Pendulum Line (aka: designer’s paradise)

 Talk about fun!  Rogers acquired Pendulum, and along with that came new direction from a very energetic individual.  Well received by some, not so well by others (particularly those afraid of change), this initially was to be a simple redesign of existing products to conform to our manufacturing process and look.  One day this bundle of energy said,  ”The look is too soft.  We’re not in the ‘pink leotard’ club industry.  These are athletes who think they’re warriors!  It should look like gothic ninjas train on these machines!”  Inside I was screaming “HELL YEAH!”  Until he left the room, and basically the idea was shot down by others in the room.  Something inside me snapped and I decided to hell with what you think, I’m going the gothic ninja direction, slipped on the headphones, grabbed some Metallica and others from the playlist, and stayed late that night.  The concept was the “Death Row” row machine.  It had pointy edges, lines that would curve, and then sharply retreat back on themselves, linkages that looked like sword blades, and so on.

 Long story short, that emotion made it into the design, and others felt it.  The decision was made from higher up that the entire line would have this edgy look, and that I would direct the design that engineers were to work around.  Granted, now that they’re officially released and production ready, they’ve been watered down slightly, (the Death Row is now called the 3 way row, boo!), but overall I’m ecstatic with how they’ve turned out and the reception they’ve gotten.  By far this is the most fun I’ve had with my job, and the most time I’ve spent at it.  (Interesting how those coincide when they’re linked in the proper order…)

I hope you enjoy them as well:

Cougar Drive Sled

This was the first “gimme” project I’ve had.  But it’s one of my products, and inspired by my Alma Mater, so I’m including it.  Basically, the BYU coach said “boy, it’d be great if I could have this.”  And pretty much spelled it out for us.  So, we made several for him, showed it to other schools, and apparently it’s a big hit!  No moving parts, just a big, heavy sled for meatheads to push, pull or drag.  I’d like to try the Iditarod on one someday…

Next:  The Pendulum Line

Monster Machines

An interesting bit of information cropped up after our racks / accessories were released.  A lot of coaches appreciated the versatility of the racks, but were from bigger, well funded school or franchise that HAD space to fill up.  They wanted more individual machines.  So these 2 machines, the Incline and Twist, were designed as stand alones that performed the duties of the Monster Incline and Horizontal Arms, respectively.

I feel the more innovative of the 2 is the Twist, which is really 2 of the same subassembly bolted together to mirror each other.  This allows teams on a budget (like High Schools) to buy and use one half, then add the other later.  My favorite thing about this machine is the convenience of loading / unloading weight plates on the arms.  Rather than walk around the machine with weights in your hands before you get to workout, the weights are right there waiting for you,  just slide them off the storage pin and onto the arm’s pin.  In fact, you’re only responsible for the weight for about 6 inches from one pin to the other.  Some may say “but this is weight lifting”.  Yeah, but if you’re training for functional strength, do you want to waste your time & strength carrying weights in a fashion that has nothing to do with what you’re training for, or get busy with your routine?

Next:  Drive Sled

The Jugs Cart

No, it’s not a bra.  Although I probably wouldn’t object to research in that area if I was called upon to do so.  There’s a football throwing mechanism called the JUGS Machine, you can blame them for the name.  All I had to do was design a cart that held the thing.  My research showed competitors’ carts as cheesy, ugly, square meshed framed contraptions that most junkyard dogs could build in their garage.

All it takes is a little time spent putting yourself in the shoes of the user and you’ll be on your way to a better product.  I’m surprised so many companies don’t understand that.  What did I find?  Well, you need a place to hold footballs, and a place to sit a generator to run the machine if your field isn’t powered.  So that dictates 2 fairly large spaces on the cart.  But if you just make it a big rectangle, like everyone else does, it forces the operator of the machine to either stand on the edge of the cart, off balance, while trying to load and fire footballs, or to stand on the ground leaning in to reach the machine, and bashing their shins on the cart when getting carried away with aiming the machine.  Why not bring the structure of the cart in narrow where the user is, so he can stand on solid ground, and load, aim and fire with complete control?

By the way, it looks better too.

 

Tred Sled Facelift

Once Design began to permeate the product line, it also exposed poor looking existing product.  This one, the Tred Sled, was basically black metal box, with a rubber tread.  Or at least that’s what your impression would be when you looked at it.  And the computer was impossibly inconvenient to use for either the coach or the player when it was nestled into the sled, flush with the tread surface.  It was just too far out of reach.

 So, the sides of the sled were revised with some shape, to resemble runners on a sled, to tie in our football line, and then given some relief, in the form of 45deg bends in the sheet metal, to also blend with the weight equipment.  That allowed for a cool 2 tone paint treatment with a seperate ”branding plate” which bolts on seperately, and allows much more maintenance room than the previous access doors.  And of course the computer moved to a functional position. 

Next:  The Jugs Cart (no laughing)

Monster Arm Storage Rack

So we ended up making so many accessories for these Brute Racks, that people needed a place to put the extras when they’re not in use.  As simple as it is, I liked this job a lot because there were less stipulations to get in the way.  A rack that bolted to the wall and held Monster Arms and accessories.  No prob.  It could look sleek (the floor frame mimics the arch at the top that gives it added identification and kind of a reflection) while performing its duties.  My favorite “cleverism” is that you can bolt another rack to the back and you have a neat free standing storage rack, which I think looks better than just one on the wall.

Next:  Tred Sled facelift

The Jam Pad

Here’s an example of what Tom Kelley calls “cross polinization” in his book The Art of Innovation (if you haven’t read it yet, you need to).  The thought process:  “hmmm, we have these cool free motion arms on our racks, and we’re known for our football sleds…HEY!  What if we could put a football sled guy on the arms to bring outdoor training inside for the off season?”

Next:  Monster Arm Storage Rack

Oooo, nice Chin-Up bar

Yeah, it’s just a Chin-Up bar, no moving parts, nothing real tricky.  BUT!  It snaps in and out of the Brute Rack, which allows athletes to adjust the height, which other chin-up bars don’t.  They force you to jump and catch the bar, or humiliate yourself by asking for a boost.  Since its height is adjustable, it also doubles as a dip station on the back side.  Enough to get a patent anyway…

Next:  The Jam Pad

The Brute Rack System

Now we’re starting to squeak a little Design into the equation.  In 2005 we decided to break into the strength training segment of the football market and brought a set of weight racks to the table.  What’s so special about weight racks when it seems like everyone else has them?  We designed “Monster Arms” that attach to the rack, and perform the function of several competitors’ machines.  This means more performance for less money and less space.  And it frees up floor space for more racks.  This has been well received by the industry and immediately positioned us as one of the major players.

What do I get credit for?  Mainly the look, the now signature “arch”, small finish details like the red anodized knobs that intuitively say “pull me, I’m important”, the matching grip end caps, and some “what if” ideas that got us to the final concept.

Next: A Chin-Up bar, oooooo!

The Three Read Machine

Technically this product already existed, but with the arrival of the Zone Reactor, we wanted to redesign the Three Read Machine to fit the same sled base, and clean up the look some.  It was pretty rough originally.

Next:  The Brute Rack System