The ModKat was the first result of Williams and Teper's trial and error. Access through the top saves on space and prevents litter from flying everywhere. The perforated top catches any litter from the cat's paws, a locking lid keeps kids and other pets out, and a scoop with a sweeping brush hangs neatly from the side. Durable, perfectly sized tarp-like liners last extra long and stand up against kitty's claws. Q. You talked about how the litter box is an underexposed niche in home design. What do you think is another "underexposed" niche that needs to be redesigned?A. Yeah, litter boxes had mostly been neglected by the design community, I assume because of their icky connotation. We found that challenge compelling and have identified a few more of these overlooked objects that could certainly use some similar attention. One is the toilet seat (yes, the human kind), which we have already begun to redesign. Almost every object in the bathroom, from the shower curtain to the soap dish, has received attention, but the toilet seat has gone mostly ignored by designers. There have been improvements in functionality, like soft close and attempts at "designer" touches, like clear resin with flower petals (yuck!). But there have been no real serious explorations in form, color or behavior — we think that it's time.