Rivian TrailPaws Station

An adventure-ready pet cleaning station designed for travelers and their four-legged companions..

Product Design | Problem Solving

Summer 2025

Context

Exploring the outdoors with pets is joyful, grounding, and deeply part of the Rivian community.
But environments like Joshua Tree, Anza-Borrego, Yosemite, and open desert trails introduce challenges that go beyond simple dirt.

Pain Points

03

No Clean, Controlled Water Source

04

Vehicle Interior Maintenance

01

Desert Environments Trap Debris

02

Lack of Pet-Friendly Grooming Tools for Travel

These challenges revealed a gap in current pet-travel solutions, especially for drivers who explore rugged environments. This led me to design a solution specifically for Rivian’s outdoor ecosystem.

Designed for Rivian Outpost

TrailPaws is designed not just as an accessory—but as part of the Rivian Outpost experience.
Owners can rent or purchase the unit directly at Outpost locations, making it accessible for spontaneous trips or multi-day adventures.

Brand Insights

Rivian emphasizes softened edges, clean surfaces, precise functional zones, and material expressions that can be relied on in outdoor environments.

Process

Early prototypes and sketches validated function, storage logic, and field-use practicality.

Solution

TrailPaws streamlines clean-up: unfold on the tailgate, brush off dust and burrs, and let debris fall into the drawer below. A compact routine that keeps the mess contained during outdoor travel.

Physical Model

The physical model was built to validate scale, proportions, and the overall usability of the system.
3D printing allowed the form to be tested at full size, while sanding, assembly, and finishing work helped capture the rugged texture and surface character intended for Rivian’s outdoor aesthetic.

  • Making the surface smooth

  • Applying primer

  • Spray paint

  • Assemble

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