GAP
An artifact which will protect my face from extreme weather while skiing/snowboarding
An artifact which will protect my face from extreme weather while skiing/snowboarding
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I've named the product Übergaiter.
Über is a german preposition, meaning above or over. It's also commonly used as a prefix in English to mean that something is superior or extreme. I feel this is an appropriate prefix to use as the gaiter is worn above/over the helmet, and I can say that it is definitely superior - with a little designer bias perhaps ;-) Gaiter is simply the name normally given to products that form a tube around the neck to keep it warm. I feel the name is appropriate for the following reasons -
LOGO DESIGN I've also explored some basic logo design this week. I wanted something strong and simple, and I'm reasonably happy with the result. I would envisage the logo being embroidered as a 40x40mm patch, and sewn onto the back of the Übergaiter. DESCRIPTION Basically, the Übergaiter is a neck gaiter which can be pulled up over the helmet to provide complete protection for the wearer's face. It can be used in various ways -
KEY FEATURES The key features of the Übergaiter include -
CONCEPT PROGRESSION Below are the concept sketches produced in weeks 3 and 5 for my design. My beta prototype has ended up being a combination of the 2 designs - using the positioning clip from week 5, and the drawcord with barrel cord lock from week 3. I've removed the breathing vent featured in both those concepts, as it didn't seem to be necessary. The gap I've chosen to address is one which affects me personally. I snowboard a lot in the winter and the weather is often bad. Snow, strong winds and temperatures as low as -30C are common. In these conditions, some form of face protection is essential. I've tried a few commercially available ski masks but they've all been disappointing. Typical problems with the masks included poor quality construction, poor face cover, and the fact that they often don't stay in the correct position. I believe that it should be possible to improve upon these masks, and the goal of my project is to create the perfect product for protecting the face from extreme weather.
KEY NEEDS
The next step I would take at this point would be to do further investigation into materials which could be used to manufacture the mask. One potential material would be "Power Stretch", which is a stretchy wind-proof fleece manufactured by Polartec, one of the world's biggest fleece manufacturers. After identifying suitable materials, I would get a professional company to manufacture some better quality prototypes of the Übergaiter. For the alpha & beta prototypes, I've just about managed to cope with the sewing involved, but a professional company would have the skills, machinery and knowledge to manufacture a far superior version. After that, some rigorous testing of the prototypes would be needed. I've been unable to fully test the Übergaiter so far, as it's currently summer, and there's no realistic way to simulate the conditions the mask is designed to cope with.
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