Trendy animal products

Trend curve

Big fashion and design trends find their way to all sectors of the consumer market. Shapes and designs can be found in clothing, furniture and of course pet products. Trends tend to follow a curve in which the idea originates with the innovators, is then spread by the early adopters and finally adopted by the early and late majority. Innovators find their inspiration in social movements and cultural surroundings. From absorbing urban elements while on a stroll down a city block, exploring new technologies or wanting to make a difference in innovative environmental solutions. It can take several years for a trend to move along the curve from its innovative stage to the next.

Following trends in the pet industry

We currently see many influences from both the fashion and design world in the pet industry. There is a huge interest in following these trends in animal products. A desire for personalization is at the root of this development. This results in products matching the shape and style of the pet owner’s living space and specialized products for animals of a certain age group. The eco trend, for instance, can be found in pet toys made of natural or recycled materials.

For this article, I interviewed two designers who have each developed their own contemporary pet product. They elaborate on their inspiration and their enthusiastic journey through all of thedevelopmental stages.

Design: Catissa Geobed, designer: Ilshat Garipov

Ilshat is an industrial and product designer and proud cat owner from Estonia. He designed the Catissa Geobed. As indicated by his company slogan, this design can be categorised as ‘cool stuff for cats’. He tells me about his first project for cats, the fourstorey cat house Catissa.

“It was a generally successful project, and the product is in great demand among the enthusiastic cat owners. However, it had its disadvantages in that it is quite difficult to manufacture. It also requires expensive processing and is quite heavy. So, I thought a long time about how to make a house for cats which does not have these disadvantages.”

Regarding the look and following the latest trends, he says: “Not so long ago, there was a trend in faceted forms, including dodecahedron. I have seen many products with a similar shape and I was always impressed and wanted to make something like that myself. And then it dawned on me – icosahedron is a set of identical equilateral triangles! And the very form of the icosahedron looks pretty attractive to make a couchcave for cats in this form. The only thing that was left to invent was the uniform connectors for triangles, so that our customers would be able to assemble it themselves.”

He put a lot of thought in the design, look and interactive features, keeping in mind both the owner and the cat. “I have lived with cats for more than ten years, so I have a fairly accurate idea about their habits and needs. I know that they need a private place to hide and sleep and it would be best if this place had some small windows and gaps between the walls for them to be able to observe the surrounding area.”

Ilshat also paid attention to the environmental and technical part of the design. “I tried to pick materials combining environmental friendliness, durability and lightness. Plywood came closest to meeting all of these requirements. I also knew that cats love sheepskin, a very durable and easy to clean material. I think the success of Catissa Geobed comes from a combination of the following: a good shape to start from, choosing the right materials and precise manufacturing.”

Design: The Odin, designer: Michelle Moy

Michelle Moy from the USA quit her job to pursue her long-time dream of owning a business that had something to do with pets. And that something became The Odin, a great geometrically shaped dog toy.

“I am obsessed with geometric shapes and objects, which also happens to be very much on trend at the moment, so I thought it would be unique and cool to incorporate that into our toy design. I also wanted to build a cohesive brand that people would recognise as our specific aesthetic, so I tried to draw inspiration from designs that caught my eye and those happenedto be modern, geometric and minimalist objects.”

“For the overall design of the toy itself, we wanted to make sure the design fit in with current modern home decor as well as fully functional as a dog puzzle toy,” she explains. “We got the idea to make a puzzle toy from our own Pembroke corgi, Odin, since he absolutely loves food and puzzle toys are one of this favourite things. Before we started Up Dog Toys, we were getting frustrated at how difficult it was to find a puzzle toy that worked for us.

“Our overall goal in designing The Odin dog toy was to make it as functional as possible, but not compromise on how it looks. We believe that the best products out there incorporate both functionality and aesthetics and that is what makes a welldesigned product.” The design perfectly fits a stylish interior design. “ I pay close attention to current fashion and home trends, so we make it apoint to allow this to influence our designs. I also try to go with my own personal style and the things I like. Through the whole design process, I continued to question myself if this toy was something I wouldn’t mind to have laying around my house when guests came over. I felt this was a good indication of a beautiful design.”

“Our number one priority was safety. We needed something non-toxic, food safe, BPA and phthalate free, super tough and easy to clean.” And last but not least, Michelle and her company also donate 1% of all sales to a local non-profit that helps animals in need.