LA NPDT — LA New Product Development Team

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Product development consultant: Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest

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Product development consultant: Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest

Project snapshot

A cooling vest, was designed, prototyped, and prepared for manufacturing through our product development services.

The LA New Product Development Team delivered Product development consultant: Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest. The work sits in our pet products experience, where we take an idea from concept through design, prototyping and manufacturing readiness.

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The client

Loran and Linda Ebarb are a dog-loving couple from New Orleans, LA. They found a need for a more effective dog vest that keeps dogs cool in humid, hot weather. With this idea in mind, they came to LA NPDT for our one-stop-shop product development services. As a result, a unique Kool Jack dog vest was created.
They’ve seen how their dog got quickly tired of overheating due to the fact that dogs don’t sweat. Other dog vests on the market use evaporative cooling, which is ineffective in the humid weather of Louisiana. Therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Ebarb brought forth the idea to incorporate ice packs into the dog vests. That feature promotes cooling without relying on weather conditions.
Thanks to our short-run production capabilities in Pakistan, our product development company successfully manufactured the first batch of dog vests. Shortly after, the couple began mass production. They found themselves very satisfied and happy working with us previously on the design and prototyping of the Kool Jack Dog Vest. So, next time they returned to us in order to create a website and video promotion material for further marketing a new product.

The challenge

Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT
The customers presented our product development firm with the following challenges:
– Designing a cooling dog vest. This included developing a concept design and 3D CAD modeling.
– Making a new product prototype. In their case, it was a demo prototype.
– Preparing the design for manufacturing.
– Creating a website that highlights the features and benefits of the Kool Jack dog vest with video, photo, and written materials.

Our solution

Every invention of prototype design and development begins with the market research & discovery stage. So, our team started exploring the pet product market. Firstly, our designers and engineers analyzed the current competition and similar pet products to identify the opportunities for achieving a better product-market fit. And secondly, they discovered that the competition’s positive and negative feedback provided significant insight into the pet product market’s needs and problems.
Based on the competition research, LA NPDT designed the Kool Jack to combine the two cooling methods. As a result, we were able to capture a larger geographical market for dog vests, both for humid and arid weather.
Our invention prototyping services and capabilities in fabrics accelerated the prototyping stage. Subsequently, that allowed for an easy iterative process. The prototypes we produced provided the customers with the hands-on ability to review the product. That, in turn, gave us the feedback necessary for optimizing the design prior to the manufacturing.
For the website creation our product development company team of graphic designers, web developers, photographers and videographers came together for a couple of meetings. During the discussion, they identified the reasons why the Kool Jack dog vest product was unique and created the best way to highlight it.
Meanwhile, we started casting dogs to use the vest for the video footage and photography needed. At that same time, our copywriting staff was working on the storyboard for the video and content for the website. After several drafts, mockups and brainstorming meetings we came up with a great design and animations for the footage taken.

The result

The customers were looking for a solution that provided better cooling for dogs and the attractive delivery of the final product to the market. And, our product idea development team was not only able to provide a demonstrative prototype, but also a market viable pet product optimized for mass production.
By working with LA NPDT and having all product development services under one roof, Mr. and Mrs. Ebarb were able to turn their idea into a market-ready product. Our team optimized the Kool Jack dog vest for better user experience, performance, and mass production. Also, Loran and Linda successfully raised funding for manufacturing and marketing. They used the production samples and marketing materials that our team developed for them.
Now, the website looks great and attracts the attention of the customer to buy. The content delivers the right message and, at the same time, raises awareness about a serious issue that affects the quality of life of our furry friends. The videos display the wide-set features of the dog vest and show the comfort that dogs have while using the Kool Jack vest.
Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT
Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT
Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest
product development company, Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT
Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT
Portfolio kool jack 03
product development company, Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDTKool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT
Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT
Kool Jack Cooling Dog Vest, Pet product design, Pet products, Pet Product, LA NPDT

Dog cooling vest development at a glance

IndustryPet products / soft goods
ScopeProduct design, pattern and material development, prototyping, DFM
ProductKool Jack cooling vest for dogs
DeliverablesSized patterns, material spec, sewn prototypes, manufacturing package
Typical timeline3-5 months to a manufacturable soft-goods product

The problem: cooling that works on a moving animal

A dog cooling vest has to hold water or a cooling medium where it does something, fit body shapes that vary wildly across breeds, stay put while the dog runs, and come off easily. Soft goods hide their difficulty in sizing and materials, not in geometry.

What we developed

We worked the panel layout and closure system around real fit ranges, evaluated fabrics for water retention, drying and durability, and produced sewn prototypes for on-animal testing before releasing a manufacturing package a contract sewer could quote.

Frequently asked questions

Do you develop soft goods as well as hard goods?

Yes - patterns, material selection, sewn prototypes and manufacturer-ready specifications.

How much does a soft-goods pet product cost to develop?

Usually $10,000-$35,000 through design, patterning and prototype iterations.

Can you find a manufacturer for it?

Yes. We prepare the package manufacturers quote from and help you evaluate the quotes.

Capabilities used on this project

  • Rapid prototyping services

    3D printing, CNC machining, urethane casting and functional prototype builds with published materials, tolerances and lead times.

  • Concept design

    Sketch exploration, form studies and CAD concepts that turn an idea into a buildable direction.

  • Prototype design and engineering

    Design for the prototype itself: CAD, tolerance stacks, material choices and assembly detail before anything is built.

Industries this project belongs to

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