Product Design Blog
The Geek Locker Blog has a new home!
Starting in 2024, the Geek Locker blog posts and newsletters have transitioned over to Substack! All posts will remain available here until May 2024 when all posts are archived on Substack. We hope that you’ll check out the new look!
Products That Have Improved in Recent Years (Outdoors Edition)
In a bid to prove that not all change is bad, Redditors recently highlighted products they thought had improved in recent years. This inspired me to create a list of outdoors products that have improved in recent years on the basis of their product design. The result is one of few online lists that includes both fish finders and bike trainers!
The Impending Rise of Temperature-specific Sports Equipment & Gear Design
When Patrick Mahomes’s helmet cracked open mid-game, it made me think about the general lack of temperature-specific sports equipment. This current lack of temperature-specific equipment and gear could soon transition into a market full of even more product options than are available today. My wallet is already trembling, despite my excitement at the prospect.
Mix n’ Match No More? The Potential Future of Outdoor Gear Brand Ecosystems
Brands love trapping you in their product ecosystems, from Intuit’s app entanglement to Apple’s green bubble shaming. But why isn’t the same true in the outdoor gear industry? We explore the wide variety of factors at play, but a simple answer is that most companies just haven’t started seriously developing a product ecosystem, and will almost certainly take steps to do so soon.
Convergent Product Design & The Marathon Du Mont-Blanc
At the end of June, I was lucky enough to travel to Chamonix to watch my wife run the Marathon Du Mont-Blanc trail race. The
A Brief Framework for Comparing the Environmental Impact of Consumer Products
Seemingly every year, a common question resurfaces: are reusable grocery bags better for the environment than single-use plastic bags? 2019: “Are Plastic, Paper Or Reusable
Product Bug List – February 2023
The regular Product “Bug List” is getting an upgrade with a few images to highlight the challenges and bugs of that occur when interacting with
December 2022 Product Bug List
Having enjoyed the creation of the previous Product Bug List so much, I want to make such a collection of everyday product observations a regular
5 Great iPhone/iPad Apps and What Needs Improving
According to Statista, there are close to five million apps and games available for download on Apple’s App store. Of that 5,000,000 available apps, I