A more dignified, simple, and sustainable way to say goodbye to a pet.
Petway is a biodegradable pet box designed to accompany a difficult moment with more care, respect, and clarity.
The project was born out of a painful yet very common situation: when a pet dies, many families do not have a prepared solution. In many cases, they end up improvising with bags, sheets, or generic boxes, which can make the moment feel even colder, uncomfortable, and traumatic.
Petway proposes a simple alternative: an organic, foldable, and easy-to-use product, designed to make saying goodbye to a pet more dignified, practical, and eco-friendly.
Role: Co-founder, product design, brand strategy, visual identity, communication, and go-to-market plan.
Scope: Physical product, naming, identity, packaging, content, market validation.
Impact: +1 million organic views on TikTok and Instagram, +2,000 units sold without any paid advertising.
The problem
The death of a pet usually catches families unprepared.
Even though for many people animals are part of the family, the solutions available when it is time to say goodbye are often improvised, inaccessible, or emotionally disconnected.
In many cases, plastic bags or bedsheets are used to carry or bury them. In addition to the negative environmental impact, this experience can feel undignified and painful for those going through grief.
The initial question was:
How can we make this moment more dignified, simpler, and more environmentally responsible?
The insight
People do not look for this product until they suddenly need it.
This meant the brand had to be immediately clear. It couldn't feel too sad, childish, medical, or commercial. It had to communicate trust in seconds, without over-dramatizing or trivializing the moment.
The core insight was that, during a farewell, a pet is not perceived as "an animal." It is perceived as a member of the family.
Therefore, the product could not feel like just any package. It had to work as a small gesture of care.
The solution
Petway is a foldable box made of recyclable and biodegradable cardboard, designed to say goodbye to and transport pets in a more respectful way.
The product combines three dimensions:
Ecological
An alternative to the use of plastic bags, made with recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable materials.
Emotional
A more dignified way to honor a pet and accompany families during a sensitive moment.
Practical
A foldable design, easy to store, easy to assemble, and efficient to produce.
Product design
The product had to solve an emotional problem, but also a logistical one.
It had to feel thoughtful and respectful, but at the same time be simple to manufacture, store, distribute, and use. To achieve this, we developed a foldable cardboard structure that can be stored flat and easily assembled when needed.
The design was conceived in two sizes:
Small: 51 × 31 × 20 cm
Medium: 71 × 47 × 25 cm
The structure aims to balance material efficiency, ease of assembly, and a dignified visual presence. Every detail, from the folds to the space to write the pet's name, was thought out so that the object does not feel improvised, but intentional.
Brand identity
The brand had to move within a delicate balance.
It had to be warm, but not childish. Emotional, but not dramatic. Sustainable, but not generic. Practical, but not cold.
The logo combines a paw print and a heart, uniting two core ideas of the project: pet and affection. From this simple gesture, a friendly, direct, and easy-to-understand visual identity was built.
The soft palette, simple illustrations, and close language help to address a difficult topic without making it feel heavy. The communication avoids dramatizing the loss and focuses on dignity, care, respect, and simplicity.
Communication
One of the biggest challenges was communicating a product that nobody wants to think about until they need it.
The communication had to be very clear, but also very sensitive. If it was too cold, the product looked like a box. If it was too emotional, it could feel opportunistic or uncomfortable.
The main message was structured around one idea:
A dignified farewell for your pet.
This approach allowed presenting the product not only as a functional solution, but also as a more humane alternative to go through a difficult moment.
Click to watch the video on Instagram
Market validation
Petway went through strong organic validation on social media.
A viral video generated more than 1 million organic views on TikTok and Instagram, boosting comments, shares, profile visits, and actual purchase inquiries.
The public's response confirmed that the problem existed. Many people shared personal stories, related similar experiences, asked where to buy it, and suggested that the product should be available at veterinary clinics.
Results:
+1 million organic views
+1,500 units sold
No investment in paid advertising
Interest from pet owners, vets, and potential distributors
Business learning
The validation showed actual demand but also revealed a major scaling challenge.
Cardboard is lightweight, but it takes up a lot of volume. This makes shipping a few units highly inefficient, especially in a direct-to-consumer model.
This learning opened up a clearer opportunity: growing through local distribution, veterinary clinics, pet shops, cremation services, and potential regional production partners.
Petway not only validated a product, it also showed that the opportunity lies in building a distribution system around the places where the need arises.
