Riversmith
Client:
Business Stage:
Established Fishing Gear Brand
Category:
Gear Bags
WERX Role:
Design, Develop, Produce
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Intro
As with many great ideas, it came from a conversation while out fishing.
With friends in common that could see an opportunity for us to work together, it went from an introduction to a rapid video creation work done for Riversmith, and when they were in our office they noticed the gear bags we had hanging from past projects that sparked a larger conversation about their need for a gear bag collection to help grow the brand.
Ideas started flying about where they could go with it, and it was clear to see we could have a lot of fun bringing some freshness to the category.
Goals
The goals for this project were to:
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Design the bags
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Develop the materials
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Source the ideal factory Partners
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Develop samples to test and approve
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Manage the bulk production of the bag collection.
The Collab
Riversmith is accepted amongst most anglers to be the best option to transport your fly rods on the top of your vehicle or on the side of your raft, but what do you do when you're trying to travel further than you want to drive? How do you carry your gear safely in a way that was engineered specifically for your trip?
The Riversmith team had been concepting and ideating already around the best solutions for getting to the river and being on the river with your gear, but had not had a lot of expereince designing and engineering soft goods, like gear bags before. Their expertise was industrial design of extruded aluminum and hard parts.
This is where the WERX team stepped in.
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Taking the direction of the Riversmith team of what they were looking to accomplish, we re-engineered proto samples, sourced with factories that specialize, and produce, the exact comp products that Riversmith were using as reference standards for quality and some features.
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Working between Riversmith's head of product, being a creative himself, the collaboration was set up for success. With an understanding of the product creation cycle, albeit hard goods, we developed an accellerated calendar and hit the ground running.
Challenges
There were 2 main challenges when it came to creating this new bag collection for Riversmith.
The first being the timeline. The Riversmith team had previously been working with another group to create these pieces , but were not able to achieve the quality of work RS was looking for. The launch of the collection was already targeted based upon their successful execution, but when we were given it, we also adopted the timeline that had already been started.
The Second Challenge was creating new concepts for waterproof bags that had not been explored before. This is the fun kind of challenge and where we thrive.
Approach
Being fly anglers ourselves, the function and features were such a fun undertaking to dive into creating a collection of bags that we would want to take on the road ourselves. Something to pack all our gear, another for all our clothes and essentials (with gear attachments), a big and small on-river solution to hold the items we need quick access to and a gear locker to ensure nothing gets left behind as we run out the door to find the fish.
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Diving into our fabric library, there were so many directions we could take, from light and fast, to heavy and bomb-proof. Knowing we needed something durable for the abuse that would come, but also recognizing the gear itself has considerable weight, we landed with creating a coated fabric over a medium weight rip-stop fabric that would be tough on abrasion and strong.
Process
Working with 2 of our factory partners to split the line between a weld-bonded construction and a sewn & sealed construction, allowed us to experiment on different shapes and features. Making multiple trips to work in the factory with the team to ensure the expectations were clear on durability, functional features and new construction methods were needed, which resulted in large milestones achieved.
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We engineered & tested new construction methods, made many rounds of proto samples, put them through the test by stringent lab testing as much as real world use on the river, threw them off cliffs and dragged them behind trucks to ensure we didn’t miss what wasn’t tried.
THE
RESULTS
What came out in the end was an initial bag offering that was unlike any other bags on the market, opening up new ways to transport your gear to & from the river, may that river be a 20 minute drive or a 20 hour flight.
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Riversmith launched their new collection in the fall with a limited run to move carefully and hear real users feedback. What they expected was to primarily sell direct to customers as most fishing shops are very cautious to bring in new products, especially with their strong ties to existing brands as well as limited space in their shops.
That being said, the sales shocked everyone where the majority of all the stock was quickly taken up by angler shops nationwide, leaving limited stock for direct customers. A good problem to have so we quickly jumped on re-orders to ensure Riversmith will be stocked up for the springtime.
Where are they now?
With an initial successful launch of the Riversmith Convoy collection, the team is looking forward to what’s next. Understanding that the first pieces were needed groundwork for the collection, the opportunities to improve so many of the carry and transport solutions for our gear, either for a day fishing or just a day out on an adventure in the outdoors, Riversmith wants to give their community more innovative options that will make their lives easier and their gear safer.
We’re already working on new designs, many in the development phase and exploring even further of how we can create better carry solutions for your water adventures. That’s about all I can say for now.
Teaming up with Mike and the crew at WERX has been one of the smartest moves we’ve made as a company. When we brought them on as consultants for a product line launch, their expertise helped us double the number of products we were able to release that year. They didn’t just provide design know-how, trend insights, and deep knowledge of fabrics and the supply chain—they became an extension of our business. Their collaborative approach makes them feel like part of the team. If you’re considering them to help bring your vision to life, don’t hesitate. Honestly, you’d be missing out if you didn’t.
- Jason Thomas / Riversmith