🎨 How We Design Our Dog Accessories: Behind the Scenes at Pink Papyrus

People often ask me how our Pink Papyrus products come to life—and the truth is, it’s a labor of love (with a lot of steps in between). Here’s a quick peek into what goes into designing every leash, collar, and harness we launch.

Where It All Begins

It always starts with an idea. Sometimes I’m inspired by a product concept I haven’t seen done quite right before, or I notice something our customers truly need. I immediately start a note on my phone or computer to get all my thoughts down—ideas, sketches, features, materials, and a bit of market research to see what’s out there.

From there, I either sketch by hand or use software to start creating a rough diagram of what the product could look like. This isn’t polished—just a blueprint with tons of notes about materials, finishes, color ideas, and how it should all come together.

Building the Vision

The next step is all about color. I pull swatches, use my Pantone account, and start exploring what palettes might work—especially if it’s an ombré or multicolor piece. Once I’m confident in the direction, I send everything to our production team: diagrams, notes, swatches, and the full creative vision.

They’ll send back a 3D rendering or mockup so we can see how it’s coming together. If it looks promising, we move into manufacturing prep—things like sourcing hardware or creating custom molds.

The Perfection Phase

Samples start arriving next—and spoiler alert: the first one is never perfect. I go through several rounds of edits, always hyper-focused on the smallest details. Quality is everything to me. Our harness took over a year of development because I wouldn’t approve it until it matched my exact vision.

Once the sample looks right, we move into the testing phase. Our products are reviewed by real veterinarians and vet techs, and tested on real pups. We listen to every bit of feedback—if something’s too big, too small, in the wrong spot, or needs adjusting, we make those changes and sample again.

Final Touches

Only after we’ve tested, tweaked, and refined does a product move into full production. Every colorway, every size, every style. That’s when it begins its journey to our warehouse—and eventually, to you and your pup.

Designing each product is a process I take very seriously. It’s about more than style (though we love style). It’s about creating something beautiful, brilliantly functional, and made with love from start to finish.

💗 Want to see what’s fresh off the design table?
👉 Explore Our Latest Dog Accessories

Written by Christine Abdelmalek
Founder and SHE-E-O of Pink Papyrus
Obsessed with crafting dog accessories—beautiful, brilliantly functional, and made with love.