Earth Rated: Design as a tool to stay ahead of the pack

At ALTO Design, we believe that design and innovation should play a leading role in creating any type of product or service. We also believe that paying special attention to design is one of the most successful ways to generate the kind of stand-out product or service that keeps on growing.

Our partners at Earth Rated know exactly what we mean. They’re a perfect example of a lifestyle products business deriving real advantage from good design. It’s a major reason why they’ve taken the lead and stayed ahead of the pack in a highly competitive, commodity-like industry.

If you have a dog, you probably know their products already – like their lavender scented dog poop bag, their most popular item. These bags are usually stored in a plastic dispenser that’s designed to hang on a leash.




Through a keen appreciation of the consumer journey and value added through design, our Earth Rated friends have transformed a somewhat commonplace product into such an indispensable accessory that pet owners can’t imagine leaving home without it.




Not only do Earth Rated products provide a perfect user experience by doing their job with precision – the essential pick-up after Fido without any mess – they do it with an exclusive and distinctive style that consumers pick up on right away, whether they’re dog owners or not.




What makes a strong brand identity? A coherent set of materials, colours, and tones, plus unique iconography. That’s what helped the company protect its lead position against increasingly fierce competition. To keep pace and preserve its No. 1 position, Earth Rated has successfully transposed the key attributes that carry its brand into complementary new products to delight its customers, human and canine alike.




Having reinvented the plain dog poop bag and created a new, stylish way to carry it, Earth Rated got the idea of reimagining another canine accessory: the standard poop scooper. While a bag allows quick, effective poop pickup during walks, a scooper is for owners who would sooner let Fido run free in the backyard, and clean up less often, but on a larger scale. So, Earth Rated called on ALTO Design and asked us to rethink such a product, one that would be efficient, durable, easy to use – and easy on lawn surfaces. Needless to say, it also had to be designed with an appropriate regard for the visual brand language.




After several weeks of exchanging ideas, thinking, designing, prototyping, and working hard together, the Outdoor Scooper was born. We believe this sharp looking shovel is the most effective, convenient solution for hassle-free cleanup in your backyard.




It combines a lightweight, durable aluminum frame that can be used without even bending over. Its claw is perfectly designed to pick up the biggest doggie offerings without damaging the lawn. The choice of materials, combined with a special mechanism to lock the scoop in the open position, makes cleaning up a snap.



Last, but by no means least, the Outdoor Scooper matches perfectly with other Earth Rated products, along with total respect for the brand and the world it represents. This product has only recently been available in stores and we can’t wait to see the results once consumers get their hands on it.



On your marks, get set, scoop!