Miao Zhang

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University of Nottingham > Engineering > Departments > Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering > PDM Exhibitions > 2023 > BEng students > Miao Zhang

A functional and convenient cat carrier

Hello, my name is Miao Zhang, and I was born and raised in China. I am a product designer. I love picking out lifestyle products with design in mind, which is also why I chose to become a designer. I got an offer from the University of Nottingham in 2020 and went to study in the UK.

In the summer of 2020, I had an internship in a Beijing advertising agency as a graphic designer. Layout and design of exhibition materials, such as exhibition boards, posters and related products.

In 2020 I got an offer from the University of Nottingham to study in the UK. This was my first time living alone in a foreign country and it gave me a whole new experience. It gave me an insight into the way of life in a different culture.

During my three years in Nottingham from 2020-2023 I studied Product Design and Manufacture. From my studies I learnt about different design concepts and manufacturing methods. I learnt basic human-centered research and how to design sustainably. And with production as the goal, I learned how different material production methods affect design. I have designed mosquito lamps, streetlamps, kitchenware, office supplies and many other projects. I have also worked on group design projects such as garden tools and caravans. Also, in my final year I took a Virtual Reality course and worked with my group to design a VR virtual world for medical surgery training and learning.

In the summer of 2020, I had an internship in a Beijing advertising agency as a graphic designer. I worked on the layout and design of exhibition materials, such as exhibition boards, posters and related products.

If you have a relevant job to offer, please feel free to contact me.

Miao Zhang, BEng Product Design and Manufacture

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Miao-Cat Carrier

I named the project with my first name Miao; it sounds like a 'meow'. Firstly, it is easy for the owner to push the cat when outdoors and miao provides a more private space for the cat, so your little cutie can relax more. Secondly, I wanted the miao to offer the cat owner more functionality, so the carrier could be also used at home. I think many cat owners may experience problems with drying their cats. Miao has a drying base so that owners can use miao to dry their cats after a bath.

At the beginning of the design process, I wanted to solve the problem of the traditional carrier, which is heavy to hold. So, I aimed for a carrier in the form of a trolley. Miao has an ergonomic handle and four wheels. Miao has enough space to support the average adult cat. At the same time, miao has enlarged the traditional doors. The entrance of the carrier has been enlarged to facilitate the entry of cats. The upper part of the door is made of matte MBS which not only gives the owner a window to view the cat but also avoid the sun's glare. The necessary door locks and enough vents provide cat security.

Considering my main target user of Chinese cat owners aged 20 to 30 years old most of them live in urban flats. The traditional carrier takes up part of the space in the home but sits unused, so I wanted Miao to be used in the home as well rather than just being stored by the user. Drying cats is exactly the kind of problem that owners may have at home, so I added a drying station. It is shaped to hold the trolley in place and ensure that it remains stable during the drying process. It has 3 time levels and 3 temperature levels, which can be combined into nine different modes. Miao not only provides the suitable drying mode for your cat, but also allows your cat to gradually adapt to the drying environment. The noise level during drying is between 40 and 50 decibels so you do not need to worry about damage to your cat's hearing. In terms of safety, Miao has two NTC temperature detectors that stop the heat when the temperature gets too high.

I hope that Miao will make your pet's experience more convenient!