Kvisp dog bike seat
- Case A modern dog bike seat design
- Client Kvisp
- Industry Pet mobility
Kvisp came to MODYN with the idea of starting a revolution in mobility for dogs and their parents, but they were unsure where to start with the design. They knew there was a gap in the market for dog-focused bike seat designs for modern dog parents and wanted to create something new that could be front-mounted so dogs could ride close and safe. MODYN was challenged to find a balance between safety, proximity through positioning on the handlebars and ease of use with a sleek, modern and urban look.
MODYN worked with Kvisp from the start, helping the company not only design the bike seat but also define the brand through the product’s design language and features. The result, launched on Kickstarter in 2023, is a forward-facing dog bike seat that revolutionises the way modern, urban and cycling dog parents travel with their best friends. Using a multifunctional dog harness for walking and cycling, you can easily attach your dog to the leash, walk to the bike and secure him in the safety clips with ease and control. With the dog bike seat mounted on the handlebars, your dog is close to you where he is happiest and most comfortable.
We interviewed dog parents to get a better understanding of how they transport their dogs and what didn’t work. What we discovered was that bike seats with cages on the back felt scary and not solid and that dog parents needed a simple and seamless solution to get their dogs from home to the bike seat. Here, we needed to create a comfortable design for both the dog and the parents, from where the seat would be placed to how the dog could sit.
Our market research was about size and diversity in dog breeds, but technically we also had to figure out what was safe and achievable. We established that up to 15 kg was possible with the space we had between the handlebars and used this as our basis to define a shape, dimensions and ultimately Kvisp’s customer base.
The final design is honest, understated in form and colour and inspired by fresh fashion trends and fitting into an urban environment. Ease of use was integral to the design of the bike seat, from the harness or dual-purpose seat belts (carrying and sitting safely in the bike seat) to the design of the seat that is both easy to attach and easy to clean. Comfort was also important and we designed features like the paw board that allows your dog to lean forward while exploring the world between your handlebars. A small window on the leg board allows dog parents to keep an eye on their e-bike’s display.
Our development phase ran parallel to the design, using both sketches and models to define the lines of the product and test how dogs move, how you lift ergonomically, what you can achieve and how the product could support these natural movements. It was a challenge because input through the pets was not really very possible what we were designing for, so we also worked closely with dog behaviourists to gain more insight into how dogs behaved and reacted to our designs.
