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Critical Journal 1 Kate W illiams DE1082
NERVOUS DISCOM DISTRESS RESTLE ALARMED ANGST WORRY DISRUPT TERRIFIED SCAR AFRAID STRESSED
MFORT AGITATED ESS MISTRUST ANXIETY UPSET TIVE FRETFUL RED DESTRUCTIVE D TIMID UNEASY 3
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Introduction and Planning Research and Exploration Proposals Statement of brief Research Plan Design Methodology
Initial research interviews Understanding the causes Reviewing the information Examining the problem Day in the life Observation Interim Shelters Collecting data Pressure point stress Making videos Reflection point
Market
Cru NP Understandin Competitive Product Reviewing Medication Inter
3 4 5 Research
ufts PS ng the market e landscape t testing g services n v’s herbal rview
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Concept Generation
Review and Conclusion
Mindmap Key problems Moodboarding Post it note designs Analysis game Colour trend Internal review External review Sketchwork
Presentation reflection Final brief Where I am now What do I need to decide Final planning
It Didn’t Work! Insight Moment!
It Worked! A Problem
Review
Discussion point
How to read this document Design Decisions This section will describe the activity and the logistics
Design Process
This section will reflect on my project and what I found to help me
Description of activity This section will reflect on my own decision making.
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Introd and pl
duction lanning.
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Proposals I decided to pursue my initial findings because I believed there w as a design problem to be solved in this area.
WHY?
FTheeedback from Tutors project w as received positively and got the green light! They did say that this is a big topic so it could be focused more, by possibly looking at where stress could be reduced.
W
From reading articles and YouTube it quickly became apparent that dog’s commonly have issues w ith stress and anxiety w ithin the home environment.
I created a proposal for my topic area to get all my ideas down into a readable format. This allow ed me to really start to understand what I w anted to find out.
Intro + Planning
WHERE?
Insight
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Creating three directions enabled me to really focus and review my research.
Why is this important?
I think starting w ith three direction points enabled me to really understand each concept in depth and help create a better final brief.
I colour coded all my w ork based on which direction the research fitted into, using this technique meant when choosing my final brief I w as able to quickly pick out the relevant information.
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Intro + Planning
This w orked really w ell for me, as I think I w ould have been lost in a sea of research.
Research Plan (Part 1) EXPLORE
START
Treatments
Understanding stress and anxiety
INTERVIEWS
Vets
MARKET RESEARCH INTERVIEWS
Newcastle Dog shelter
EXPLORE
Tellington T Touch
EXPLORE Music therapy
Dog training session
OBSERVATIONS
MARKET RESEARCH
OBSERVAT
Pressure point stress products
Exploration Hand in Purchase a range of products for testing
PRODUCT TESTING
Go to Shelter
OBSERVATIONS
TIONS
Test out range of products
OBSERVATIONS
Medical research
OBSERVATIONS
Dog Anxiety Reactions
In depth research and observation of direction
MAKE FINAL PRESENTATION
INTERVIEWS Decide on a direction
DECISION POINT
Intro + Planning
T H
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Research Plan (Part 2) EXTERNAL REVIEWS
ITERATION Sketchwork of possible directions
KEY PROBLEMS
BRAND GUIDELINES
CJ1 Hand in BRAND DEVELOPMENT
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Reflection point!
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I really tried to stick to my plan to make sure that I covered all that I needed to. I believe my project plan helped me check and review my w ork.
T ime management
Intro + Planning
Having a research plan is key in managing a successful project. Identifying key areas to explore helps the direction of w ork to remain focused and ensure that research is extensive.
Design methodology Double Diamond
EXPLORATIO DISCOVER
EXPLORE
INTERVIEWS
KEY INSIGHTS
OBSERVATIONS
PROBLEM
EXPLORATION
MARKET RESEARCH
PRODUCT TESTING
Using this has enabled me to see where I need to be and see what I need to do to get to my end solution
BRAND REFINEMENT
CJ2 HAND IN
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
ITERATION
MAJOR
SOLUTION PRODUCT MANUFACTURE
ITERATIVE DESIGN + KEY PRINCIPLES
CJ1 HAND IN
PRODUCT REFINEMENT
MAJOR HAND IN
Intro + Planning
ON HAND IN
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I am here :)
Resear explor
rch and ration.
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Problem This research enabled me to really understand there is a
massive problem w ith dog anxiety and that owners do not know where to seek advice.
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Research + Exploration
I initially started by researching into case studies in the surrounding canine magazines. This enabled me to gain an understanding of the large range of anxiety and stress problems dogs have. Many articles, in all three magazines, focussed upon how to spot the signs of stress. They also had a vet or behavourist answ ering questions. Most commonly asked questions by dog owners w ere often based on anxiety and stress.
12 Million of dogs are left to suffer w ith their anxiety problems w ithout their owners trying any remedies
WHY?
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Insight
I found this survey from an online Veterinary study on stress and anxiety behaviour. I made this leaflet to demonstrate how big of a problem anxiety and stress w as and what w ere the most problematic areas.
Research + Exploration
Main types of anxieties are noise, separation, reactivity tow ards people, general and travel. F urther research is needed to determine the cause for these anxieties.
Interview s I initially researched on the internet breeds which w ere known for being prone to stress and anxiety problems, I then w ent on to interview four breeders to gain their experiences of the breed. I found after speaking to several breeders that in some cases yes, certain bad breeding could influence whether a dog is more subseptiable to having stress or anxiety, how ever the majority of causes w ould be from an environmental factor. From interview ing the breeder I felt that I had not learned anything I did not know, as they w ere reluctant to say anything that w ould be of detriment to the reputation of the breed. How ever I still think it w as important to ask them about breeding, but I could have found more useful information online or
Are certain breeds more prone to having stress and anxiety?
Research + Exploration
Flick through
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Understanding the causes Insight
It is important to note that their are many possible causes of anxiety, so it w ill not be possible to solve every problem. How ever I have picked three measurable main causes to look at further. - Reaction to owner’s anxiety - Loud sounds/ noises - Separation anxiety due to rehoming. This research helps aid all three directions.
Reflecting on this research activity it is important to understand the basics of anxiety before I w ent on to research more in depth. This helped me understand that there are many different type of anxiety so I need to look at the bigger picture.
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Too many causes to solve every one, and is very individual to the dog.
Research + Exploration
Looking on w ebsites such as RSPCA and ASPCA enabled me to research the causes of stress and anxiety for dogs.
Direction 1
In regards to designing for reducing stress in dog shelters this research has enabled me to understand where stress might occur. This has given me an over all understanding, however to really understand how to reduce stress within dog shelters I will do a further conclusive study of the rehoming process.
Direction 2
After examining the symptoms and the cause this has enabled me to really understand the most common problems. I have picked out - Reaction to owner’s anxiety - Loud sounds/ noises - Separation anxiety due to rehoming. To further this research I need to look further into existing treatments.
Direction 3
From speaking to breeders it soon became clear that if a dog was bred properly and settled into a new home appropriately there should no reason why a dog should have anxiety issues due to there breed. This made me think further into owners responsibility, I will further observe owner interaction with their dogs to see if their are any common problems or issue that could be addressed.
Review ing the information
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After every section in my exploration research I kept a log of how my research had helped develop my direction, it also allow ed me to see where my research could take me.
Making decisions throughout the research kept my research relevant. Having the tw o sections to my review s; first ‘summary’ and then ‘where this could take me’ sections really helped my design thinking as I w as constantly thinking how I could use the information, and which direction I w anted to go in.
Research + Exploration
I found that making these conscious decisions throughout the journey enabled me to understand what I had found and how this could help me w ith my project.
Desk Research - articles Insight
Provide a safe place - F ind the place your dog feels most comfortable - ‘Safe den’ such as a dog crate/ box covered on three sides w ith blankets -Encourage your dog to use and make positive association w ith the den by putting treat in it. Draw the curtains - use a calm voice and relaxed body language - pets respond to their owner’s fear Play music - Turn the volume of television up - Play calming music
This information allow ed me to understand how I could develop a product that could help w ith the range of anxieties.
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Research + Exploration
I collected information from The APBC this is an international netw ork of experienced and qualified pet behaviour counsellors who w ork on referral from veterinary surgeons to treat behaviour problems in dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses and other pets. These official guidelines use positive reinforcement and comforting aids.
The treatments 71% 54% 33%
Behavior Modification
Environmental Management
Drugs
31% Music Therapy
(2011 Veterinarian Anxiety Survey sponsored by Thundershirt)
Review ing the information
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I found this information from the anxiety survey undertaken by Thundershirt in 2011. I created a visual diagram of the most popular treatments used for anxiety problems.
This research helped me decide what areas w ere most popular and which areas I needed to understand more.
Research + Exploration
It w as important to look into the most popular forms of treatments to gain an understanding of what exists and what is popular to use on the market. This gave me an understanding of what I needed to research further and possible areas I could design for.
Behaviour Modification Tv Show I Watched the TV episodes of famous Dog behavourist Cesar Millan aka ‘The Dog Whisperer’, he specially show ed owners how to deal w ith stress and anxiety.
Insight
Exercise helps calm your dog down More dog toys, less destruction These could be possible areas to look further into to see if a product or service could be provided for anxious dogs in a home environment and in shelters.
I learnt new training methods to calm a dog down and how to prevent the behaviour from happening again. How ever I must add that in the dog training w orld his methods are now coming under scrutiny. Research + Exploration
Personal reflection
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Interview Lucy Parkin I conducted an interview w ith Lucy Parkin the lead behavourist at CleverPaw s Newcastle. I asked her questions based on anxiety and stress and her experience of this in dogs.
Reflecting on this interview I felt that this w as useful to see what techniques she used in training. This made me question whether I could use these in my own designs. She also brought up a new technique which I had never heard of before- Tellington Ttouch.
I think that I could have written better questions to get more in depth answ ers. How ever I w as very happy w ith the out come of the interview as I felt that I had learnt something new.
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What is tellington Ttouch and why is it used?
Research + Exploration
Flick through
Examining the problem I asked owners to send me videos of their dog’s when they get stressed. I review ed these on my laptop and made notes
Insight
After observing stress and anxiety behaviours, it becomes clear they crave affection from the owners, it can be distressing for the owners to w atch their dog almost having a panic attack. The dog gets into a routine of doing the same actions every time they are put in a stressful situation. This routine could be broken up w ith interaction w ith the owner or and interaction w ith a product.
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After review ing the videos I learnt more about the symptoms and what to look for. It also show ed me the difference in owner’s interaction styles while the dog w as stressed.
Some owners are unknowly making the stress w orse as they do not know how to react when their dog is stressed.
Research + Exploration
I think this w as useful tool as I think observing it myself meant that I could observe the owner naturally.
Day in the life... L eaving Routine (seperation Anxiety) Owner leaves
The dog realises they are not coming straight back and runs to w indow s to check where his owners are.
After owners leave the dog w aits by the door w aiting for them to come back.
Dog becomes visually upset
Starts to cry runs to the bedroom and runs back to front door.
The dog becomes so stressed out by the experience it w ill only escalate every time the owners leave.
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Dog is panting and is becoming very agitated
Dog jumps on owner and owner gives affection
Owner returns Dog starts to howl
There is nothing to reassure the dog that the owners w ill return. This could be area to design for.
Research + Exploration
Dog jumps onto bed crying and smells his owners clothes
Dog still appears to be stressed as is constantly moving around.
Observing a behaviour class Make sure there is nothing else going on. Take the dog to the vet’s as stress and anxiety may be result of an underlying illness.
After observing an advanced behaviour class, I conducted an interview w ith Neil Losada lead trainer at BestBehaviourK9. He has been w orking w ith dogs for over 20 years, from training police dogs to training dogs for television. His behavioural class w as really useful to observe and it show ed how an owner should interact w ith their dog when training.
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I attended Best Behaviour class on the 11/12/15. The class covered - Distractions - Calming techniques - Heel training - Recall
Research + Exploration
I think this w as useful tool as I think observing it myself meant that I could observe the owner naturally.
Interview Neil Losada I interview behavouirst Neil Losada from K9bestbehaviour after observing his behaviour class. I found interview ing another trainer gave me a good perspective of training methods.
On reflection I think it w as important to observe a class to see the quality of his training. I learnt how owners can teach their dogs how to cope w ith anxiety through fun training methods.
How can owners really be conscious of what their body language is saying?
Research + Exploration
Flick through
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Interim David Parkinson 23/11/15
"The w ork you have shown show s a great range of knowledge how ever, now I think you need to understand more about different environments, look into shelter and how they deal w ith stress and anxiety." I w ill aim to focus on environment and really understand how this can effect stress levels. I w ill aim to visit a shelter and speak to helpers.
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How ard F enw ick 23/11/15
I w ill aim to collect more information in new exciting w ays. I w ill set up a F acebook page and create some of my own videos.
Research + Exploration
"The w ork you have done is of good quality I think you could start to look at more exciting w ays of collecting information. You could set up your own F acebook group to collect knowledge from friends and family and create a community."
V isiting Newcastle Dog shelter I visited Newcastle dog shelter and spoke to a few members of staff about how they try to help dogs w ith anxieties.
On reflection of looking into dog shelters, it has enabled me to look into how they could be possibly be improved. Simple things like relaxing noises and scents offer an opportunity that could be explored further.
Dogs are social animals so giving them a room mate could help relieve this stress. This feeling of having someone there could be an interesting area to look into as loneliness often leads to boredom, which in turn can turn into behavioural problems.
Research + Exploration
Barking in shelters seems also to be an issue, if one dog barks it set a tidal w ave of other dogs barking, this noise can be extremely loud, their could be a potential to reduce noise levels in kennels.
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Interview John Rodgerson
Could w e make the attention a owner gives to their dog a positive training method?
John Rodgerson is a specialist behavourist for anxieties w ithin dog shelters. John is the author of no few er than eight books, has produced tw o DVDs and has run courses on training and behaviour for, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, The Blue Cross, The R.S.P.C.A., The Dogs Trust and many more.
Research + Exploration
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Books
Insights
- Add natural light wherever possible to kennels and/or dogs’ daily routines. - Offer variety and comfort inside the kennel - Mindful movement. Encourage staff and volunteers to mind their movement during the daily routine to avoid creating unnecessary noise (clanging equipment, slamming kennel doors, etc). - Water fountain. Even a small inexpensive fountain w ill create a peaceful compliment to chaotic shelter noise. - Provide variety and interest through planned scents - Introduce roommates.
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This research w as collected from the book; Kennel Design: The Essential Guide to Creating Your Perfect Kennels by David Key.
Research + Exploration
This book enabled me to categorise different w ays of calming a dog down.
Battersea Website Insight Scents could be a simple one to introduce, as it keeps a dogs mind active and could be a fun game for a dog.
A lot of problems come down to funding.
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Batersea are trying to implement rotations of toys, scent pouches, music and delivery of meals. These are all to keep a dog mentally stimulated. How ever in other shelters w ith less funding these new stress relevant are not in place. There could be a potential to introduce them to shelter that may not have as much funding.
Research + Exploration
This research w as collected from a article on Battersea’s w ebsite based on their new kennel layouts.
Interview
Dr. Alexandra Moesta Pet Behaviour and Care Manager Waltham
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Research + Exploration
I interview ed Alexandra Moesta, pet behaviour and care manager at the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition (WCPN). They carry out the pet-based research on behalf of the w orldw ide Mars Petcare group of companies, and has maintained colonies of cats and dogs since 1965.
Decision T ime! I think re-designing a kennel w ould be a difficult thing to do as their is already a lot of information out their by professionals. A lot of problems come down to funding. I think I w ill now focus on directions 2 and 3.
Then there w as tw o!
After discussing this w ith my tutor I decided that designing for shelters w ould be too difficult due to funding problems. Also specialist dog trainers are looking after the dogs so are doing as much as they can w ith little money.
Research + Exploration
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Collecting data
If I w as to do this activity again I think I w ould use it as a sight where owners can post pictures and pose questions to get conversation flow ing then I could have posed mor serious questions to the group.
I did not get many responses on F acebook, and had to personally ask individuals for pictures. The activity did not tell me much as a dog’s sleeping position is difficult to change.
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Research + Exploration
I asked 10 people to photograph their dogs in the positions they sleep in to gain an understanding of stressful positions
Examining pressure point stress Research from Lucy Parkin Dog Trainer at Cleverpaw s Newcastle.
I think this is a really exciting route my project could potentially take. Tellington ttouch could be combined w ith a product to form a service.
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I researched into Tellington Ttouch, it is a system of gentle bodyw ork and movement exercises, which positively influences behaviour and w ellbeing in dogs. Ttouch is based on cooperation and understanding and w ill deepen the relationship betw een dogs and their people.
Tellington ttouch could be a potential for owners to help reduce the risk of their dog becoming stressed. It makes a relationship betw een owner and dog stronger.
Research + Exploration
See proffessional Sarah F isher perform Tellington Ttouch
Examining pressure point stress Key pressure point to reduce heart rate
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I also aim to look further into massage techniques and acupuncture. This w ill help me understand in more detail how a dog’s reaction to stress can be helped by reaction points on the dogs body.
Research + Exploration
Certain points on a dog help relieve stress, I think this is particularly interesting as it has been proved to be more than just a ‘fad’ product. These pressure points could be further examined to see I could use this knowledge on another product.
Making V ideos To present my findings I created several videos to really gain an understanding of what I have learnt.
This w orked really w ell as it has given another dimension to my presentation.
From making these video it enabled me to communicate my w ork to others review ing my project.
Thundershirt
Market Research
Adaptil Collar
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Reflection point!
Insight
The dog gets into a routine of doing the same actions every time they are put in a stressful situation. This routine could be broken up w ith interaction w ith the owner or and interaction w ith a product.
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After observing stress and anxiety behaviours, it becomes clear they crave affection from the owners, it can be distressing for the owners to w atch their dog almost having a panic attack.
I gathered all my research onto a board grouping them in the three directions. I made notes on my key insights and problems I had found.
I need to know more about the competitive market place to see where a product could fit.
M res
Market search.
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Crufts 2015 Insight
I w ill have to have an idea of where I w ant my product to be sold and how it could be pushed to become a trusted brand.
I visited Crufts 2015 a globally known dog show which is held in Birmingham every year.
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There is such a vast amount of products on display it w ill be difficult for a new product to emerge in the market.
Market Research
From visiting crufts it became apparent that there w ere not many stress and anxiety products on the market.
National Pet show 2015
I visited the national pet show in Birmingham, which show a range of new products and companies for the pet industry.
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Market Research
I noticed the busier stalls w ere ones that looked visually exciting or some product that no one had seen before. I think that my branding w ill be key to standing out and bringing something new to the pet industry.
Understanding the market Insight
My products w ill have to more than just another toy to be able to stand out from the crowd.
I collected a range of products and labelled them from price to features. These products w ere found on Pets at Home and amazon w ebsite. I also looked into 2016 trends and what products w ould be trending.
There is such a vast amount of products on the toy market!
Market Research
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Competitive landscape Insight
Products are off putting because they are branded very medical like. They are not very fashionable or on trend. This could be putting off owners, hence loosing a large percentage of the market.
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I have learnt that I w ill need to make my branding contemporary and stay aw ay from being medical. I w ill have to make sure the products are on trend and desirable not just to pet owners w ith stress issues.
Products look very medical and there is not much on the market
Market Research
I created a competitive landscape of the products on the market specifically for stress and anxiety.
Product testing
Pet Remedies
"I thought the infuser may help him settle at night so I plugged it in and sw itched it on during the night time, and when left during the day (tw o hours here and there if someone nipped to the shops for example).’
"I think the collar helped a little bit how ever she still displayed stress behaviour, especially on New Years eve w ith all the firew orks."
Adaptil collar
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Market Research
Product testing
I w anted to test the products to see how effective these products really w ere. I know that many of the products are subjective to the dog, as every dog w ill react differently.
Product testing
Kong toy 33 Minutes
“We stuffed the kong with treats and it kept Masie entertained for over half an hour. It worked well as a distraction technique however I don’t think it would work well in extremely stressful situations.”
This testing it allow ed me access the dog and owners reaction to the product. A lot of owners have this preconception before trying the product that it w on’t help that much so their is no need to buy it.
After trying the products the majority of owners w ere pleasantly surprised and w ould purchase the product in the future.
85 “I really didn’t expect the thundershirt to work. However we tried it out on New years Eve with all the fireworks. Usually Jessie reacts really badly and tries to hide under the table. “
Thundershirt
Market Research
Owners do not trust the product to w ork.
Review ing services
"I love using a dog day care center as I don’t feel guilty for leaving a dog alone while I am at w ork. It also makes the dog much more socialised. When my dog gets back from the center he is alw ays tired out from a busy day of socialising and having fun."
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I visited More for Paw s dog day care in Barnsley and observed the service they provided. I also asked a owner who uses their service what she liked about it and why she used it.
Market Research
I found out that people who use the service are those who w ork full time and do not w ant to leave their dog at home all day. I also became apparent that the owners saw a difference in their dogs attitudes as the dog had become more socialised.
Medication V’s Herbal A side from buying new products to help w ith a dog’s anxiety there are also medical options. I researched into different medications that are on the market. I also looked into herbal remedies and asked owners if they had ever used any before. I found out that owners much preferred the idea of using herbal remedies as they thought they w ere less harmful for the dog. After speaking w ith an owner who had used both I soon found out that she thought medication w as ok up till a certain point but did not w ant to keep her dog medicated so moved on to herbals. At this point I made the decision that I w ould try to avoid any involvement w ith medication, as firstly I am no trained vet, and secondly herbal remedies w ere much more in favour.
Market Research 89
Interview Dr Alice Reynolds
Vet at Abbey house veterinary hospital I interview ed Dr Alice Reynolds and asked her when medication should be used for anxiety and stress in dogs.
I found out that medication should not be used as a long term solution and should only be used w ith training methods. This has helped me understand that herbal could be a long time solution over medication. Medication is only really used in extreme cases.
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Market Research
Flick through
Co gener
oncept ration.
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Mindmap From my research I created a mindmap of possible design areas. These w ere; interaction modification, 5 senses and calming techniques.
Insight From my research I found
that many of the products and techniques for calming a dog are based around the 5 senses.
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This w as a decision point for me as I could of carried on w ith all three directions or choose just one. I decided to go w ith 5 senses.
Concept Generation
Using this mindmapping technique enabled me to understand which direction had more options and which area I could develop the most.
Key Problems
Educating owners through helpful tips and advice.
Insight
- Owner’s may not recognise signs of stress or think that they can do anything to help. - There is a disbelief in the products, thinking that they w on’t w ork and w ill be a w aste of money. - Products are off putting because they are branded very medical like. They are not very fashionable or on trend. - There are many types of anxieties and no exact w ay of treating them. - Not many products on the market integrate w ith training techniques or could be taken to a behaviour class.
Making the pr multi-function ‘toy-like’ may more owners bu products
Several prod owner can cho one or more w suit their
ducts so oose which w ill best r dog.
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POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Make the branding contemporary and stay aw ay from being medical I made key notes from my exploration project and created four key problem areas. I need to pick a few key points to make sure I do not try to solve every problem as I think it could become product that did everything but didn’t actually do anything.
Concept Generation
roducts nal and y make uy these s.
From writing out my key problems it enabled me to look into possible solutions for further design w ork.
Moodboarding I created several moodboards to help me understand what sort of design language w ould be best for my own product. I did this by collecting images from google, pinterest and show s I had visited.
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Concept Generation
After collecting these images and analysing what I liked and did like. I learnt which sort of style I could use for my own design w ork.
Post it note designs Key Principles
From creating some quick post it note ideas it enabled me start thinking of possible solutions. I have learnt from this that I need a clearer focus.
I started to sketch out some quick post it notes based on my five key principles that I made for each 5 sense. These key principles w ere made from my market research.
Concept Generation
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Post it note designs
I have learnt that a lot of my ideas in my separate categories overlap w ith others.
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Key Principles
Concept Generation
I need to make a decision of where I w ant my project to go. I need to decide on what I w ant to achieve and what area of the market I w ant to be in.
Brand anylisis I created a game where I show ed cards w ith brand logos and packaging. I then asked them to write down their opinions onto cards.
Insight
From this analysis I w as able to gain an insight into how people saw brands and to confirm my intuition about certain brands.
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Concept Generation
I think this w orked really w ell as it gave me good insight into how others view ed branding.
Colour association Insight
I found that in general opinion colours such as yellow s, oranges, blues and greens w ere seen as calming colours.
Authority, evil, timeless, aloof
I w anted to understand what colours meant to consumers so I set up colour cards to gain people’s opinions.
Pure, clean, Hazard, welcome, Health, change, innocent courage, bright, heat, energetic
Balance, Harmony, Power, danger, Royalty, bravery, Importance, freshness, nature, emergency, warmth, scared, confidence, relaxing. anger, hot. sophisticated sadness, cold.
After researching I found that certain colours have meanings. I have learnt that colours influence how a person sees a product or brand.
Concept Generation
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Word association
I w anted to see what consumers thought to these w ords as I w ant to look for a brand name.
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V’s
Concept Generation
I think this w orked really w ell as I w anted a free look at possible branding names
Colour trends Insight Rusty colours such as mustards and dark blues w ill be on trend in 2016- 2017.
I collected colour charts from WGSN an online trend predictor to find out which colours and patterns are on trend this year.
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Concept Generation
I have learnt which colours are in fashion, this w ill enable me to make conscious colour choices for my products
Internal Review David Parkinson 15/02/16 " You have a lot of w ork how ever I think this is the stage you really need to start to refine your ideas to form a clear product range that has been thought through. I think you also need to look how you w ould get your product to market, as at the minute it w ould get lost in the crowd." I w ill aim to refine my design w ork by categorising my designs further. I have found it really hard to think of ideas because I think my topic is still to w ide.
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David O’L eary 15/02/16
I like the idea of a coat being for a specialist, how ever I think this could narrow my market too much as not all w orking dogs w ill have problems w ith stress and anxiety.
Concept Generation
"Again I think your w ork now needs refinement. You have lots of ideas but not a clear direction. If you are looking to do fabric products you could look at designing it for a specific dog breed such as w orking dogs."
External Review
Matt Burtonw ood Open2 Design
"I think you need to make a decision on what your product set is going to look like - heavily plastic aka toys, or heavily fabric aka thunder coat. I think this w ill help drive your product options for each of the sensors. I w ould flesh out the products first then develop the brand the products w ill help drive how the brand looks until you get a skeleton for the products in front of you it w ill be hard to develop the brand. You need something to develop the brand around even if it going and buying products off shelf and modifying them - print patterns off the computer, making quick card mock ups / paper models - get something physical to design around"
I need to decide what type of products I w ant to make and which w ould best solve the problem. I w ill aim to make quick models of possible designs.
Concept Generation 115
External Review Abby Brazier W’Innovate Design
"Your current project sounds like a great idea, w e currently stock a lot of dog play toys, but actually stress and anxiety, and especially being separated from their owners all day is something that really could be looked into. "
Stress and anxiety products could really become more main stream in the pet product market as I think that is lacking at the moment. I think the colour and branding w ill really influence this.
Concept Generation 117
F inal Ideas A lot of the products I have sketched use fabric as a base, I think this is important as there are only a few soft products on the market, and they seem to be the most popular.
I created a board of post it notes to describe how each of the 5 sense could help reduce stress and anxiety in the home. I then started to sketch what that product could look like.
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Concept Generation
Circled in orange are the one I have chosen to develop further. Some ideas are more complex than others, how ever I think it is important to have a range of possible solutions.
F inal Designs DESIGN NO.1 - Sound Mat (Hearing)
2
3
I have created 5 different products to fit my brief of the 5 senses. Some are quick fix solutions such as 2, 3 and 5 how ever some are more complex such as 1 and 4
DESIGN NO.2 - Collar Charms (Smel Dog then starts to relax
1
A s dog gets onto bed the pressure of the dogs body w eight triggers the music to start playing
Dog falls asleep and music eventually turns off.
Pressure pad
DESIGN NO.4 - T imer Game (Taste) Add on charms to collar. Owner can choose which herbals best suit their dog and they are easily replaceable and interchangable.
The owner can set what time they w ant to treat or toy to be relseased so when the owners go out the toy keeps the dog entertained.
DESIGN NO.3 - Anxiety shirt (touch)
ll)
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PICK AND MIX
OAT
LAVENDER
Vest which replicates the feeling of being cuddled
CAMOMILLE
DESIGN NO.5 - Dog Sight Bandana (Sight) Bandana is pulled up over the nose to cover the eyes
The majority of product w ill be made from fabric as I feel like this is a strength of mine, also a lot of the products I have chosen w ould not suit other materials.
Revie conc
ew and clusion.
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Presentation Reflection F or my final presentation I created a box w ith a range of different booklets. I also included all the products I had tested.
My project w as received very positively, they thought the presentation w as easy to read and clear. They thought the research w as extensive and relevant. The only negative w as some of the booklets could have been folded slightly neater.
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Review + Conclusion
I w as overall very happy w ith my presentation I thought it w as very clear as I made each booklet about a specific area. I think using the colour coding for my directions made it really easy to link my research to my topic area.
F inal Brief Empow er owners to help reduce their dog’s stress and anxieties w ithin the home environment. My aim is to develop direction number tw o further w ith selected inclusion of direction three. From my research the main area I w ish to explore further is: -
The dogs 5 senses
From testing products on the market I found that they all had one thing in common- the five senses (Smell, Touch, Hearing, Taste and Sight). I think this is an interesting concept as I could look at potentially designing a range of products w ith stress and anxiety being at the forefront of their design.
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After researching and testing stress products there seems to a preconception of this product w on’t w ork or is seen as something that is not necessary. Helping owners understand what their dog is trying to say to them could help reduce stress levels and give the dog exactly what it needs.
After comparing competitive landscapes of products w ith stress and anxiety being their main focus and generic dog toys, there w as a lot less available on the market to dogs suffering from stress. This could be an opportunity to develop something that could fit into both categories, potentially aiming to a larger target market.
Review + Conclusion
I should keep in mind that anxiety and stress is different for every dog so one product or service may not ‘fit all’. This could mean I have to design a selection of products or service to help reduce stress.
What do I need to decide? I w ill need to understand technology and materials for this design for it to w ork. This product w ill have to have the capability of being w ashed. W ith the combination of electrics and w ater I w ill have to be careful as to how this is constructed.
I have drawn each product out individually to really understand what I need to decide to be able to make my final product.
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Review + Conclusion
Using post it notes I have labeled everything I can think of to do w ith the design of the product. This w ill help me in my next stage as I w ill be able to look back and tick off these post it notes.
What do I need to decide?
A side from making the smell plastic w ork I think the shape and colours of the charms w ill be a big influence on whether they w ould be a successful product.
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This is a really simple solution to the problem. I w ill need to understand further about smell plastics and how they are manufactured.
Some of the post it notes have been repeated throughout my designs, these are just basic things that I w ill need to know to make my product w ork, such as size of collar.
What do I need to decide?
I w ill have to decide on the sizing and material whether it w ill simply be small medium and large w ith a stretchy material and adjustment straps or a bespoke fit.
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This is a re-design of the anxiety shirts as I believe that people do not w ant to trust them and are not w illing to try them because of the w ay they look.
I w ill have to create many iterations to make sure I get the correct shape, colour and pattern.
What do I need to decide?
I w ill have to w ork out how I w ill make this product and the time it w ill take to make.
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This is my most complex design. I need to decide on how the mechanics of the product w ill w ork, how to make this safe for the dog.
This is my most complex design. I need to decide on how the mechanics of the product w ill w ork, how to make this safe for the dog.
What do I need to decide?
This is my most simplistic design. I have tried to make something relatively unattractive into a useful every day product.
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I need to test this design out to make sure it w orks.
I w ill design my own pattern, this and the colour scheme w ill tie all of the products together.
am Her
Create a Brand principles poster
e!
I
Where I am now ( Next 4 w eeks) Design patterns
WEEK 1
Collect research on patterns
WEEK 2
Test out Bandana Design Collar smellies
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Make Manufacturing plan
Research packing Develop sound mat
Design Logos
Design timer game Design Collar, Bandana and anxiety vest
Review + Conclusion
WEEK 4
WEEK 3
F inal Planning
I am here :) BRAND REFINEMENT
CJ2 HAND IN
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
ITERATION
MAJOR
SOLUTION PRODUCT MANUFACTURE
ITERATIVE DESIGN + KEY PRINCIPLES
CJ1 HAND IN
PRODUCT REFINEMENT
MAJOR HAND IN
Solution
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WEEK 6
External review (edit and refine concepts) WEEK 4 Completion of all designs - Sound bed - Smell Collar WEEK 3 - Touch Vest - Sight Bandana - Taste Game WEEK 2 WEEK 1 I am here!
Manufacturing plan WEEK 5
Concept refinement - Products - Pattern - Logo - Packaging Review + Conclusion
Manufacture.
WEEK 13
NERVOUS DISCOM DISTRESS RESTLE ALARMED ANGST WORRY DISRUPT TERRIFIED SCAR AFRAID STRESSED
MFORT AGITATED ESS MISTRUST ANXIETY UPSET TIVE FRETFUL RED DESTRUCTIVE D TIMID UNEASY
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