Pawdramat
Cleaner Paws ○ Happier Pets ○ Easier Lives
A simple, easy, paw cleaning solution that is always ready for any mess
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Returning home after walking your dog,
and having no convenient way to clean off their unexpectedly
dirty paws.
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Existing products require preparation and planning,
which reduces usability, and it can be difficult
to find a convenient place to store them.
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Current products, such as wet wipes,
are wasteful.
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A compact, low profile, and low-waste solution
for dirty paws of all sizes.
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Suitable for use indoors, such as in apartment buildings,
or outdoors on a back deck.
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A built in water storage tank ensures the mat
is ready to use at all times, with no planning required.
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Research
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Design
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User Testing
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Fabrication
Background Research
The primary research methods used for this project were user
interviews and academic review.
I spoke to a number of dog owners to get an idea of what types of
issues came up during their day-to-day activites regarding their dogs.
Pet ownership has increased significantly over the past three decades.
In 1988, only 56% of U.S. households owned a pet. As of 2023, 66% of
U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet, and an estimated 65.1 million
of those households are dog owners
More than two-thirds of Americans would pass on the perfect home
if it wasn’t a good fit for their pets
Pet parents spend an average of $730 per year on their dogs,
and in 2022, Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets overall
27% of pet parents say that cleaning up after their dog is the biggest
challenge when it comes to dog ownersip
How might we make it easier for dog owners to keep their dog's paws clean,
regardless of what type of housing they have?
Prototyping
There were a couple of key requirements that guided the initial development
for this project:
Indoor or Outdoor Use
Low Profile
Not Reliant on Water Supply
Readily Usable
Environmentally Sustainable
In order to address these issues, I implemented the following design decisions:
The best way for the solution to be low profile was for it to replace an
existing element of decor that most users would already own, so a door
mat seemed a logical choice.
In order for this product to be readily useable, but not reliant on an outisde
water supply, there had to be some way to contain water within the doormat. A wide
and flat water resevoir made sense for this purpose.
Many of the alternate products on the market require users
to plan in advance in order to use them, which doesn't work
when the weather changes unexpectedly, or you encounter an
unforseen mess.
A current solution to that dog owners
were using was disposable pet wipes. The major complaints with these involved
cost and waste. Having a study device that required no replacements or additional
purchases gave this solution an advantage.
To make this solution work for outdoor use, it needed to be able to weather
the elements and be easily cleaned. The plastic housing is sturdy enough to survive
the elements, and the rubber bristles allow the mat to be easily hosed off, or rinsed
in a sink.
For indoor use, it needed to contain the mess in addition to being easy to clean.
The dirt collection tray allows dirt and dirty water to be emptied out as needed in
a trash can or sink.
Validation
In order to evaluate the effectiveness and usabiity of the Pawdramat,
I brought the product into a number of pet owners homes to get their feedback.
The overall reaction was very positive, in particular with the owners of larger dogs,
whose owners said they had a more difficult time keeping clean than owners of
smaller dogs.
Final Product
Between the experienced usage with these dogs, and talking to their owners,
I implemented several modifications on the original design:
I expanded upon the functionality of the removable, hand-held
scrubbing portion, and hid it undeneath the top of the mat to
accomadate the increase in size
I also addressed concerns about water accumulation in the dirt
collection tray by adding graduated channels for
water to flow out of.
I increased the size of the foot spray pedal, and the new compartment open
pedal, to aid in ease of use.
I also looked into some potential materials that would be best suited for the
pawdramat if it were to enter the next stage of production. I knew I wanted
this product to be environmentally sustainable, I visted the materials library
and looked at both naturally occuring and manufactured materials. Due
to the outdoor nature of the pawdramat, most natral materials would not
work. I have been looking into a variety of different bioplastics, which I
think are the most likely candidate for a suitable material.
Final Thoughts
If I were to keep working on the pawdramat, my next task would be to create a revised physical
prototype that I could test on the dogs who tried the first one, and new dogs as well. I would also
keep looking into different options for bioplastics, and potentially other sustainable materials that
I haven’t thought about yet.