Sokolowski, Susan L.https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/258612024-03-28T22:58:59Z2024-03-28T22:58:59ZSPORTS INDUSTRY MEETS ACADEMIA: THE PEDAGOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AN MS DEGREE PROGRAM IN SPORTS PRODUCT DESIGNSokolowski, Susan L.https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/258652020-11-18T08:24:22Z2019-01-01T00:00:00ZSPORTS INDUSTRY MEETS ACADEMIA: THE PEDAGOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF AN MS DEGREE PROGRAM IN SPORTS PRODUCT DESIGN
Sokolowski, Susan L.
In the U.S., Portland, Oregon, is home to the sports product design industry. Jobs in this
industry vary from entry-level retail assistants to CEOs, but the heart of it all revolves around
designers and the inventive products they create. Becoming a successful designer can be very
challenging and competitive, as undergraduate design and engineering programs in the U.S.
provide basic skills but not industry-specific skills that fully allow designers to succeed in all
divisions (apparel, footwear, and equipment) of the sports product industry. The University of
Oregon, through a strategic initiatives effort, identified this opportunity and developed an integrative
Master of Science graduate degree program in Sports Product Design. The program was
created to include specialized courses from the departments of human physiology, journalism,
business, and design to develop graduates proficient in using theories and creative problem
solving skills to invent products that push the boundaries of athletic performance. Students
learn how design can reduce athletic injuries and extend careers, improve performance, and
address issues related to gender and diverse body types, including athletes with disabilities. This
paper will review the creation of this one-of-a-kind program in the U.S., including pedagogical
considerations, curriculum, and student inventions over the last three years.
14 pages
2019-01-01T00:00:00ZHuman Body: A Wearable Product Designer’s Guide by Karen L. LaBat and Karen S. Ryan, with illustrations by Le Wen (CRC Press, 2019) [Book Review]Sokolowski, Susan L.https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/258642020-11-18T08:25:03Z2020-10-01T00:00:00ZHuman Body: A Wearable Product Designer’s Guide by Karen L. LaBat and Karen S. Ryan, with illustrations by Le Wen (CRC Press, 2019) [Book Review]
Sokolowski, Susan L.
5 pages
2020-10-01T00:00:00ZModification of the Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) Formulas to Include Plus Size BodiesSokolowski, Susan L.Bettencourt, Chrissyhttps://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/258632020-11-18T08:24:53Z2020-11-01T00:00:00ZModification of the Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) Formulas to Include Plus Size Bodies
Sokolowski, Susan L.; Bettencourt, Chrissy
With new 3D plus size body scan data available through surveys like Size North America and
manufacturers investing in their own data, there was an opportunity to study the shape of modern
female plus sized bodies to inform the fit of products for this emerging business demographic. The
researchers partnered with a leading apparel company to analyze 3D plus size body scans with the
Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) for apparel developed by Simmons, Istook, and
Devarajan (2004), using mathematical representations of the FFIT body shapes created by Lee, Istook,
Nam, and Park (2007). However, during the project, it was discovered through visual inspections there
were opportunities to modify the FFIT mathematical formulas to be more inclusive of plus size women.
The inspections indicated that some scans were inaccurately classified or not sorted into any shape
category. Since plus size women often have larger abdomens than bust or hips, the formulas were
modified to include a check for that condition. By understanding shape, manufacturers can have a better
idea of how to design, fit and grade products for this market throughout a size range, as opposed to
relying on only 2D measurements or linear grading rules from a sample size.
6 pages
2020-11-01T00:00:00ZThe development of a performance hand wear and tools product innovation frameworkSokolowski, Susan L.https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/258622020-11-17T08:25:50Z2020-01-01T00:00:00ZThe development of a performance hand wear and tools product innovation framework
Sokolowski, Susan L.
Humans wear products and use tools that interface with their hands to provide abrasion
resistance, impact protection, grip, thermal comfort, and detailed maneuvers. The
skills needed to design new and innovative products for the hand are multi-faceted.
Academic programs in the US typically focus on soft goods (textile and apparel) or hard
goods (industrial and product design/engineering) based design. Therefore, students
often do not learn all of the available skills and technologies needed to design hand
wear performance products because of the pedagogical split between the different
academic disciplines. This case study outlines a three-phase innovation framework, for
use by designers throughout the product creation process, specifically for creating performance
products and tools for the hand. The phases include strategies for: (1) understanding
the hand wear and tool project background, (2) defining the user’s 3D and 2D
hand and (3) hand wear and tool product innovation. The paper will also demonstrate
how the framework was implemented by students in a graduate level design studio,
to create new gloves for athletes. The framework could also be used by students and
professionals to design innovative products for other users and to improve safety and
overall performance.
18 pages
2020-01-01T00:00:00Z