Lead was designed over the course of a semester in my 5th year at the University of Notre Dame for the 2016 Housewares Competition as a crate to aid in the transportation of stray dogs off the street to move them to animal shelters. While working with local animal control officers I discovered that due to a lack of other available equipment, officers will use an animal control stick to lift the dog by its neck or physically lift the dog by its body into the control vehicle. This can be dangerous for the control officer dealing with a viscous animal and potentially harmful for the animal as well. My design, Lead, has a hole at the top of the crate allowing officers to walk stray dogs directly into the cage while still on the animal control stick. This makes the dog easier to control, gives the officer more time to get the dog into the van and establishes a distance between the officer and the dog make the situation more safe for both.
I worked through the stages of design, development, prototyping, testing, modeling and rendering. All research, illustration, photography (unless otherwise marked) and design work is mine.
In this self-guided class project I designed and branded Paws All-Natural Dog Treats, a line of high-end dog treats that contain carefully researched ingredients to target the specific needs of three different groups, puppies, adult and elderly dogs.
I focused a majority of my research on young dog owners wanting a healthy city life style with their dog. My designing a gourmet line of dog treats that extend through all stages of life, it encourages health-conscious owners to greater understand the needs of their dog as they age.