Fresh Energy, Real Prototypes: Designing for the Rising Mover
We just wrapped Phase 2 of our prototype testing with students and recent graduates from the University of Oregon here in Portland, and honestly? Wow.
If you’ve ever worked with larger companies, you know how things can crawl. It can take months of back and forth emails just to get an idea off the ground. Working with these emerging designers has been the complete opposite, fast, fresh, and deeply rewarding. The level of talent and drive coming straight out of school has blown us away.
The Brief: Supporting the "Rising Mover"
When we kicked off this summer project, we gave the team a specific focus: design a sports bra foundation for our Rising Mover.
This is our youth athlete (ages 13 - 21) who is navigating a season of rapid growth personally, physically, and athletically. Her day is an all day flow. She transitions straight from 6 - 8 hours in the classroom to high energy movement on the field, court, or mat, and she needs gear that pivots seamlessly with her.
We focused on four distinct movement landscapes:
Field Sports: Continuous cardio and multi climate transitions.
Gymnastics: Hyperextension, inversion security, and precision.
Golf: Smooth rotational movement and clubhouse elegance.
Volleyball: Explosive leaps and zero shift recovery.
When you’re moving that fast between school and sport, distractions like chafing, slipping, or lack of support are unacceptable. We asked this team to solve those friction points so the athlete can focus entirely on her game.
From Sketches to Something We Could Hold
Heading into Phase 2, Alex and I fully expected to look at flat paper sketches. Instead, thanks to the students' hard work and guidance from their professor, Susan Sokolowski, we walked into the room to find physical prototypes.
We could actually touch the fabrics, examine the stitches, and have Alex try them on to test the fit in real time. Seeing a concept transform into something tangible in such a short window was an incredible moment.
We went into this summer expecting a fun side project, but we're walking away genuinely stunned by what this group has accomplished. We’re building some incredible ideas for the future together, and we can’t wait to show you where these designs landed.
It’s a steep learning curve, but seeing the next generation of designers shape the future of sunday+ makes every step worth it.
When you were between 13 and 21, what was the one thing that always annoyed you most about your sports gear?
More soon+
