See the kind of decisions a Pet Friendly Living Lab study can inform
Selected anonymized findings from two pilot studies—showing how observed owner-and-pet interaction translated into product design, packaging, positioning, pricing, and distribution recommendations.
Study Snapshot
- Products: 1 bed • 1 toy line
- Subjects: 14 owners | 14 dogs + 1 cat
- Participant ages: 20s–80s
- Gender: 13 women | 1 man
- Pet ages: 6 months–senior
- Pet sizes: Toy/small breeds through 162-lb giant breed
- Locations: 7 Greater Bay Area locations
- Venue types: Homes • Apartment Shared Spaces • Senior Living Community • Restaurant • Live-Work Event Space
Research Goals: The bed designer wanted to drive sales to an existing Amazon presence and eventually pitch the product to Costco. The toy designer was considering expanding her handmade children’s dolls into a pet line.
Research Approach: Client goals help guide observation, analysis and suggestions in the Product Optimization Checklist. Participants are asked the same neutral questions; their comments and observed interactions—not the client’s desired outcome—drive the findings.
Research Scope: PFLL is qualitative research and ethnographic observation. It identifies recurring patterns, observed product-use issues and actionable opportunities; it does not estimate market-wide prevalence, demand or statistically validated price points.
Summary Report Sections
- Trends in Baseline
Current Usage & Consumer Pain Points - Interaction Dynamics
Engagement & Prompt Styles - Field Observer Insights & Environmental Influence
- Perceived Value & Pricing
- Owner Reactions & Standout Quotes
- Product Optimization Checklist
Product Design/Development • Product Positioning • Packaging • Sales Channels • Pricing
BED
Tactile Appeal → Distribution / Sales Environment
“Nice fabric.”
— Private Home FA
“I like the texture… this side feels nice like a Serta—a doggie Serta.”
— Restaurant-goer LF
PRODUCT OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST
DISTRIBUTION / SALES ENVIRONMENT
Context: The product was sold exclusively through Amazon.
Finding: Tactile quality was one of the product’s strongest favorable attributes.
Suggestion: Explore physical/offline retail venues where prospective customers can experience the fabric firsthand.
Intuitive Use → Product Packaging
“Not very intuitive to me as a bed…”
— Live-Work KY
“How does it work?”
— Restaurant-goer LF
PRODUCT OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST
PRODUCT PACKAGING
Context: Units were merely shrink-wrapped and drop-shipped through Amazon fulfillment warehouses.
Finding: Multiple participants did not understand the product’s intended use or purpose.
Suggestion: Develop packaging with instructions, visual guides or links to video demonstrations showing how to fold, transport and deploy the product.
Portability → Product Positioning
“This is travel friendly… I like the transportability of it. You just roll it up.”
— Live-Work MN
“You could probably put it outside, inside, on the deck, in a room, in a car. You could take it places.”
— Apt CF
PRODUCT OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST
PRODUCT POSITIONING
Context: The product was originally sold as a pet bed.
Finding: While comparisons with standard dog beds raised cushioning concerns, participants independently identified portability and travel-friendly versatility as product strengths. Emphasizing those qualities offered an alternative positioning less dependent on conventional bed expectations.
Suggestion: Consider a marketing campaign emphasizing portability, travel and use across multiple environments.
TOY
Handcrafted Appeal → Pricing + Product Design
“It’s terribly cute, everything about it is cute—the colors, the knit feel, the face…”
— Live-Work KY
“It looks like a custom, handmade child’s toy that a grandma made.”
— Restaurant-goer LF
“It actually looks like a kid’s toy. Something a grandma would make; it’s very homey—in a good way.”
— Private Home MO
PRODUCT OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST
PRICING + PRODUCT DESIGN / DEVELOPMENT
Context: The designer was considering expanding her handmade children’s dolls into a pet line.
Finding: Strong aesthetic and handcrafted appeal did not translate into equivalent perceived monetary value. In this qualitative pilot, owner-perceived value and willingness to pay were less than half of the designer’s current retail price.
Suggestion: Identify the design changes needed to achieve the desired price point if the designer chooses to expand into the pet space.
Toy Selection
Participants chose from three dolls:
Red & white mushroom • Purple & white mushroom • Black cat
The majority selected the red & white mushroom.
Color Appeal → Dirt & Wear
“I like it to not look filthy.”
— Restaurant-goer CZ
“2 out of 5 because it’s white.”
— Private Home MO
PRODUCT OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST
PRODUCT DESIGN / DEVELOPMENT
Context: The dolls were designed for children, so color choices had not taken into consideration the realities of canine wear and tear.
Finding: The bright character design attracted participants, while the light-colored material raised practical concerns.
Suggestion: Preserve the visual appeal of the dolls while making more practical, darker color choices to address concerns about visible dirt, mud and drool.
Size & Fit → Product Design
“There are a lot of parts of the toy that don’t fit in his mouth that well. Like the body and the head are a little too big for his mouth.”
— Live-Work KY
“Can you pick it up or is your mouth too small?”
— Senior Living Resident SS
PRODUCT OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST
PRODUCT DESIGN / DEVELOPMENT
Context: The dolls were designed for children. Size standardization makes sense for children but not canines due to the vast variation in dog sizes.
Finding: Smaller dogs encountered difficulty comfortably gripping and carrying the toy.
Suggestion: Prototype smaller versions with narrower body parts.
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