Students in the Outdoor Product Design and Development program at Utah State University aspire to work in the industry they love. Everything they work on over the course of their four years intends to prepare them for the opportunity to develop the next generation of great products for outdoor lovers everywhere. Recent graduate, Nate Ball, is living that dream, interning for Vermont-based fly-fishing company, Orvis.

While searching for opportunities post-graduation, Ball found a position working in product development on the men’s apparel team at Orvis. As a product developer, Ball’s role includes conducting fit tests, researching and selecting materials.

“The biggest thing that prepared me for this position was the advanced apparel design class where we really went into detail about fabrics, prints and patterns,” Ball said. “I use skills I learned in that class every day. Understanding clothing construction and pattern-making techniques have also been a huge part of my position here as well. A portion of my projects focus on analyzing apparel fit.”

Ball’s experience proves that USU’s program courses were designed with industry needs in mind. Classes are taught by faculty who understand the pain points in the industry and the areas where designers and developers could most add value throughout the product creation process.