Description:
"PetPals" is a virtual pet care web app where users can adopt, care for, and interact with a digital dog. The prototype will focus on essential pet care mechanics, a simple social feed, and a basic walking system. This minimum viable product (MVP) will provide a foundation to expand with advanced features later.
Platform:
Progressive Web App (PWA), optimized for mobile and desktop browsers.
- Dog Care Basics
- Feeding: Basic interaction to feed the dog, affecting hunger and happiness stats.
- Grooming: Simple interface for washing and brushing, increasing cleanliness and bonding.
- Playtime: Interact with a toy (like a ball or frisbee), improving happiness and energy.
- Health and Happiness Stats: Basic tracking of the dog’s overall well-being, visible in the UI.
- Walking System
- Basic Walking Mode: A route-based, click-and-go walking system to simulate daily walks, with time-based energy boosts.
- Item Collection: Randomly generate collectible items during walks (e.g., toys, treats) to give users rewards and incentive to walk daily.
- Simple Social Feed
- Activity Feed: Users can see a simple timeline of their pet's activities and achievements, like "Went for a walk!" or "Played with a toy."
- Achievements: Unlockable achievements for milestones, e.g., "First Walk," "10 Days of Care," etc.
- Dog Customization
- Basic Appearance Choices: Choose a dog breed and basic appearance traits (e.g., color, coat pattern) at adoption.
- Inventory for Accessories: Simple inventory system for items found during walks, e.g., a collar, bandana, or toy.
- Onboarding
- New users go through a brief tutorial introducing core mechanics: feeding, grooming, playing, and walking.
- Daily Routine
- Users perform basic care activities (feeding, grooming, walking) once or twice daily to keep the dog healthy and happy.
- Achievements and Milestones
- Users unlock achievements through routine care and walking, encouraging daily check-ins.
- Framework: Next.js with React and TypeScript
- Next.js provides server-side rendering (SSR) capabilities for SEO-friendly public pages and better load times.
- TypeScript offers type safety, especially useful for scalable development.
- UI and Styling: Tailwind CSS
- Tailwind CSS for a mobile-responsive and clean design, making it easy to apply quick style changes.
- State Management:
- Use React Context API for basic state management of dog stats (health, happiness, energy) and user inventory.
- Database: Firebase or Supabase
- Firebase for simple data storage of user profiles, dog stats, and social feed entries.
- Real-time database capabilities can enable instant updates to stats.
- Authentication: Firebase Authentication
- For user login, allowing multiple devices to sync user data and stats.
- Dog Stats
- Hunger: Decreases over time; users feed the dog to refill.
- Happiness: Increases with playtime and grooming, decreases if ignored.
- Energy: Increases with rest, decreases with activities like playing or walking.
- Simple Inventory System
- Users can collect and view items from walks. This includes basics like toys and treats, stored in an inventory.
- Simple Achievement Tracking
- Track basic achievements that appear in the social feed, such as "First Walk" or "First 7 Days of Care."
- Home Dashboard
- Displays the dog’s core stats (Hunger, Happiness, Energy) in a simple, user-friendly format.
- Quick access buttons for feeding, grooming, and playing.
- Dog Profile and Inventory
- Dog profile screen to show basic info, current accessories, and available items in the inventory.
- Activity Feed
- Simple timeline that shows recent activities and unlocked achievements, providing a light social experience.
- Phase 1: Core Functionality
- Implement dog adoption, basic dog care (feeding, grooming, playing).
- Build home dashboard with essential UI and stat-tracking functionality.
- Phase 2: Walking and Inventory System
- Develop a basic walking mechanic with item collection.
- Implement inventory system to display collected items.
- Phase 3: Social Feed and Achievements
- Create a simple social feed to display activities and achievements.
- Add basic achievement tracking.
- Phase 4: Polish and Testing
- UI refinement, bug fixes, and performance optimization.
- Ensure cross-device compatibility (mobile and desktop).
After the prototype is complete, consider expanding with these additional features:
- Expanded Dog Interactions: More toys, tricks, and grooming options.
- Multiplayer Park Visits: Allow users to visit virtual parks and interact with friends’ pets.
- Enhanced AR Integration: Basic AR capabilities to view the dog in real-world settings.
- Genetics and Breeding System: Introduce a simple genetics system to enable puppy generation.