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Career profiles from different sectors within the outdoor industries

The Product Designer

Name: Sam Stephenson

Job Title: Head of Design

Age: 36

Company: Mountain Equipment

How many years have you been working in the outdoor industry?: Most recently, I have been at Mountain Equipment for the last year, just about.

Summary of career path to date: I have been designing and making clothes since I was 10 or 11. I studied a Science degree at University in Sheffield and worked at Outside in Hathersage part time for a number of years. After the degree I worked in a number of other outdoor shops before eventually doing an M.A in Sportswear Design. I then got a job at Puma, based in Germany, where I spent 5 ½ years, working on Football and F1 apparel design, becoming the senior designer in both teams. After that I moved to O’Neill in Holland for snowboarding and surf wear. During my time at Puma I also freelanced on the side for Moon, keeping my eye in with core climbing wear. I feel like working for Mountain Equipment is like coming back home in design terms. Having been away learning a great deal I have come back to work on the product that is closest to my heart.
My job title is Head of Design, but until recently I was the only designer, so my role is very hands on.

Why did you choose to work in product design in the outdoor industry?:  What can be better than designing product you use yourself, or that is used on expeditions I used to dream about? Outdoor users often find themselves in situations that mean they REALLY appreciate the good and bad points of a product. There are no hiding places so it demands the best of you.

What’s the most rewarding part about your job?:  I love designing functional product. Being part of the small team at Mountain Equipment means I am working at the heart of the brand.

What’s the toughest part about your job?:
Balancing short term design deadlines with the need to be continually looking into the longer term with developments and testing etc. Knowing when to say “no, we should stop now”

Which, if any, outdoor activities do you personally enjoy?  I have been climbing since my teens and currently love it more than ever. Surfing is fantastic, though sadly just too hard to fit in at the moment. I love running in bad weather and cycling up hills. Last winter I got a really keen on getting my snowboard out in the UK!

What advice would you give to someone looking for a career as a product designer in the outdoor industry?:
-Have a passion.
-Don’t be afraid to look to the wider sportswear industry to gain relevant skills.
-The outdoors is a relatively small industry, so work your contacts. Somebody you know, knows somebody who might be useful.

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