A harness designer creates custom or mass-produced harnesses for animals, requiring knowledge of anatomy, training, and materials. Custom designs involve meeting with customers, considering animal needs and owner preferences, and creating computer drawings. Mass-produced designs consider functional and aesthetic needs, adjustability, and efficient use of materials. Designers may work with specialists to ensure proper fit, support, and comfort for the animal, and consider legal requirements and customer concerns.
A harness designer creates custom harnesses or patterns for mass-produced parts. Knowledge of animal anatomy and physiology is required, particularly for therapeutic harnesses. It is also generally necessary to be familiar with different styles of training and handling, as well as different career paths for working animals. A guide dog, for example, needs a different harness than a pet. Harness designers often focus on a specific species, such as horses or dogs.
Custom harness designers meet with their customers to discuss specific needs and take measurements of the animal to ensure a proper fit. They can have some basic designs and patterns to use as a starting point, or they can work from scratch. For working animals, how the animal will be used is an important consideration. In other cases, the harness may be designed to provide support for therapeutic purposes, in which case a veterinarian may need to be consulted.
Considering the animal’s needs, the harness designer also thinks about the wishes expressed by the owner regarding aesthetics and materials. With this information in hand, you can design an appropriate solution. Computer drawings or renderings can be sent to the customer for approval before the designer starts manufacturing the part or send it to a leatherwork partner who will build the actual harness. This process can take weeks or months.
For mass-produced products, the harness designer thinks of a general family of functional and aesthetic needs to create the best possible product. For example, someone working for a company that supplies horse harnesses might develop lines that vary for different carriages and aesthetic needs. They are fully adjustable to allow trainers to fit the harness to the horse, and therefore must include some leeway in their design for adjustability, such as extra holes and extenders to accommodate large animals.
In the process of thinking about mass production, a harness designer may consider how to use materials efficiently and must weigh supply costs and other factors. Some may work with veterinarians and other specialists to ensure that the harness fits correctly, provides adequate support and is comfortable for the animal. A harness designer can also think of any legal requirements or common concerns for customers. For example, service dogs often wear covers when they are on duty, and it can be helpful to have a slit in the harness to attach accessories to a cover, making it easy to change or remove the cover as needed.
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