Episode 1: Anton Willis, CDO, Oru Kayak

Douglas Davidson is an industrial designer with a thriving career creating bags and accessories for many of the world’s leading brands. He’s worked with Burton, The North Face, Nike, Adidas, Quicksilver, Vans, and many more, both within the company, and as a highly sought after...

Trent Bush has created a design practice out of a lifelong obsession. As a child of the 70s and 80s in Boulder, Colorado., he grew up skateboarding and snowboarding. Inspired by the early DIY culture, Trent and a small crew founded Twist, a snowboarding brand that gave them room...

From fabric shopping with Kanye, to cycling in Tuscany, Alex Valdman knows where design happens – and it’s not in front of a computer. We talk with Alex, design director of Rapha, about the changing role of the designer, the nature of creativity, and knowing...

With a background in small-scale agriculture and a drive to create, Martina Brimmer guides a small dedicated team making bicycle bags in Seattle, WA. She explains her evolution from maker to designer, and how that identity affects the products that Swift makes, and the community...

An industrial design degree from Art Center and a strong sense of self-confidence gave Liana Delucca-Johnson the hard and soft skills she needed to build a successful career as a soft-goods designer. We talk with her about being one of the few women in a...

Jessica Hemmer, Founder and Creative Director at Hemmer Design, has built a career designing for companies including Woolrich, Under Armour, and Bemis. Her experience in advanced construction techniques such as sew-free and bonding have put her on the cutting edge of modern technical apparel. We...

Portland is ground zero of the outdoor industry. But did you ever wonder how that happened? The PDC, Portland’s economic development agency plays a vital role in nurturing athletic and outdoor brands. Sue Bal works with their A&O program to support the more than 800...

The Japanese art of origami inspired Anton Willis to create the Oru Kayak, a folding kayak designed for urban dwellers. In this episode, we talk with Anton about his design process, working in the context of a maker space, and taking on the title of...