Hyde Athletic Snow Shoe

Retained as an ongoing Industrial Design Consultant for Hyde Athletic, I have learned to push the boundaries of what is expected and customary for design deliverables, both from the client and end-consumer’s vantage point. For this Snowshoe assignment and all comprehensive design efforts, I start by gaining full understanding of the projects scope and requirements. Next, I work towards supplying innovative solutions with effective visual and written communication. The solutions I supply are constantly evaluated and compared to one another as they evolve. I am striving to supply clients with a multitude of visual and functional answers to the needs of their targeted consumer. Some design solutions stay decidedly close to the clients design brief, while others will push the boundaries and help lend a an objective eye and enhanced product vision. The design of the Hyde Athletic Expedition Snowshoe was initiated with extensive research into the end-users needs. These efforts were followed by an equally thorough investigation of the winter sports and the existing snowshoe product category and retail marketplace. Our firm is well versed in designing performance injection molded boots through previous knowledge gained designing this client’s inline skate product lines. With this knowledge, our design solution answered previously undiscovered needs for their consumer in the following areas ( some of which were patented ); custom fit and closure features that employed the use of ratcheted straps, a molded Heel Cuff whose adjust-ability can be easily customized through the use of twin ratcheted straps (allowing them to be adjustable while wearing winter gloves), and a size-staged Injection Molded parts matrix, allowing for user size variations and weight flotation needs. Manufacturing costs were contained through the designs efficient use of aluminum tubing, through this tubing having limited secondary factory operations, and through a reduction in the use of high cost, Hypalon flotation fabric.