Vibram Rubber Skin Attitude

Description

Summary

New product design contest on Desall.com: in the second phase of the contest Vibram and Desall invite you to design a new line of backpacks, bags and other containers equipped for mobility, further developing the concept of flexibility of use, foldability and mechanical expansion of the Luxury Rubber.

Company description

It was 1936 when Vitale Bramani, Academic member of the Club Alpino Italiano, the day after a mountaineering expedition which ended in tragedy for several people, started to think of a way to drastically improve the level of safety in mountaineering shoes. So, in 1937 the Vibram Carrarmato was born, the first vulcanised rubber sole for alpinism, a perfect solution for grip, traction and durability. Symbol of the Made in Italy genius around the world, the Vibram soles have revolutionised the standards of performance and safety in the mountains just like in the city and in any other environment. Today Vibram is leader in the development and production of high-performance soles and is getting ready to celebrate this year the 80° anniversary of the famous Carrarmato design. Accordingly, 2017 will be the right moment for the company to go over its story characterised by innovation and research, that enabled it to reach the highest levels in the shoe industry, setting the standards for safety and grip in the whole sector.

What we are looking for

Start creating your inspiration wall using the Inspiration tab and get inspired by the hints of other creatives!

In the previous phase of the contest, Vibram addressed the community of designers to research ideas and concepts of products realised with the revolutionary Luxury Rubber “leatherette rubber sheet”.
In this second phase, once again open to all, you are invited to develop the product design of a new product branded by Vibram belonging to backpacks, bags and other containers equipped for daily and/or performative mobility, further developing the concept proposed by Antonino Ciuro, winner of the previous phase, that consists in the use of a folding system inspired to the Japanese origami culture, that enables the foldability and expansion of the Luxury Rubber which was applied, in that project, to a backpack.
In addition to the cash award, the winner of the second phase of the contest will be granted the chance to develop his/her own project, taking part in a workshop to be held at the Vibram Technological Center in Guangzhou, China.

Aim of the contest:

the participants of the second phase are invited to develop and further study a system for folding and expanding the Luxury Rubber, proposing technical solutions inspired by the concept suggested in the proposal of the winner of the first phase (see Material files ), applied to a new finished product, belonging to backpacks, bags and containers equipped for the daily and/or performative mobility.

Product typology:

the technical solution for folding and expanding the Luxury Rubber leatherette rubber sheets that you propose, shall be applied and adapted to a new range of backpacks, bags and containers equipped for the daily and/or performative mobility (such as bike packs or other accessories/packs for outdoor activities and sport, including for example trekking, running, motorbike, cross-country, fishing etc.) in line with the Vibram heritage. In this phase, you are required to present a detailed product design project, with a special focus on the technical solution for folding and expanding the rubber sheet.

Materials:

the projects you suggest shall employ the Luxury Rubber leatherette rubber sheets also in combination with other materials, which might either be materials usually employed in this product typology or be completely innovative.

Luxury Rubber characteristics:

the Luxury Rubber is an open-cell rubber foam (density 0,3gr cm3), available as sheets measuring about 120cmx70cm and 2mm thick (the thickness might be increased upon request, but cannot be reduced). To date the available colours are 4 (black, tobacco, cream, brick) but you may suggest other colours as well. The Luxury Rubber is a waterproof material.

Processing technologies:

the Luxury Rubber can undergo several processes: cutting – which must be sharp (with dies), gluing, sewing – with wide stitches using an “R” needle (no monothreads or monofilaments) – and thermoforming. No surface working is required, but it may be requested at your discretion.

Target:

your ideas and concepts shall be focused on a B2C market, taking into consideration segments coherent with the Vibram heritage.

Values to convey:

your projects should take into account the values of the Vibram brand, that is: innovation, attention for the best quality, consumer oriented approach, performance and durability of the products.

Deliverables: upload all the images that better present your projects (rendering, descriptions, etc.). For a better evaluation of your project you are invited to attach the 3D files in .stp/.igs format inside a .ZIP archive to attach directly from the upload page. At your discretion, you may include inside the same .ZIP archive other materials (ex. PDF, high-res images, etc.).

Evaluation criteria:

in the evaluation of your submissions Vibram will take into account the following criteria:

• Technical feasibility
• Aesthetics
• Functionality/usability
• Brand compliance
• Project submission