My goal for this project was to create two animated UX illustrations for Petco's website. I chose Petco specifically to celebrate getting my new terrier, Archie. The cat illustration is for an error 404 page, while the dog illustration is for a cookie consent pop-up. A motif from the website I wanted to continue was the animals from the logo peeking over elements of the website. Ergo, the cat peeks over the vase, and the dog is revealed behind the baking tray. Overall, I set out to capture the fun, quirky experience of pet ownership, while still keeping a clear, professional art style.
I chose to take inspiration from two pets instead of simply coming up with a pet on the fly. For the cat, I looked at Marie from Disney's The Aristocats to base the head shape on. I thought the visual of the tuft of hair peeking over the vase would be cute and add intrigue. For the dog, of course I used Archie as a loose model. His scruffy fur and multicolor coat translated into a simpler texture.
The concept of the cookie pop-up involves the user's choice affecting the dog's happiness. The more cookies they allow, the happier the
dog gets, and vice versa.
An error can be frustrating to a user, so showing the cat feeling remorse for knocking over the vase is an indirect apology.
