Outdoor products consider social responsibility-President's Column-红点设计博物馆·厦门

President's Column

Outdoor products consider social responsibility

Author:Prof. Dr. Peter Zec

You don't need a couple of weeks of vacation to relax, exercise, or forget the worriers of daily life. Whether riding bicycle among mountains, walking in the forest, rock climbing, exploring in the city, camping, canoeing or rafting, you are integrated into social life. People like to do exercise as a break from the day-to-day work. Public health awareness is on the rise, as well as the focus on the balance between work and life, which promoted the vigorous development of the outdoor leisure industry. In order to integrate outdoor sports into daily life, appropriate equipment is absolutely necessary.

Outdoor recreational outfit should meet the demand of multifarious consumer, which requires clever design. When it comes to design, most people think of the appearance of the product, but in fact, the main task of design is to faithfully convey the information of the product itself to customers, which not only needs to rely on the appearance of the product, but also needs to design through technological innovation and tactile characteristics and takes consideration of all perspectives .Whether the finished product meets the strict requirements of quality and can be judged as a good design is depending on four aspects: product function, attractiveness, usability and social responsibility. The current trend of the outdoor goods industry focuses on product function and social responsibility.

Sportswear and equipment must be lightweight and convenient, but also able to withstand harsh weather conditions, so functional and innovative products and materials that are fashionable are increasingly popular among users. Lightweight materials are more widely used, which not only raise the speed, but also provide a more comfortable and pleasant wearing experience. Some people say that clothes and equipments made of very light materials harmonize the body and the nature.

Extremely light weight, waterproof Winterized Backpack

In addition to lightweight, the key is to meet different environmental requirements. Trends are also starting to utilize environmentally friendly materials, natural dyeing processes and natural dyes to reduce the amount of water required for processing. The following products will give you a glimpse of the year's outdoor products with excellent design and ideas, and reveal which innovative products can make outdoor enthusiasts have enjoyable activities. Whether it's hiking or rock climbing, a comfortable and functional backpack is a must on the road. The Winterized Backpack, designed and manufactured by Puma, won the Red Dot: Best of the Best 2017. The space net on the back is full of fine details and ergonomic thinking. The backpack itself has many functions and is an indispensable product for outdoor travel and even daily life. The striking blue tone of the exterior makes the backpack both stylish and sporty.

When breathing in fresh air, we also need functional cloth. The Speed Evo running suit is light in weight and available to everyone. The design, which won the Red Dot award 2017, uses the latest yarn, weighs 33 percent less than its predecessor, and is good at regulating body temperature by lowering down the body temperature when users sweat and keeping warmth when they're cold. But if you want to spend the night outdoors, you'll need a tent like the Lofoten's 1 ULW. It weighs a hefty 490 grams and is user-friendly. KarTent is a simple and environmentally-friendly alternative made by paper, often seen on ceremonial occasions. KarTent produces only half as much carbon dioxide as conventional tent, and uses recyclable materials.

The functional Speed Evo running suit, made of lightweight, water-resistant fabric

The recyclable KarTent

The future of the outdoor goods industry lies between mountains and cities. For particular outdoor and daily activities, whether it is hiking or canoeing, the products not only need to be functional, but also need to pay attention to the social responsibility . With more and more people living in cities around the world, the outdoor-sporting goods industry can't afford to ignore the urban lifestyle, and the desire for nature will be on display in cities –like indoor rock gyms or exploration of towns by jogging . Let us expect what kind of adjustment and development will there be in the design of outdoor sporting suits.