Lindsey Clark

Design lead for Ruffwear apparel line. Created six all-new apparel styles and completely redesigned the existing styles in the line with great success. Fit, sizing charts, materials, hardware and colors were all carefully developed for the best combination of functionality, durability, cost and good looks. ruffwear.com/Products/dog_coats

Redesigned the Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat, widely considered the best canine life jacket on the market, and a key item in the line with a huge following. The idea was to keep all the features, functionality and durability that made it great, improve fit and visibility, while giving the Float Coat an aesthetic update. My favorite part of the redesign is the telescoping neck. The neck opening size is critical to the fit and security of the life jacket, and previous generations of the product had a neck design that did not fit properly on a wide range of dog sizes and was poorly aligned. The new neck design is easy to adjust, stays in place through rigorous activity, and looks great. http://www.ruffwear.com/K9-float-coat

Design lead for many versions of many styles of leashes and collars for Ruffwear. Leashes and collars are very style-oriented and therefore require a more frequent refresh than the rest of the product categories in the Ruffwear line. On the style side, I created seasonal color palettes and patterns for webbing and kernmantle rope. On the function side, I collaborated with a team that designed the custom aluminum hardware used on all Ruffwear leashes and collars. http://www.ruffwear.com/Products/dog_collars http://www.ruffwear.com/Products/dog_leashes

One of my favorite products I’ve designed for Ruffwear is the Highlands Bed, which has now evolved into the Highlands Sleeping Bag. My desire to create a lightweight, insulating and portable dog bed was originally inspired by a backcountry ski trip when my dog was lifting her paws to keep them off the cold snow. There are many dog beds on the market today, but none have the technical features required to be considered a legit backpacking bed except the Highlands Bed and Sleeping Bag. The original Highlands Bed is on the left; the Highlands Sleeping Bag is on the right. http://www.ruffwear.com/Highlands-Sleeping-Bag

Tech packs are key documents that I use to communicate all the design and engineering details to manufacturing partners. They are a living document and typically have many iterations as we refine prototypes and samples throughout the product development process. I have been creating tech packs for a huge variety of products for many years, and have created a format that works very well. My tech packs are clear and easy to understand, and include color information, a legend that defines key terms, components, design and construction details, and dimensions. Once the sample is approved for bulk production, this document can then be used as part of the quality control process.

Development notes are used in conjunction with the tech packs, and are a journal of changes and refinements that are encountered throughout the product development process. Most of the communication is in the form of images and drawings.

I am very committed to developing long-term, meaningful and successful professional relationships. No product is brought to market by an individual – it requires a team of people with a wide variety of skills. I have extensive in-person factory experience in the US and overseas, and love to collaborate with fun people to create the best possible products.

My design work at Ruffwear has been appreciated by many happy dogs and their owners around the world. The outdoor media has caught on as well. My work has been featured in Outside Magazine, Backpacker, Powder, Women’s Adventure, Camping Life, Men’s Journal, Gear Junkie, Runner’s World, and the OR Daily.