“…and here is a new fleece jacket for men” says Donna and holds up one of many prototypes for fall/winter 2011. The country managers who have travelled to Stockholm represents our 11 largest markets take notes. Listen carefully to the explanation to why we believe we need to launch a new version. Soon feedback comes back.

One year ahead
The prototype meeting is a meeting where Fjällräven product development department shows the first or second prototypes of products that are to be launched in one year. During the meeting we show the prototypes to our country managers to get a feeling for what will work on their markets. With years of experience and contact with leading customers and end users, they are a truly valuable source of information at this stage of product development.

Erica discusses fleeces and shirts with our country managers

Education Trip
The prototype meeting is actually in the middle of our product development cycle. The process starts with us self going out in nature. Every year we head out into nature on our own ad­ventures so we can discover innovative, smart solutions, improve our fabrics, shave off kilograms and increase the mobility of our clothes and equipment. We even bring in experts from differ­ent areas to provide additional input and broaden our knowledge about our equipment. (If you like to see some images from the Education Trip for this winter, see our album on our Facebook Page

Photo from our Education Trip in the Swedish mountains (Jämtland)

Evaluation Trip
On top of this we also head out on a European tour two times per year to visit our key markets in order to get inspiration from our country managers, customers and end users. We call this Evaluation Trip since it is a great way of getting an evaluation of our work from a lot of knowledgeable people. Finally, after contemplating on our own and other people’s experiences, we produce sketches that are then sewn into prototypes.

Prototypes
Some prototypes are then sent to textile labo­ratories and others to field testing. In the laboratories, the garments are not only pulled, torn and worn but are also measured for waterproof­ness and breathability. In the field tests, Johan leads a group who hit the trails to test again and again if the solutions work the way they are intended. All the prototypes are also brought into the prototype meeting.

New materials and prototypes are sent to textile laboratories to be pulled, torn and worn at the same time as test groups head out into the wild. To use, and misuse them.

Prototype meeting
The prototype meetings are held two times per year, one time for every collection launch. In august we have a prototype meeting for the fall/winter season starting in one year, and in January we have a prototype meeting for the spring/summer season starting in another year. This time the discussion as usual ended up with what products we should be introduced, which should be replaced and which ones we should keep in our collection. More often than not our timeless solutions stay in the collection since they have been so tested, tried and true that they are just simply still outstanding. Vidda and Barents trousers are just two examples.

Hardware designer Henrik shows one of his prototypes of a new great backpack.

Tried and true and future classics
You might compare our product development strategy to that of the evolution of nature – the strongest survive at the same time as new, adapted products are added. After two days of in depth discussions we are now down to a smaller list of new items. These items will be further refined to finally be presented during a larger kick-off in December. The first time a really large group will see them is during the ISPO fair in February next year. Till then we will continue testing and developing them. Ensuring the new items meets our and your high demands on Fjällräven products.

We are looking forward to show you the projects, but right now we need to have a third look at them, testing them, further develop and modify them to present improved versions during our kick-off meeting in December.