NORSK DESIGNRÅD
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STIHL X-fit
Photo: Stihl
Clothing for chainsaw users
Company strategy
STIHL is the world’s most-sold chainsaw brand and is also among the market leaders in protective clothing for forestry workers. One of the reasons why is that it is seen to be among the most eye-catching in terms of design. When individual competitors also introduced functional clothing for working with trees and timber which, in terms of design, differentiated itself from the crowd of grey, STIHL needed to consolidate its position at the top. STIHL has worked closely with Norwegian company Synfiber for some time now on protective clothing for forestry workers, and with its strong professional design environment and broad technical skills, Synfiber decided to develop new ”high end” protective clothing for STIHL that was superior to the competition. The protective suit had to be more eye-catching, even more technical and yet still be the most comfortable to work in on the market. It should also have an extreme fit – X -FIT.
Gathering information
An important group of experts consists mainly of machine operators and other forestry workers, some of which are also active in the ”Timbersports” sports discipline. Another core group are arborists, who often need to climb in order to maintain bushes and trees in parks, at the side of roads or train lines, etc. Conversations with representatives from these groups, both in the Nordic countries and the UK, provided important information on which requirements needed to be filled.
Conceptualisation
Strength, functionality and appearance must all have equal weighting in the development of work clothes. This project was therefore carried out using teamwork. A designer sketched the outline and look, while a modeller made sure that the clothing fit as it was meant to. STIHL and Synfiber set out which properties the protective suit, and in particular the fabric, must and should have and which signals the clothing should send out. Fabric manufacturers have also contributed by developing material according to the end-user requirements.
Testing and choice of direction
In this industry it takes a long time to develop products due to the high demand for safety, so it was decided to stick to one solution and work with that. Synfiber was happy with most details and the in-depth insight from the core target group confirmed these selections. It was not possible to find the right material on the market as it had to meet the demands for both highvisibility and stretch, so the fabric had to be developed specially. There was close collaboration with Schoeller-Textil in Switzerland and Engtex in Sweden.
Design specification
X-FIT would be a ”high visibility” protective suit, which basically means that it has a strong colour that makes it highly visible. The most fastidious and critical users specified design and functionality so that X -FIT had to meet strict requirements for both appearance and fit. The new protective suit had to be as lightweight as possible and completely comfortable, allow full freedom of movement and have an unmistakable STIHL design. Orange, black and grey were therefore the natural colour selections.
Development
In addition to a cool new design that had to fit both men and women, new solutions for visibility and comfort were required. A newly developed variant of the protective material was also used. Five layers were used instead of the previous six, which significantly improves mobility and ability to breathe. This gives less risk for heating which is considered as a safety risk in forestry work. X-FIT is certified as chainsaw trousers and will also soon be certified according to visibility standard EN471.
Commercialisation
X-FIT is ergonomically correct, high value protection clothing. STIHL and Synfiber were both anxious about whether the market would accept the increase in price this would mean. Yet the willingness to pay for a fundamentally good design and full freedom of movement and comfort was obviously there. Only one quarter after its launch, it is clear that the markets in Scandinavia, Finland and the UK were ready for the product. An autumn launch is planned in the larger German and French markets.
As with many other products, young people have also been leading the way with work clothing. The new generations show a growing pride in their practical occupations and experience a different, positive interest in their environment than was usual for these professional groups only a few years ago. X -FIT fits in well with a new generation and highlights self-assurance and a cool image, both for STIHL and the user.
Company: Synfiber AS
Project group company: Hoved-designer for totalkonsept, uttrykk, tekniske løsninger, bevegelighet/komfort, materialutvikling, materialvalg,etc: Jan Fyrde, Produktutvikler, Synfiber AS - Designskisser av plaggene utført av: Katrin Denk, freelance designer, München. - Modellør: Kersti Kadaja, Morreks Ärigrupp OÜ, Tallinn, Estland. - Oppdragsgiver og premiss-setter,samt ansvarlig for fargevalg inkl. valg av logo: Distriktssjef Bjørn Sønsteby, Andreas Stihl AS - Utvikling/modifisering av metervare: Urs Wicki, SchoellerTextil AG, Sveits.
Award / year: Honours Award for Design Excellence - 2010
Category: Nominees
