Director of Product Design

Building new companies for pet parents

I led design for a portfolio of new pet parent ventures within Mars Petcare, launching multiple zero-to-one digital products. I built design teams, established scalable systems, and embedded user-centered practices into early-stage venture development, helping shape innovative, consumer-facing businesses aligned with Mars' strategic vision.

Companies that I designed for, managed and advised.

Companies that I designed for, managed and advised.

Kinship.co

Wisdom

Whistle

Witzig

Kinship.co

Wisdom

Whistle

Witzig

Kinship.co

Wisdom

Whistle

Witzig

Check out the companies here…

Charting a Strategy

Charting a Strategy

With pet parent ownership rapidly growing - my first job was to understand the current unmet needs of the largest growing customer segment: millenial pet parents.

With pet parent ownership rapidly growing - my first job was to understand the current unmet needs of the largest growing customer segment: millenial pet parents.

With pet parent ownership rapidly growing - my first job was to understand the current unmet needs of the largest growing customer segment: millenial pet parents.

Getting to know millenial pet parents

Getting to know millenial pet parents

In order to understand the problem - I partnered with our head of research, head of product and a few other key stakeholders to map out a research strategy that would help us understand the entire pet parent journey. We took a wide approach - doing everything from conducting usability tests on our own existing and competitor products, purchasing reports and studies on pet parent ownership and reaching out to many other experts in the field - both internally at Mars and externally at other pet parent companies. We spoke with all kinds of interesting people from cat breeders to expert vets to dog cafe owners and really got a good understanding of the current landscape for millenial pet parents.

In order to understand the problem - I partnered with our head of research, head of product and a few other key stakeholders to map out a research strategy that would help us understand the entire pet parent journey. We took a wide approach - doing everything from conducting usability tests on our own existing and competitor products, purchasing reports and studies on pet parent ownership and reaching out to many other experts in the field - both internally at Mars and externally at other pet parent companies. We spoke with all kinds of interesting people from cat breeders to expert vets to dog cafe owners and really got a good understanding of the current landscape for millenial pet parents.

In order to understand the problem - I partnered with our head of research, head of product and a few other key stakeholders to map out a research strategy that would help us understand the entire pet parent journey. We took a wide approach - doing everything from conducting usability tests on our own existing and competitor products, purchasing reports and studies on pet parent ownership and reaching out to many other experts in the field - both internally at Mars and externally at other pet parent companies. We spoke with all kinds of interesting people from cat breeders to expert vets to dog cafe owners and really got a good understanding of the current landscape for millenial pet parents.

Identifying Opportunities

Identifying Opportunities

I put together these journey maps to help us understand where pet parents were going underserved and where our companies had coverage.

Selling the Vision

A story board I mocked up to illustrate the problem. We made many of these and turned them into videos to help us get investment in our companies.

Lofi Concepts

Lofi Concepts

We created wireframes and prototypes for many of our concepts. This was for a company that would move you from adopting a dog to the next steps - helping users solve the "What's next?" question.

Launching

Launching

In my 2 years at Mars, we launched 6 companies, built design teams, GTM strategies and partnerships for many of them and learned a ton in the process.

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Ben Pepin | Product Design Leader

ben.a.pepin@gmail.com

Ben Pepin | Product Design Leader

ben.a.pepin@gmail.com

Ben Pepin | Product Design Leader

ben.a.pepin@gmail.com