When NYC-based pet products company Diggs wanted to create a lightweight travel kennel, they turned to industrial design firm Pensa. Is it possible, they wondered, to create an inflatable kennel that could stand up to the rigors of travel—and dogs? Pensa answered with the following Enventur design, which is now on the market. The reimagined travel kennelSay goodbye to bulky, heavy and cumbersome dog travel kennels. The Diggs Enventur Inflates in minutes. It is designed and constructed with the same drop stitch materials and construction found in inflatable kayaks and paddle boards, bringing premium safety and comfort wherever you go with your dog.The kennel is designed with generous ventilation, is ultra-lightweight, extremely durable, and works as an incredibly comfortable home away from home for your dog. It is waterproof, and made with easy to clean, phthalate-free materials. New construction and materials for the categoryWe used an iterative approach creating dozens of quick concept mock-ups, first with cardboard and foam core, and ultimately with the real materials. We used these mock-ups to understand how the materials and geometries of the various drop-stitch panels would inflate and collapse predictably and repeatedly. A smooth and seamless experienceOnce we had a working architecture, the challenge was connecting these panels together allowing air to flow from the pump through the system, and once inflated, resulting in a smooth shape. The resulting clean, smooth simplicity of the outer form is a key design attribute, making the kennel extremely durable, portable, and easy to clean either by wiping it down or spraying with a hose. You can see more of Pensa's work here.