SmirnovDesign Group organized conference on New product development in sports

The first international conference on issues of product design in sport industry organized by SmirnovDesign Group took place in the exhibition centre Crocus-Expo on September 21. Among the speakers were specialists of Design Continuum, a design agency that worked with companies like Reebok, Puma, Samsung, Procter & Gamble, NEC, APC, DELL, Logitech, Motorola, HP and others. This event was the first in a row of other activities planned by the Alliance of SmirnovDesign Group and Design Continuum that was signed in July and is aimed at strategic collaboration of two companies.

The conference was opened by the speech of Managing Director of SmirnovDesign Group Ekaterina Khramkova entitled “Global design today: From executing tactical tasks to solving strategic business problems”. In her report Ekaterina examined the main trends of the development of global design industry that goes through considerable changes and design becomes one of the most important resources of competitiveness in conditions when radical changes make the world move at a high speed creating one innovation after another.

After that Bruce Fifield, Director of DesignContinuum Italy, described a unique experience of creating a new product for the Reebok company where designers had to solve not only aesthetical issue but also apply their skills of deep understanding into customer unmet needs and expectations. “Successful design is based on the ability of the team creating the product to understand what are its features and qualities that will make it “work” and resonate in target customer’s heart and mind”, noted Mr. Fifield. “This is particularly relevant with sport goods because of the private and demanding environment where the product will be used and valued by a strict customer”.

The conference was continued by Wolfgang Obermeier DesignContinuum’s Processes and Technologies Director. Mr. Obermeier dedicated his presentation to an acute issue of any new product design development process – managing complex projects of several levels that rally specialists of different backgrounds.

The event was closed by a joined presentation of SmirnovDesign Group President Sergey Smirnov and Sport Technology Director Boris Dyshko in which they shared their experience of creating an innovative for Russian sport industry product – a breathing training device.