Multi Pocket Shorts Europe Running Shorts by Masafumi Nakada - Mizuno Corporation Receives the A' Design Award in Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design

Masafumi Nakada - Mizuno Corporation recognized for sporting goods, fitness and recreation equipment design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 16, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Multi Pocket Shorts Europe Running Shorts by Masafumi Nakada - Mizuno Corporation, designed for Mizuno Corporation, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design category. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the A' Design Award Means

The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

More About Multi Pocket Shorts Europe Running Shorts

Everything for your run in one shorts; a running shorts developed for runners who carry smartphone, keys, coins, cards, energy gels, snack bars and more. Equipped with 360 degree stretch fabric pocket around the hip. An original elaborate design for storage and to prevent items from shaking inside the pocket. There is a patented zip pocket inside the mesh to store your important items. The designers aim to make new standard of running shorts with this problems solution from a runner's perspective.

About Masafumi Nakada - Mizuno Corporation

I'm Apparel Product Planning Manager in MIZUNO CORPORATION(THE NETHERLANDS). I have experience of product planing for running apparel for more than 10 years. Running is unique because we play it with belongings. That's why runners say pocket is really important. But I thought each sports brand don’t focus on pocket since not many sports are played with belongings. It looks like blue ocean. Consumer wants it but nobody makes it. It means we Mizuno still have possibility to make innovative pocket if we focus on it. I tried to be a specialist of pocket to bring the amazing product to runners.

Award Record

With this recognition, Masafumi Nakada - Mizuno Corporation is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design Award

The A' Sporting Goods Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good sports equipment designs by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to sporting goods designers, fitness equipment designers, recreation equipment designers and industrial designers from all countries. Entries typically include basketballs, tennis rackets, yoga mats, running shoes, dumbbells and bicycles. Awarded sports equipment designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/sporting-goods

About A' Design Award & Competition

A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://designers.org/156729
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/156729
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!156729
Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/351244
Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/J2GBB00390

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Multi Pocket Shorts Europe Running Shorts
Function: Running Shorts
Category: Sporting Goods, Fitness and Recreation Equipment Design
Discipline: Industrial Design
Industry: Sports
Colors: Black, Gainsboro, Dark Gray, Dark Slate Gray and Silver
Images: 5
Client: Mizuno Corporation

The Recognition

Laureate: Masafumi Nakada - Mizuno Corporation
Country: Netherlands
Recognition: A' Design Award
Edition: 2023 - 2024
Design ID: #156729

Credits

Image Credits: Mizuno Corporation

Design Details

Unique Properties: -EVERYTHING FOR YOUR RUN IN ONE SHORTS- A running shorts developed for runners who carry smartphone, keys, coins, cards, energy gels, snack bars and more. Equipped with 360 degree stretch fabric pocket around the hip. An original elaborate design for storage and to prevent items from shaking inside the pocket. There is a patented zip pocket inside the mesh to store your important items. We aim to make NEW STANDARD OF RUNNING SHORTS with this PROBLEM SOLUTION FROM A RUNNER'S PERSPECTIVE.
Inspiration: Focused on the running characteristic of MOVING WITH ITEMS IN POCKETS. Since not many sports are played with ITEMS IN POCKETS, each sports brand has not deeply investigated in the development of it. As a result of hearing runner's opinions, we found out that runners feel stressed with NOT HAVING ENOUGH SPACE TO CARRY ITEMS or ITEMS SHAKING IN POCKETS. Considering GLOBAL WARMING and ADVANCE OF TECHNOLOGY, runners who run with their drinks and smartphones will increase.
Research: We made depth interview with more than 100 runners in 4 countries. Italy and France as leaders of trend, Japan and Thailand as leaders of global warming. 95% run with at least 1 item. 65% run with key(No.1) and 50% run with smartphone(No.2). These are the details of what they said. -I have many belongings during the run. Number of pocket and size of pocket are not enough. -If I put smartphone in the side pocket of running shorts, it's bounding during the run and so uncomfortable.
Challenge: The development of this running shorts was made by paying close attention to how it looks when runners wear it. We aimed for a pocket design that would hide under jackets and t-shirts so that the 360 degree pocket would not stand out.
Realization and Technology: We decided that an approach to update the side pockets that are commonly used will not solve the runner's problem. By putting pockets all around the hip, we aimed to build storage and stability of items. The pockets are equipped around the hip where you least feel the items shaking. You can utilize the 360 degree with the updated storage ability.
Operation and Interaction: -It is built to suppress the movement of items by reducing the unnecessary space in pockets. The 360 degree pockets are divided into 7 different sizes so runners can choose which pocket to use depending on the size of their belongings. By using stretch fabric on the pockets, it is designed to change shape according to the size of items. -It is built to suppress the shake by attaching items inside pockets closely to the body. The pocket is made with a slightly tight silhouette, but by adopting a stretch fabric, runners can wear it by stretching the fabric.
Project Duration and Location: This Multi Pocket Shorts Europe is ver.2 of Multi Pocket Shorts series. In 2018, we launched Multi Pocket Shorts ver.1 in Japan. We are currently expanding the recognition of ver.1 as a RUNNING SHORTS THAT SOLD EVERY 80 SECONDS. Ver.1 also got 2022 GOOD DESIGN AWARD in Japan as attached link. In Feb 2024, we will launch ver.2 in Europe which is Multi Pocket Shorts Europe. To adjust to European market, it has below specialities which ver.1 didn't have. Multi Pocket Shorts Europe is made from recycled polyester fibres. And it has zip pocket and inner brief which were requested by European runners.
Specifications: This product is made from at least 50% recycled polyester fibres. MATERIAL(Body 88%Polyester, 12%Elastane)(Waist 84%Polyester, 16%Elastane)(Mesh pocket 77%Polyester, 23%Elastane) SIZE(S, M, L, XL, XXL) MEASUREMENT of M(Rise Length 25.8cm)(Inside Leg Length 15.5cm)(Waist 69.0cm)(Bottom Width 30.5cm)