INTRODUCTION: Existing research agrees that a well-thought design of the user interface is a key point for an mHealth application for animal owners, supporting them obtain information and make decisions regarding their pet's specific situation. However, there is currently a lack of specific advice on the design of such an application.

METHODS: As part of a user-centered design (UCD) process, a formative, explorative usability test with n = 5 users was conducted for collecting design ideas. The test was conducted for two applications that were already available on the market.

RESULTS: The need of supporting comprehensive information input in guided processes that can be adapted to the individual level of knowledge, was identified as a key aspect.

CONCLUSION: In this paper, recommendations for the design of a suitable user interface are suggested to support application developers and designers.