Wee Tākai Ngeru by Shihchang Hsiao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Hiriwa in Hoahoa Tiaki Kararehe, Taonga Tākaro, Rauemi me ngā Hua mō ngā Kararehe Competition Category.

HiriwaTiaki Kararehe· 2025

Wee Tākai Ngeru

by Shihchang Hsiao

Client: Hulumao

A' Design Award Hiriwa Winner in Tiaki Kararehe Category

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Colors

The Design

About Wee Tākai Ngeru

Ko tēnei tākai kararehe mokai kua hangaia mō ngā ngeru kia āhei ai rātou ki te hikoi i waho. Ka whakamahi i tētahi taura whāriki nylon tūāpae, e rua ngā pae ngāwari, e rua ngā mea here me tētahi mowhiti tapatoru. Kāore noa iho he tuitui mahi nui e hiahiatia ana nā te mea kua hangaia tētahi taputapu iti hei whakarite me te pupuri i te taura whāriki ki ngā koki kanohia hei whakamāmā i te hanganga. Ko te tākai ka puta he tino māmā te taumaha: 35 karamu. He tika tēnei mō ngā ngeru, e hiahia ana kia māmā rawa te tākai. Ka whakamahi te pūnaha here o te tākai i tētahi pākona panuku mō te tuku tere kē atu i te pākona tuku pokapū e rongonui ake ana.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hiriwa

Ko Wee Tākai Ngeru te toa o te A' Design Award Hiriwa, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa taumata teitei rawa, ātaahua me te whakamīharo. Ko ngā toa Hiriwa he mahi tino kanapa, tino auaha e whakaatu ana i te mātanga, te pūmanawa me te mōhio hōhonu o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Wee Tākai Ngeru he mahi whakamīharo, he tauira, he tino ngaio, he auaha hōhonu. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Hiriwa he hanganga rongonui, whakamīharotia e whai wāhi ana ki te whakawhānui i ngā rohe o te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau. Ko Wee Tākai Ngeru he mahi e hae ana te tini, e whakaara ana i ngā hiahia, e kawe mai ana i ngā kare-ā-roto pai, ā, e whakaoho ana i te mīharo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: It mainly uses a continuous strip of nylon webbing and a few accessories to form this cat hardness and also provides one-size-fits-all approach. It requires almost no labor-intensive sewing. The resulting harness is very light weight: 35g or 1.2 oz. This is appropriate for cats, who need the harness to be as light as possible. The harness fastening system uses a slide buckle for instant release instead of the more common center release buckle.
Dimensions & Packaging: Length: 11cm
Weight: 35g
Tags: cat, cat harness, pet, dog, cat leash, hulumao, cat carrier, cat backpack, outdoor, traveling
Production Technology: Production of the harness is quite simple. The fasteners and webbing are sourced from available components on the market. The soft pads are custom-made using a computerized sewing machine. The webbing is threaded through pre-cut slots on the pads. Next, the fasteners are fixed onto the webbing. Finally, the harness is assembled with a little sewing.
Design Challenge: The biggest design challenge was how to utilize a continuous strip of webbing to construct a sturdy harness frame while avoiding laborious sewing. Eventually, the designer found that the webbing can be folded in different angles and shifted in other directions like the pipes inside of a building. Therefore, a small fixture was designed to form and hold the webbing at various angles to facilitate construction.
Research: Most pet harnesses on the market are designed with dogs in mind. Many involve complex construction and heavy duty sewing and are too heavy for cats to use. The webbing on some cheap harnesses is too thin and cannot prevent the cats from escaping. There are also a few holster- or vest-style harnesses available. These are better at preventing the cat from slipping out, but few cats are willing to have their bodies covered in so much material. Cats are sensitive animals. Therefore, the design emphasis of this harness is to be as light as possible, while being easy to put on and take off and preventing the cat from slipping out.
Inspiration: In urban areas, it is common to see dogs on a leash running outside to release their energy. By contrast, house cats usually sit by a window and look outside, seemingly in a daze. Although cats can be skittish, they might also enjoy being outside to satisfy their curiosity. Unfortunately, many pet harnesses on the market are designed only with dogs in mind. Cat owners have limited choices and often must settle for the smallest pet harness available for their cats.
Project Duration: The project started in March 2024 in Taipei and finished in July 2024 in Taipei.
Operation Flow: For initial use, one snap button on the front and one slide buckle on rear webbing loops are unfastened so there is enough space to slide the cat’s head through. After the harness is on, the fasteners are re-secured. Next, the webbing is adjusted to fit the cat’s neck and body. This adjustment only needs to be made once. Finally, the webbing on the cat’s chest is tightened by pulling on the strap. The harness is now ready to use
Team Members: Yuluen Huang
Image Credits: Image #1-5: photographer Shihchang Hsiao, 2024