Kvisp
- Case Designing a modern dog bike seat
- Client Kvisp
- Industry Pet mobility
Kvisp came to MODYN knowing they wanted to kickstart the dog mobility revolution, but they didn’t quite know where to start with the design. They knew there was a hole in the market for design-forward, dog-centric bicycle seats for modern dog parents, and wanted to create something new that was front-mounted so that dogs could be kept close and safe. MODYN was challenged to find a balance between safety, closeness and ease of use with a streamlined, modern and urban feel.
MODYN worked with Kvisp at its inception, helping this company not only design the product but define its brand through the product’s design language and features. The result, which launches on Kickstarter in 2023, is a front-facing dog seat that revolutionizes how modern, urban, and bike-riding dog parents travel with their best friends. Using a multi-purpose walk and cycle dog harness, you can easily clip your dog to the leash, walk them to the bike and strap them into the safety clips with ease and control. Front facing and mounted on the handlebars, your dog is close to you where they’re happiest and most comfortable.
We interviewed dog parents to get a better understanding as to how they transport their dogs and what wasn’t working. What we found was that bike seats mounted on the back with cages felt scary and disconnected, and dog parents needed a simple and seamless solution to get their dogs from home to the bike seat. We needed to create a level of comfort here for the dog and the parent, from where the seat would be positioned to how the dog could sit.
Our market research touched on size and dog breeds, but engineering-wise, we had to figure out what was safe and possible. We defined that up to 15 kilos was doable with the space we had between the handlebars and used this as our base to define a shape, dimensions and ultimately the clientele of Kvisp.
The design language is honest, subdued in tone and coloring, and inspired by energetic fashion trends to fit an urban environment. Ease of use was integral to the design, from the dual-purpose harness to the seat design that’s easy to lift into as well as clean. Comfort was also key, and we designed features like the paw board that allows your dog to lean forward as they explore the world between your handlebars. A small window on the paw board also allows dog parents to keep an eye on their e-bike display.
Our developing phase was in parallel to the design, working with both sketches and modeling to define the lines of the product as well as test how dogs move, how you naturally lift, what you can reach, and how the product could support those natural movements. It was challenging not being able to speak with the pets we were designing for, so we also worked closely with dog behavioral experts to get more insight into how dogs behaved and responded to our designs.
