Roo is a web and mobile application that connects freelance veterinarians with hospitals looking for short-term personnel. The platform helps animal hospitals fulfill their staffing needs while allowing vets to work flexible hours on a self-selected schedule. The Roo team identified a market demand for an easier way for vets to connect with hospitals and wanted to build a platform to fill the void.
The Roo platform is a digital marketplace that refers freelance veterinarians and vet techs to hospitals needing temporary or full-time staffing solutions. Think of it like an "Uber for veterinarians" where vets can pick and choose the shifts they want to work. With this digital experience, hospitals can quickly fill their staffing needs. Our team helped the client develop the entire platform end-to-end. The project included a veterinary website design analysis, branding, user research, mobile app development, and engineering.
Our goal was to deliver a comprehensive and scalable platform that addressed the market need and provided a great user experience.
As Roo's product design and development partner, we focused on creating a platform that streamlined the connection between freelance veterinarians and hospitals. We started with a thorough research process to understand the industry and user pain points. This research informed our team of the features and functionality required for the platform.
We then worked on designing an intuitive and visually pleasing user interface that makes it easy for users to navigate the platform and find the information they need. To ensure the platform was dynamic and optimized for use across device types, we focused our responsive web design services on the engineering aspect of the platform.
During the development process, we worked closely with the Roo team to gather feedback and test the platform with real users. This collaboration helped us identify and address any hidden issues and affirmed that the final product met the needs of both hospitals and veterinarians.
Finally, we provided Roo with various marketing materials and brand collateral to promote their platform and attract more users.
Roo sends email and text notifications to improve user engagement and communication. Users receive warning emails or texts when their shift time is starting, helping them stay informed and aware of important deadlines and updates. This feature ensures that users are never caught off guard and helps keep them engaged.
The platform allows for shift specialization, meaning certain shifts may be worth more or less, depending on their complexity and requirements. This feature opens up more opportunities for veterinary professionals and allows Roo to better serve the needs of a wider variety of users. It also makes the platform more flexible and adaptable, allowing it to match the right professional to the right shift, and support more nuanced use cases.
Roo prioritizes full transparency to ensure the best pairing of service providers and clients. Both hospitals and veterinary professionals offer detailed information about their services, skills, and preferences. This information facilitates the matching process and ensures both parties have the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. This feature promotes fairness and trust while helping to build a culture of accountability within the platform.
The design of the Roo platform is an all-in-one solution that streamlines the process of connecting with available opportunities, managing payments, and networking with other professionals. This form makes the platform convenient and efficient, as users can access all the necessary features and functionalities in one place. This approach leads to a more seamless digital experience and helps users to find the right opportunities faster and more easily.
The Roo team needed an admin dashboard to efficiently manage various aspects of the platform and track business growth and success. This feature gives their team a clear overview of the platform's operations and allows them to monitor key performance indicators, such as user engagement and revenue. The admin dashboard also enables their team to make data-driven decisions, identify trends, and make adjustments to optimize the platform experience.
A mutual rating system was added by our team that allows veterinary professionals and hospitals to rate each other based on their performance and interactions. This feature helps establish a culture of transparency and continuous improvement. It also ensures a high quality of service from both parties and that the platform connects the right professional to the right hospital. This feature allows for fair and honest feedback, keeping the platform's community professional and trustworthy.
The Roo platform includes a community-based feature with a regular newsletter called "Roo4you", updated with fresh content weekly. This feature keeps subscribers informed about the latest developments and news within the industry. It also provides a platform for users to share and learn from one another, building a sense of belonging and community among users. This feature also helps Roo educate their audience on industry news and company updates.
With live chat, users can talk with Roo’s support staff in real-time. This feature simplifies communication and delivers a quick and responsive way to answer questions, resolve issues, and offer support. It also allows users to get assistance and answers to their questions, fostering a sense of reliability and trust in the platform.
Roo has a shift matching feature that helps veterinary professionals find and secure job opportunities that align with their skills, expertise, and availability. This functionality facilitates the matching process between service providers and clients so that users can quickly and easily get the right shifts for them.
Roo’s initial launch in their Texas market was a huge success, generating hundreds of relief shift bookings in the first few months and thousands of shifts posted. This success has allowed them to expand to multiple states across the U.S. and secure a seed round of funding totaling over $5 million.
