Students from the Outdoor Product Design and Development program at Utah State University partnered with the team from Kinetic Fabrics, based in Park City, Utah, to identify new applications for their innovative materials. Zach Decker, the founder of Kinetic, was interested in the opportunity to engage with students to explore new categories where the material could be effective.

“Kinetic fabric is a directionally weaved fabric that is designed to hold grip in one direction on snow and chairlift seat covers, while enabling a smooth sliding direction on the opposite,” Decker said. “Designed around this Slidestop (TM) technology, Kinetic fabric enables skiers of all levels to pursue the activities they love with a little extra hold on the snow and chairlift when they need it most.”

Students were challenged to take this innovative material and, over the course of six hours, create concepts for potential new markets where the fabric could be applied. About twelve students engaged in the challenge and broke up into teams to work through concepts, iterations, and final renderings and sketches leading up to a final presentation.

Presentations with the founder provided a valuable opportunity for students to discuss their ideas, accept critique, and explore the possibilities of their designs with hopes that in the future they may be able to codevelop a new product with the company.

Industry collaborations made possible through the Manufacturing and Outdoor Products Support Hub, a partnership between Utah Manufacturing Extension Service and Outdoor Product Design & Development.