Hey, I’m Steph, a digital designer who's always had a passion for solving real-world problems.

My dog Toast is a full-fledged ball addict, and living in downtown Toronto with no backyard means I’m always carrying things with me.

Every trip to the park requires a bit of planning. Do I want to juggle this ball launcher? Do I have errands to run afterward? Is it too much stuff to bring out?

On top of that, the ball would get gross after a game of fetch, which meant I wasn't just dealing with a launcher anymore. I was also carrying around a muddy, slobbery park ball. For years, my solution was to wrap it in a plastic bag and toss it in my tote, but that only worked for so long before the plastic bag itself became extremely gross.

As a designer, I knew there had to be a simple answer.

My first prototype was a not-so-pretty drawstring cover with a terrible clip, but it was washable and it worked. I used that prototype for years. One day I thought I had lost it on a walk, and that was the moment I realized I was onto something. It had become such a normal part of my routine that the thought of not having it, and not being able to easily replace it, completely changed how I moved through the city with Toast.

That's when I started thinking about what it would look like if I actually brought it to market. What features would I want? What would make it even easier to use?

I added a strap to stop it from swinging around on a leash. The same strap also made it compatible with different launchers, including foldable ones. From there, I just kept refining it.

The products I design for Ball Boy are all about making those in-between moments easier for city dog parents.

The walk from the park to home.

The stop at the coffee shop.

The quick errand on the way back.

The moments where you want to bring your dog along without feeling like you're packing a suitcase.

I have tons of product ideas I'm working on, but I'm focused on solving the right problems, not just putting another thing out into the world. My goal with Ball Boy is to continue designing products that make city dog life a little more convenient, helping dog parents spend less time juggling, planning, and worrying about messes, and more time enjoying spontaneous adventures. Along the way, I hope Ball Boy can make a positive impact not only in how we navigate the in-between moments of city life with our dogs, but also in being more thoughtful about what we put out into the world and how we show up in it.

Because at the end of the day, we're all just trying our best to be the best city dog parents we can be.

- Steph & Toast