Branding
Visually merchandising the product range creates a certain identity unique to each product. Naming convention discussions can easily last the entire design season. Rarely is it a quick decision. Most often there's either too many great names or none that seem to fit. O'Neill had Psychos, Freaks, Mutants, and Mods adding creativity and fun to the overall scheme with plenty of character to build equity with familiarity in a customer base.
Prints & Textures
Incorporating seasonal prints is a popular trend in wetsuits, rash-guards, and UV apparel. We started engineering "prints" into the knitting process of the material and branding the outer grid texture. As a nod to Technicolor, I pitched the name that became the technically advanced and buttery soft #TechnoButter neoprene. Most neoprene looks the same and users see only the interior/exterior jersey. The ultra-lightweight neoprene story would be lost if it weren't for the exclusive "print' which has become a game-changer in the surf industry.
Wetsuit & Surfwear Graphics
Most wetsuits are Black and seams are anatomical making it a great canvas yet getting logos to stick onto stretch materials that work in the ocean is a definite challenge. Small details like placing the logos to avoid wear or adding graphic elements at the cuffs to reduce water intake add up to big considerations leading to a much improved product.
Apparel Graphics
After sketching, developing logos, and selecting design elements, apparel graphics are scaled to size and the placement is marked. Then the I separate the screens to be included in the tech pack with ink type, colors, and all other production notes.
Engineered Material Design
Seasonal Color Development
