Skills
Design Research
Concepting
Design Thinking
Prototyping
Woodshop
Graphic Design
Presenting/Selling
Software/Hardware
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
CNC
Woodshop
Laser Cutter
Paint Studio
Deliverables
Research Visualization
Personas
User Journey
Orthographics
Hero Shot
Functioning Prototype
Completed
December 2017
To help improve the rat owners experience, I conceptualized the Rat-itat, an elegant, decorative, wall-less rat cage. The result is space saving, easy to clean, easy to assemble, functional, and beautiful: a product to proudly display in your home.
Inspiration Boards
Challenge
I was a new rat owner who talked to other rat owners. There were many holes in the marketplace for rat owners, as almost all products for rats were also marketed for "small animals." Rats are uniquely sized and uniquely intelligent in this category, and as such many products didn't meet their needs. But by far, the worst product on the market was the cage. Every single rat owner's cage was a source of frustration, and the cage I used was among
the worst.
My original mind map consolidating my research findings and thought processes during the concepting phase, later digitized for clarity.
Breakthrough
My real breakthrough came from interactions with my own rats. I realized that if I placed them on an elevated surface, they wouldn't jump to their deaths. Their intelligence was superior to hamsters and other small rodents that would walk off the edge of a table if not watched. Unless they saw a surface they thought they could get to, they wouldn't jump for it.
My original concept sketches for the wall-less wall-mounted cage included a gently electrified fence to discourage exploration. This was later discarded due to concerns for the rats' safety.
Original form iteration prototypes. I wanted the final product to not only be functional, but a decorative, desirable product to display in a home.
I made a to-scale prototype using chip board and a laser cutter, later extending the original shape for symmetry and added storage.
Scale considerations.
Full scale prototype to test and prove my theory.
Building
Final Pin-up Presentation
My final solution was a flat pack, easy to assemble, easy to clean wall-less "cage." I proved my concept by bringing my two pet rats into the studio to take up residence on the Rat-itat during my presentation. The Rat-itat is not only space saving, ultimately functional, and better than existing cages, but also a beautiful piece on your wall. By proudly displaying the rats' home in your home, it will also help to decrease the stigma around rats.
