MJSHOSTAK
The Bark & Whisker Pet Pantry is a proposed solution to help the economically disadvantaged people in Portage County, WI. This solution came following research on the effect of inflation and rising living costs in the area on local pet owners. This was completed as my capstone project during my senior year.
The pantry branding was intentionally designed to feel like a pet store to help reduce the stigma associated with food pantries. I completed a brand + identity package including primary logo, secondary logo, logo mark, brand colors, brand guidelines and brand typography. Additionally, I designed a volunteer t-shirt and mocked-up a store front window featuring the primary logo.
Information Gathering
RESEARCH
Pet pantries are there to support people experiencing economic hardship, so I began my research by looking at common factors that may be causing people in our local area to face economic struggles.
A common factor I found was inflation, which seems to be affecting the costs of everything. This led me to focus on gathering research about rising housing costs in the US and Stevens Point, WI, rising grocery costs in the US and the rising cost of pet food and supplies in the US. This research found a significant increase in the costs in all these areas (listed below), which could have a major impact on pet owners and their ability to feed their pets.
43%
increase in rent for 1bd apartment in Stevens Point, WI since 2021¹
11%
increase in grocery food costs²
45%
increase in pet food costs since 2020³
24%
have considered rehoming or surrendering their pets³
I spoke with Executive Director Sherri Galle-Teske of the Humane Society of Portage County (HSPC). She was able to give me a tour of the facilities and explain how their services work. Sherri Galle-Teske was able to confirm the biggest factor in people surrendering their pets to the HSPC are economic reasons. The HSPC does not have a pet pantry in place, but she directed me to two local food pantries that will sometimes pass out pet food.
Both food pantries confirmed they have a big need for pet food and will pass it out when they have it, but there is not enough donated pet food available to meet the demand.
The biggest factor in people surrendering their pets: economic reasons
INTERVIEWS
SURVEY
After conducting these interviews, I felt it confirmed there were people in the Stevens Point area who needed help to feed their pets. I decided to conduct an anonymous online survey via the members of the Stevens Point Area and Stevens Point Dog Owners Facebook pages to hear from actual pet owners in the community.
The results of the survey along with my research and the interviews led me to the answer: “Yes, there is a need for a local food pantry in Stevens Point, WI.”
Demographics
47 participants
74% aged 25-65
89% women
85%
said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about living costs⁴
23%
know someone who is struggling to feed their pet(s)⁴
40%
have personally or know someone who has surrendered their pet(s)⁴
REFERENCES
1. Potter, S. (2023, May 9). Rent increases in Wisconsin cities among the steepest in the US. PBS Wisconsin. https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/rent-increases-in-wisconsin-cities-among-the-steepest-in-the-us/
2. Sticker shock at the grocery store? Inflation wasn’t the only reason food prices increased. U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2023, April 11). https://www.gao.gov/blog/sticker-shock-grocery-store-inflation-wasnt-only-reason-food-prices-increased
3. Team, S. R. (2023, September 15). The rising cost of Dog Food. Veterinarians.org. https://www.veterinarians.org/the-rising-cost-of-dog-food/
4. Shostak, MJ. (2023). Pet Ownership and Rising Living Costs in the Stevens Point Area [Data set]. Google Forms.
Brand Development
USER PERSONA
Joe is a 29-year-old married man living in Stevens Point. He has two young daughters and a five-year-old German Shepherd mix, Tank. Joe was recently laid off from work and the family is struggling trying to pay their rent, bills, and buy groceries on just his wife’s income. He is worried he might have to surrender Tank to the local shelter if he doesn’t find a job soon. He would greatly benefit from a pet pantry to help feed his beloved dog until he can regain his financial footing.
COLOR PALETTE
PRIMARY LOGO
SECONDARY LOGO
BRAND MARK
ANIMATED LOGO
BRANDED SHIRTS
STORE FRONT MOCKUP
