WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

Looking at existing sports products, training tools, wearables, adaptive equipment, and experimental athletic gear.

To understand how designers solve real athletic problems and to collect ideas we can use for our own future sports equipment.

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Paper

Pencil

Fine Tip Markers

Laptop

In the Resources tab, you'll find a collection of projects that are products, training tools, wearables, protective devices, adaptive equipment, or experimental game technology. Look through these and find one that you like to look at more closely.

Collect images and answer:

1. What sport is it for?
2. Who uses it?
3. What problem does it solve?
4. What makes it different from normal equipment?

Connect the precedent to one design strategy: Measure Performance, Train Differently, Enhance Equipment, Protect Athletes, or Transform the Game.

We will all share in a short presentation our case studies.

This will build a library of future sports equipment projects for the studio.

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؜4th

؜2nd

؜1st

Measure Performance

Train Differently

Enhance Equipment

Protect Athletes

Transform the Game

Turn movement into data

Simulate real game moments

Gear that adapts to you

Prevent injuries before they happen

Redefine how the sport is played

Design Strategies

MEASURE PERFORMANCE

LOOK FOR PRECEDENTS THAT INVOLVE

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

• What does it measure?

• How does it collect the data?

• Who uses the information?

• How could the data improve performance?

TRAIN DIFFERENTLY

LOOK FOR PRECEDENTS THAT INVOLVE

reaction drills, virtual simulations, repetition tools, resistance training, smart targets, game-like challenges

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

1. What skill does it train?
2. How does it make practice more realistic?
3. Does it make training more fun, harder, safer, or more focused?
4. What feedback does the athlete receive?

ENHANCE EQUIPMENT

LOOK FOR PRECEDENTS THAT INVOLVE

custom fit, adjustable parts, responsive materials, smart sensors, modular components, personalized comfort

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

1. What part of the equipment adapts?
2. What does it adapt to?
3. Does it improve comfort, control, speed, accuracy, or confidence?
4. What user need is being personalized?

PROTECT ATHLETES

LOOK FOR PRECEDENTS THAT INVOLVE

head, joints, knees, ankles, muscles, skin, posture, balance, impact, recovery

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

1. What injury or risk does it respond to?
2. How does it protect the athlete?
3. Is the protection passive or active?
4. How could it warn the athlete before a problem happens?

TRANSFORM THE GAME

LOOK FOR PRECEDENTS THAT INVOLVE

new rules, inclusive access, adaptive play, changed equipment, mixed technology, new athlete experiences

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

1. What does it change about the sport?
2. Who can play because of this design?
3. Does it create a new rule, role, or experience?
4. How does it expand what the sport can be?

PRESENTATION TEMPLATE

Name of Project + Designer(s)

Description of Key Features

Materials and Assembly used

Sketch of Critical Detail or Interaction

Are you an athlete or sports lover?

In this studio, you’ll have the opportunity to create an innovative product that will improve how you or another athlete plays the game. From training gear to in-game apparatuses, you’ll use cutting edge technology to create exciting sports products.

At the end of the studio, you’ll get to pitch your branded products to mock investors: Shark Tank style.

Studio Prompt

Final Project Requirements

Prepare and deliver a Shark Tank-style pitch showcasing your product, its innovation, and why it deserves investment.

Develop a strong brand identity including a product name, logo, and a clear explanation of your target athlete or user.

Create a functional prototype of your sports product that clearly demonstrates how it improves performance, training, or gameplay.

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The premise of Shark Tank (TV show) is that aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of wealthy investors, called "sharks," who decide whether to invest their own money in the company in exchange for a stake in the business.

You will be acting as an inventor/entrepreneur and your teacher(s) will be the Sharks hearing your sports pitch.

Shark Tank: Sports

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

1st

3rd

2nd

Draw a sketch of someone wearing or interacting with the selected project. Draw a thought bubble or write a sentence on the sketch that states what the person is thinking while engaging with the project.

4th

Submit your work (answered guiding questions and sketches)

؜Answer the following questions for the product you selected

What 'problem' does this invention solve?

Does it change anything about the sports it targets?

Who would want this item?

Why would a shark want to invest in the product?

60 min

Sports has always evolved with time and culture. How would you improve the sports we play today?

Q:

Wilson X Connected Basketball

Tracks shots, accuracy, and arc

Design Strategies

Measure Performance

Train Differently

Enhance Equipment

Protect Athletes

Transform the Game

Turn movement into data

Simulate real game moments

Gear that adapts to you

Prevent injuries before they happen

Redefine how the sport is played

Design Strategies

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

1. Notebook
2. Pencil
3. Phone
4. Sport equipment

ACTIVITY PROMPT

You will play a sport, observe real challenges, then interview each other to discover future sports equipment ideas.

Focus your questions on five strategies:

1. Measuring Performance
2. Training Differently
3. Enhancing Equipment
4. Protecting Athletes
5. Transforming the Game

ACTIVITY STEPS

Split into two teams

Team A plays the sport first.

Team B observes carefully and takes notes.

Choose 1–2 people to record moments with photos or short clips.

1st

SPORTS TRACKING

Sports statistics help coaches, scouts, and designers understand what is really happening during play, not just who wins or loses.

Why this matters for design:

Good sports equipment starts by noticing patterns. If a player keeps slipping, slowing down, missing shots, overheating, or getting hit in the same place, that can become the starting point for a new product idea.

SPORTS TRACKING

How they keep track:

1. Coaches take notes during the game
2. Analysts record video and review it later
3. Scouts use score sheets and rating systems
4. Apps track actions like passes, shots, and errors
5. Sensors or wearables can measure speed, distance, impact, and heart rate

SPORTS TRACKING

What professionals track:

Performance

How many shots, passes, goals, saves, assists, or tackles a player makes

How accurate they are:

missed shots, completed passes, successful moves Movement

How fast a player runs How far they move during the game

How often they sprint, stop, turn, or change direction

Decision-Making

When a player chooses to pass, shoot, defend, or move into space

Whether they react quickly or hesitate

Whether they make the same mistake more than once

Body + Fatigue

When players start slowing down

Whether their form changes when they get tired Signs of discomfort, imbalance, or possible injury risk

ACTIVITY STEPS

Play + observe

Observers should watch for moments connected to the design strategies.

1. Measure Performance: What movements, scores, or habits could be tracked?
2. Train Differently: What skills are hard to practice?
3. Enhance Equipment: What gear feels awkward, uncomfortable, or limited?
4. Protect Athletes: When do players look unsafe, tired, or in pain?
5. Transform the Game: What rule, tool, or setup could make the sport more fun, fair, or surprising?

2nd

ACTIVITY STEPS

Interview the players!

Ask follow-up questions like: “Why?”, “When did that happen?”, and “What would make it better?”

Sample Questions:

What did you wish you could measure while playing?

Which part of the game was hardest to train for?

What piece of equipment helped you? What got in your way?

Did anything feel uncomfortable, risky, or tiring?

If one object could change the sport, what should it do?

What would make the game more exciting, fair, or accessible?

3rd

ACTIVITY STEPS

Switch roles!

Team B plays while Team A observes and interviews.

for the observers:

are there questions you wish you had been asked?

do you wish someone tracked something while you played?

for the players:

Try to focus on the same points you were asking about.

4th

ACTIVITY STEPS

Share your top takeaways

Create a slide or document with your strongest findings.

Who did you observe and interview?

What quote or moment stood out?

What problem or need was repeated?

Which design strategy does it connect to?

What future sports equipment idea could come from it?

5th