research
highlights

ideation

The main concerns that stood out from my user interviews were product security, compactness, and the comfort and safety of the dog. As a person who had never owned a dog, I had my first experience walking one (courtesy of an interviewee) which helped me better understand the physical experience of using a retractable dog leash. I took all of this feedback into account whilst ideating.

reviews
+ testing

design
  solution

takeaway:

The most valuable part of my experience was interacting with target users in a variety of ways. By leveraging social media, I was able to gather opinions from all over the world, conduct video-call interviews and in-person prototype reviews, and even walk a few dogs myself. These interactions are exciting because they ground my work in reality and remind me that there is a community that can truly be impacted by my efforts.