How the University of Oregon is Building the Next Generation of Sports Designers
Home to an impressive number of sporting companies including Nike, Colombia and adidas, Oregon (USA) is an epicentre for the sports design industry — sometimes even referred to as the ‘State of Sport’. As such, it’s no surprise that the only graduate course in sports product design in the United States is offered locally at the University of Oregon in Portland.
Established in 2016, the programme has trained, taught and inspired tens of thousands of graduates — many of whom go on to work with some of the most recognized sporting brands in the world. To get a better sense of what it takes to build the next generation of sports designers, we talked to Susan Sokolowski, Professor and Director of the University of Oregon’s Master of Science in Sports Product Design about the programme’s unique offering.
It was not until the 1980s that sports product design became a recognized career choice. Before then, the field was very segmented, with no great need for skilled designers as companies were small and product lines were simple. By the 1990s however, the industry was booming. Skilled designers became highly sought after and the desire for revolutionary products became the way to the consumer’s heart.
“Sports products have such interesting demands that can compete against each other and be challenging for designers to discern. Some of these include lightweight, yet durable; supportive, yet flexible; waterproof, yet ventilated.”
As a specialized field, a successful sports product designer needs to be equipped with a multi-faceted array of skills, from knowledge of soft and hard goods design, research and design process methodology, materials science, manufacturing, engineering, human physiology, biomechanics, business and marketing. “Becoming a designer in the sports product design industry can be very challenging and competitive,” notes Sokolowski. “From first-hand experience, when a prospective university student in the United States considers sports product design as a career, they will pursue a degree in apparel/textile design, product/industrial design or engineering. These degrees can be limiting, as they tend to teach design/engineering, for a general area of interest at a very high level.”
This is why, pedagogically, the University of Oregon’s Master of Science in Sports Product Design (SPD) was set up with an integrative approach, with the goal of developing graduates proficient in using the appropriate theories and creative problem-solving methods to invent new products for the sports industry. As noted by Sokolowski, “this approach is valuable, because it allows students to make connections between experiences and concepts to solve complicated problems for athletes. The programme combines specialized courses from human physiology, biomechanics, journalism, business and design to prepare students to be inventors. This educational model provides an advantage to design students, as they can broaden their set of skills and have higher levels of learning and knowledge, than in traditional programmes.”
“The field of design is always changing. Our toolboxes are always growing with new software technologies, materials, and methods of make. There are also new sports, and athlete needs. Through our coursework and our faculty who are industry professionals, we aim to expose students to these new tools and topics, so our students stay current and relevant.”
Unlike similar offerings at other institutions, the SPD programme at the University of Oregon is also able to leverage its relationship with numerous industry leaders headquartered locally. In addition to internships, guest speakers, mentorships and industry sponsored projects, the basis of the programme’s pedagogical model is structured after how sport companies typically organize their product creation teams: with divisions between footwear, apparel, and equipment. “Having an industry-congruent teaching model provides students with a known structure, business goals and skills, so when they become professionals they fit more naturally into a company, understand their roles and responsibilities and can be immediately successful.”
The programme is also known globally for its work around inclusivity, with students getting to work on projects that build their skills in serving athletes with a wide range of abilities. This past year, students worked on a design prompt to innovate new sports equipment for summer Paralympians, many of whom wear equipment that they have had to augment themselves because there are no products on the market that are specifically developed for their needs. Project outcomes included a hand-cycling glove tailored to enhance the autonomy of para-triathletes and a redesigned trigger strap release for paralympic archers.
As the industry continues to evolve, Sokolowski hopes that the SPD programme, and more largely the future of the sports product design industry, continues to support more “inclusive design, with a focus of care for the environment through materials and manufacturing innovation.”
To learn more about the University of Oregon’s Sport Product Design programme, visit their website or follow them on social media @uosportsproductdesign.
Susan Sokolowski has more than 30 years of performance sporting goods experience, working cross-functionally between footwear, apparel and equipment in creative and strategic roles. She is a member of the 2021 class of fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. Her work is holistic in nature, where consideration of the athlete’s body form, performance, materials and styling are addressed to develop game-changing innovation solutions. She is specifically focused on issues surrounding design of products for women, children, and adaptive athletes. Susan has been internationally recognized for achievements in design innovation from Nike, The United States Olympic Committee, Vogue Magazine, Fast Company, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, Design Museum London, and Volvo.
