Wee Mkanda wa Paka by Shihchang Hsiao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Utunzaji wa Wanyama, Vinyago na Bidhaa za Wanyama Competition Category.
FedhaUtunzaji wa Wanyama· 2025
Wee Mkanda wa Paka
Client: Hulumao
Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award Winner in Utunzaji wa Wanyama Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #162606The Design
About Wee Mkanda wa Paka
Mkanda huu wa mnyama kipenzi umeundwa kwa ajili ya paka kuwawezesha kutembea nje. Unatumia utando unaoendelea wa nailoni, pedi mbili laini, vifungo viwili na pete ya pembetatu. Hauhitaji kushona kwa kazi nyingi kwa sababu kifaa kidogo kiliundwa kuunda na kushikilia utando kwa pembe mbalimbali na kurahisisha ujenzi. Mkanda unaotokana ni mwepesi sana: gramu 35. Uzito huu unafaa kwa paka, ambao wanahitaji mkanda ulio mwepesi iwezekanavyo. Mfumo wa kufunga mkanda unatumia kifungo kinachoteleza kwa kufungua haraka badala ya kifungo cha kawaida kinachofunguliwa katikati.
The Recognition
About the Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award
Wee Mkanda wa Paka ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima kubwa ya ajabu unaotolewa kwa miundo ya hali ya juu kabisa, ya kupendeza na ya kuvutia. Washindi wa Fedha ni kazi zinazong'aa mno na bunifu kupita kiasi zinazoonyesha utaalamu bora, kipaji na busara ya wabunifu wao. Wee Mkanda wa Paka inatarajiwa kuwa kazi nzuri ya kuigwa ambayo ni ya kitaalamu kwa kiasi kikubwa na yenye ubunifu wa kina. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Fedha ya A' Design Award ni uvumbuzi unaojulikana sana na kupendwa, unaonufaisha na kupanua mipaka ya sanaa, sayansi, usanifu na teknolojia. Wee Mkanda wa Paka ni kazi inayotamaniwa mno inayochochea hamu, huleta hisia chanya na huzua mshangao na mastaajabu.
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
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