A product typically addresses a specific need or solves a problem. What was the initial challenge or inspiration that led to the development of the Down Sweater? 

It was one of those things that arose out of necessity—a personal need for me as a climber in Yosemite—for a down jacket that wouldn't be overwhelmingly warm or bulky. So, I sent my design concept for the Down Sweater, and about a month later when we opened it up, it was clear that this was different from everything on the market at that time—it was much lighter, the quilt lines were narrower, and so on. After showing it around, people agreed that there was something special about it. 

What was the inspiration behind the unique design of the Nano Puff jacket? 

It’s interesting because it dovetails into the Down Sweater. After seeing the success of that jacket, we thought about creating a more synthetic version for different temperatures and conditions. In the design process, we realized it was becoming too similar to the Down Sweater, so I thought, “Well, why don’t we create something more horizontal that can stabilize the insulation and make it more durable?” I didn’t want to use just lines, so I started thinking about the concept of bricks and how they are laid in buildings, which led to the brick pattern you see today. I based it on the architecture of the Ancient Greeks, specifically their golden ratio of a rectangle. That’s where the idea originated, and we just built from there. 

What criteria must a product design meet before it’s ready for production? How many iterations or revisions does it usually go through before reaching the final version? 

The only definitive answer I can give is that the product goes through as many iterations as necessary until we’re satisfied in calling it a Patagonia product. You start that process from the very beginning at the fabric lab, where we conduct a lot of our testing for breathability, water resistance, and other requirements—and that’s just the start. The prototype then gets sent out to field testers or to us if the conditions are right. If it passes that stage, we move into the actual problem-solving for the specific garment we’re designing. There’s a lot of back and forth from there as the product is reviewed by designers, product developers, quality assurance, and repairs. What we’re trying to accomplish is to get as many people involved early in the process, so we’re not catching issues just before we put needle to fabric. 

Is there such a thing as a “bad” idea in the product development process?

You never want to say that something is a bad idea until you really try it out. When we’ve encountered problems, it’s mainly due to compromises—whether that’s in our strict methodology and approach to design. People may think that methodology hinders creativity, but I firmly believe the opposite: it actually allows for it. To reiterate, if something fails, it’s usually not because it was a bad idea, but rather because something broke down in the process, it was hurried, or we made some kind of compromise—and that’s something we try to avoid with our products. 

How have the Down Sweater and Nano Puff jackets influenced the direction of Patagonia’s product development as the company looks toward the next 50 years?