By Chase Anderson | January 16, 2019
Marissa Barlow, Amy Rasmussen, Janna Barlow with Nani
Marissa Barlow, Amy Rasmussen, and Janna Barlow speaks to the OPDD students

Students in the Outdoor Product Design & Development program are armed with the tools and knowledge to take ideas from their heads and translate them not only into sketches and designs, but into tangible, physical products. During an industry seminar with students, the team from local swimwear brand, Nani Swimwear, emphasized the opportunities students have to create products from their own ideas and launch their own products and brands. 

Nani Swimwear was started in 2016 by Janna Barlow, Marissa Barlow, and Amy Rasmussen in Smithfield. Their goal was to create innovative, high-quality swimwear for active women. The three founders emphasized the opportunities for students to have an impact through design, understanding supply chains and how a product is manufactured after a designer develops a concept, and  the importance of recognizing opportunities in the market to deliver quality products that satisfy a need for the consumer.

Nani proves that for OPDD students, there’s opportunity—whether starting a brand or working for a design team—to create meaningful products that people want to buy. The Nani team also showed students who have an idea, that they can pursue their creative and business goals  while they are in school. Marissa Barlow, a sophomore in the OPDD program, helped start the company and designs each line for Nani.

Overall, there’s a lot of opportunity for OPDD students to create their own products and brands or design for successful brands and teams.

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