Monica Broder Email & Phone Number

+ Weft is a full service Technical Soft Goods Design and Development Studio with a focus on bags, apparel, and accessories.+ Clients range from start-ups to renowned Outdoor and Lifestyle brands.+ Services include market research, concept creation and refinement, color strategy, material and trim development, pattern making, spec creation, sourcing, and testing.

Bend, Or, Us

Fountain Valley, California, Us

+ Lead Design and Development for all Nathan Running Products including running vests, running belts, and handheld styles.+ Strategize market research, trend research, and consumer research in tandem with Nathan's Product Line Manager to inform design briefs and influence design direction.+ Create new and innovative product direction to bring excitement to the hydration category while staying true to Nathan's brand identity.+ Lead color strategy for all hydration products, including reviews with the internal leadership team and creation of documents for consumer focus groups.+ Create all technical documentation, including product tech packs, custom hardware design, and print design. + Facilitate all factory + supplier communication needed to bring the products to life.

Denver, Colorado, Us

+ Design and develop a variety of soft goods, consisting primarily of water resistant if not fully submersible welded bags, meant to perform in high stakes and remote environments.+ Responsible for the entirety of the design process, including ideation, early patterning, tech pack creation, sourcing, and factory communication.+ Collaborate with founder and owners to determine product line and future strategy.+ Work closely with factory to solve complex problems with welded and molded products.+ Manage color and merchandising process, considering input from owners and working to streamline collections.

Blacksburg, Va, Us

+ Instructed the 4th year Portfolio Course for Virginia Tech Industrial Design.+ Designed course layout to create relevant conversations and skill building related to securing employment in Industrial Design.+ Met weekly with students to teach portfolio building, professional etiquette, and critique assignments.+ Consulted with Program Chair to help inform future course curriculum.

Williston, Vt, Us

+ Oversaw all design, development, and production functions for the brand.+ Led the design process for all seasonal products, including market research, ideation, silhouette design, size grading, and spec creation.+ Collaborated with owners to create compelling seasonal product lines.+ Designed seasonal color palettes and led color application on a product level.+ Facilitated sampling process and production timelines with factory partners.+ Organized all sourcing with Fair Trade factories.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Us

+ Led strategy and design for all packs, luggage, and accessories.+ Responsible for all phases of the design process, including market research, user research, ideation, design review facilitation, early patterning, tech pack creation, sourcing, and factory communication.+ Conducted market and user research, using findings to propose line strategies. Collaborated with Design Director to refine briefs.+ Ideated and iterated in various forms, including analog sketching, digital sketching, full scale paper mock-ups, fabric mock-ups, and 1:1 illustrations.+ Presented designs in all phases to various stakeholders, compiling and implementing feedback.+ Collaborated with developers to manage factory relationships and sampling processes.+ Managed lab dip process for all categories.+ Represented the design team on the Big Agnes DEI Committee, working to create a more equitable workplace and industry, and reflect that intention in our products and communications.

Bend, Or, Us

+ Led the design + development of 1-3 products per season while overseeing the growth of the team.+ Indentified, proposed, and implemented process changes and best practices for the Design + Development team.+ Organized and led design reviews and provided design direction to all Designers and Developers, assuring consistent design language across the line.+ Created robust future looking plans for team structure, taking into account individual and company goals.+ Recruited, hired, and planned onboarding for new employees to support team goals.

Bend, Or, Us

+ Responsible for the design and development of a variety of products, and delivered on design and costing goals. Products included packs, outerwear, apparel, travel gear, working dog products, collars and leashes.+ Managed projects through all phases - including market and user research, ideation, rapid prototyping, materials sourcing, prototype fabrication, field testing, fit testing, tech pack creation, and QC guidelines.+ Traveled overseas twice a year to work with suppliers, factories, and the RW Vietnamese development team to supervise products through the development and manufacturing processes.+ Led color and merchandising for every season, starting with trend research and line analysis, and collaborating with each designer to apply color and trims.+ Oversaw all product orders for the Ruffwear Working Dog Line. Created branding guidelines for the line and manage a freelance designer who created custom artwork packages for each order.+ Presented projects in many forms, starting with early concepts to a small leadership team, and eventually presenting final product and giving departmental training at the company sales meeting.+ Attended various trade shows throughout the year to research trends and meet with supplier partners.

Seattle, Us

+ Educated and empowered customers with the products and advice needed for a variety of adventures.+ Partnered with the Merchandising Manager to update floor-sets and design fixtures to best inspire the customer. + Studied patterns of customers, and learned about how the end consumer perceives outdoor gear in a retail setting.

Blacksburg, Virginia, Us

+ Assist founders in establishing an effective workplace and brand for a start-up design group.+ Lead a team of interns to develop products for various clients ranging from consumer electronics to footwear.

Columbus, Oh, Us

+ Collaborated with Industrial Designers and Mechanical Engineers to satisfy the needs of both independent and corporate clients. + Created concepts for a wide variety of projects through a process of sketching, Solidworks refinement, Illustrator refinement, and 3D prototypes. + Assembled presentations, and worked with clients to develop favored ideas.+ Created a concept for a Wi-fi Booster that eventually obtained a design patent.

+ Shadowed designers working in retail space design. + Participated in brainstorms and conference calls to assist designers in project planning.+ Worked in SketchUp and InDesign softwares to help with concept ideation for clients.