximity to the app's fold.
Solution: By relocating the Save and Cancel buttons to a more visible position near the form, the user accessibility improved and confusion was reduced.
After
Before