Greetings from Wookey Design Studio

Located in the heart of the Rockies, Wookey Design Studio specializes in product design for the outdoor industry. Our primary services include design and development, but we are able to augment these with graphic design, packaging, raw material development, and manufacturing sourcing.

Our specialty is vertical design, by which we combine product design with product development, and subsequently work with the manufacturer to make sure that the product is manufactured correctly and the proper quality controls are in place.

Specializing in design for:

Backpacks - daypacks, technical backpacks, expedition backpacks, and messenger style bags
Sleeping Bags – synthetic and down, as well as hybrid insulation systems, and high-tech insulation baffle systems.
Military Design – Tactical and Law Enforcement, as well as product designs for EMS (Emergency Medical Service) and SAR (Search and Rescue) product.
Tents – Ultra-light, single and double wall, and big wall!
Apparel – Base layers as well as outerwear, shell layers, and insulation garments.
ODM – Original Design Manufacture, where your product will be branded by another company for sale
OEM – Original Equipment Manufacture, your product will be branded by your own company.

We can take your idea, turn it into a real product, and deliver finished merchandise to your distribution hub on time and on budget. By integrating the design process with the development and implementation of the manufacturing process, we can ensure that your idea is turned into the product that we envision, and that conceptual integrity is maintained throughout.

Vertical Design Process:

An integrated design process where the designer is able to work within multiple mediums to create a finished product from an idea.

The vertical design process enables the conceptual integrity of the idea to be maintained throughout by integrating design with product development. We have found that this is the most robust and powerful process for product design in the outdoor industry.

A common paradigm is the horizontal process outlined below. With the horizontal process, there can be a disconnect between the design and development that can create problems for manufacturers in the outdoor industry. Commonly, if the product development is done by the offshore manufacturer, they will tend to apply the same solutions to products from different companies, lending to some of the lack of true product differentiation seen in the outdoor marketplace today.

Also, many of the “eureka” moments in product design happen during the product development process, rather than during the design process. When the designer also acts as the product developer, the development enhances the design rather than becoming an engineering exercise.

Wookey Design Studio takes the vertical design process to the next level by adding graphic design, materials and components sourcing, specs packages, bill of materials, manufacture sourcing, quality control and delivery of the finished product to our skill set.

Horizontal Design Process:

The horizontal design process is where the design function is separated from the development of the product. Using this process, we design the product on paper and assist the manufacturer to develop the product through a few rounds of prototypes.

With the Horizontal design process, we deliver highly resolved designs and renderings for your approval, as well as specification packages, and bill of material lists which help the manufacturer to develop the product from the drawings.

This is also a powerful process, and allows us to have higher throughput of design, but is not as robust as the vertical process.

We have found that the vertical process proves to be the most effective way to create unique interesting product and it requires less coffee.

Product Development:

Wookey Design Studio also specializes in product development of others’ designs. Many of our customers have found that we are able to reduce their prototype counter-sampling time by up to 300%, and we are able to apply creative solutions to their design problems.

Many companies have used Wookey Design Studio for product development simply to keep the product out of the offshore development studios for as long as possible, due to potential industrial espionage. Most of the companies in the outdoor industry are developing product in the same offshore factories. Using Wookey Design Studio for product development will help ensure that your new designs will remain secret for as long as possible.

We always strive to involve our customers in our design processes as much as possible. Wookey Design Studio thinks of each new customer as a business partner, as well as a friend with a common goal. By working closely with our clients, we deliver "ownership" of the design process, enabling you to be a part of the fun!

Our passion for the outdoor industry enables us to create lasting designs that touch the heart of your markets. Our work is our life, and the Rockies are our playground. Work and play are always mixed at Wookey Design Studio, and we have always driven ourselves to find the balance between the ideal and the real, between vocation and vacation, and put a bit of ourselves in every product that we have designed for the outdoor industry. Join us in exploring the possibilities of your next new design adventure!