Modko Litter Boxes Address the Mess
A design duo has reinvented the much-maligned cat box, with an award-winning result
How does a guy who's allergic to cats end up designing litter boxes? Brett Teper doesn't have a cat — he's been allergic for a while — but he is devoted to revolutionizing this often-ignored item on the pet product market. Teper and designer Rich Williams are the founders of Modko, a New York product design company best known for its award-winning litter box, the ModKat.
When Williams' wife became pregnant, he had to take over litter box duties. As a designer, his home's litter box situation drove him crazy — the mess, the smell and of course, the look. Online searches produced nothing, so he decided to come up with a solution. He and Teper read every litter box review on Amazon and decided on their plan of attack. "We want everything in our homes to be well thought out," says Teper. "You can buy almost anything for your home that's been redesigned in some way. This is just one of those things that hadn't been rethought."
We caught up with Teper to hear more about Modko's innovative designs, and what's on the horizon for this design duo.
When Williams' wife became pregnant, he had to take over litter box duties. As a designer, his home's litter box situation drove him crazy — the mess, the smell and of course, the look. Online searches produced nothing, so he decided to come up with a solution. He and Teper read every litter box review on Amazon and decided on their plan of attack. "We want everything in our homes to be well thought out," says Teper. "You can buy almost anything for your home that's been redesigned in some way. This is just one of those things that hadn't been rethought."
We caught up with Teper to hear more about Modko's innovative designs, and what's on the horizon for this design duo.
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.
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.
According to Teper, the customer who buys Flip — the duo's latest litter box model — and the customer who buys the original ModKat are looking for very different things. While the response to ModKat was overwhelmingly positive, some potential customers had a hard time believing their cat would actually jump on top of the litter box to get inside. Teper and Williams realized they needed a front-entry litter box — and Flip was born.
The pair decided to take an entirely different approach with Flip. While ModKat is designed to stand out in the home, Flip is meant to be more subtle. The design embraces the traditional litter box model, but with a few essential upgrades — a flipping lid with one finger access for easy cleaning, durable paper board liners and an ergonomic scoop.
Q. What's one new product that you're blown away by?
A. I love the Nest Thermostat — it is the modern take on the classic Henry Dreyfuss Honeywell thermostat that we all grew up with. It's a beautifully crafted object with a polished yet sophisticated interface, and it even comes with its own gorgeous screwdriver for installation. Most importantly, it remains easy to use while offering a much more robust set of features.
Q. What do you think is next for you guys? Would you ever branch out to other pet products?
A. Absolutely. We have a few in the works — most notably an indoor dog potty called Shake that we hope to launch in 2013.
The pair decided to take an entirely different approach with Flip. While ModKat is designed to stand out in the home, Flip is meant to be more subtle. The design embraces the traditional litter box model, but with a few essential upgrades — a flipping lid with one finger access for easy cleaning, durable paper board liners and an ergonomic scoop.
Q. What's one new product that you're blown away by?
A. I love the Nest Thermostat — it is the modern take on the classic Henry Dreyfuss Honeywell thermostat that we all grew up with. It's a beautifully crafted object with a polished yet sophisticated interface, and it even comes with its own gorgeous screwdriver for installation. Most importantly, it remains easy to use while offering a much more robust set of features.
Q. What do you think is next for you guys? Would you ever branch out to other pet products?
A. Absolutely. We have a few in the works — most notably an indoor dog potty called Shake that we hope to launch in 2013.
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A. The one thing in my home that has always irked me is the cable box. It is physically large and repugnant, way too complicated to connect, and the interface is clunky and slow. I disliked it so much that I cut my cable service off to be rid of it. I hope that someone is able to solve this soon. I miss Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Above: Brett Teper (on the left) and Rich Williams (on the right), at work in the Modko studios.