Patas en Acción: Elaboración de Estrategia de Diseño de Interacción Comunitaria para Promover el Bienestar Animal

Abstract

This degree project falls within the field of Interaction Design with a social and community focus, and aims to understand and intervene in the sociocultural dynamics surrounding canine and feline sterilization processes, as well as animal health in urban contexts. Based on a case study of the Patas Arriba Mobile Veterinary Unit in the city of Tunja (Boyacá, Colombia) and some pet owners in the Santa Inés and Libertador neighborhoods, a community-centered design strategy is proposed to strengthen animal welfare and facilitate access to clear and timely information regarding the health of their pets. The project is based on a research approach using qualitative methods and participatory design tools, integrating aspects such as animal welfare, public health, the construction of the subject living in society, and the user experience in community contexts. As a result, an interface for an intuitive mobile application is developed, which acts as a bridge between veterinary knowledge, community actions, and the daily needs of animal guardians. This tool seeks not only to improve the experience, but also to activate processes of appropriation and co-responsibility in animal care at the social level. From the framework of Interaction Design, the project contributes to the reflection on how both digital and analog designed experiences can respond to an ethical, social, and dynamic perspective. In this approach, the user experience is not conceived as an isolated interaction, but as part of a network of collective practices, relationships of trust, and generational exchanges. Whether through a mobile application or direct interaction at animal welfare conferences, the aim is to generate a meaningful, coherent, and functional experience that promotes active participation and commitment to animal welfare as a shared social value.

Keywords Interaction design, animal welfare, user experience, community, sterilization, public health, participation.