For the first week of the spring semester, the entire Industrial Design program works with a sponsoring company to design a product that the sponsoring company chooses. The department is broken into groups from freshman to grad sudents on the Monday of the week and presented with the design problem, this is the first time the design students hear of the sponsor company and the project as a whole. On the following Sunday, the projects are presented and a winner is chosen based on the company's preference.
The sponsor company for this project was Modko, a company that primarily focuses on cat and dog accessories for living in a small size apartment or house in a city environment. As a junior in the program at the time, I was the group leader and was in charge of planning and budgeting our time as a group. The Catwalk is a cat tree that incorporates a flat pack design that is easily shipped and stored when not in use. The multi-level design allows a cat to climb and rest at multiple heights giving them an empowered lifestyle.
All models were drawn in SolidWorks and rendered in Keyshot.
The sponsor company for this project was Modko, a company that primarily focuses on cat and dog accessories for living in a small size apartment or house in a city environment. As a junior in the program at the time, I was the group leader and was in charge of planning and budgeting our time as a group. The Catwalk is a cat tree that incorporates a flat pack design that is easily shipped and stored when not in use. The multi-level design allows a cat to climb and rest at multiple heights giving them an empowered lifestyle.
All models were drawn in SolidWorks and rendered in Keyshot.
Flat Pack Design
Assembled Cat Tree
The Catwalk is made out of lightweight wood with a flexible, rubber at the peak of the tree in order for the frame to bend and fold flat. Having multiple openings and levels, the possibilities are endless. The entire structure is held together with a tusk and tenon type of fastening system that allows ease of assembly, disassembly and storage. For scratching, there are multiple surfaces that have a rough texture for durability. For resting, a hammock is built into the bottom level as well as multiple cushions that act like single cat beds.