This is the final project for my Innovation Tools and Techniques class (SD6600) MCAD

1. Deann Garcia
Innovation Tools & Techniques | Project 2 | 4.30.14

2. intro.
In building a new Product / Service System (PSS), we begin by examining the Strategic Enterprise Innovation Framework. This
is a tool for examining all the different aspects of the way a business is set up, to be sure innovation is happening in all areas of
the system. Herein, I will outline and detail a new PSS; a casual cycling apparel company creating sustainable clothing for the
women’s market. The apparel is thoughtfully designed, uses excellent quality, sustainably sourced materials, and fills a need in the
marketplace that isn’t being met. I will touch on all aspects of the Strategic Enterprise Innovation Framework: tangible products,
intangible services, brand experience, business model, internal processes and sustainability.

3. Beryl seeks to offer sustainably sourced and manufactured clothing for women which can be worn
comfortably on the bike and in the office.

4. mind map
product / service system: beryl cycling apparel

7. tangible product
what will be made and sold?
When it comes to appropriate clothing for cycling, women have shockingly few choices. Expert level athletic clothing for fitness,
racing, and riding long distances is easy to come by, in fact, most cycling apparel companies make ample choices for women.
However, many women ride bikes for reasons other than fitness–for transportation, to run errands, or to commute to work.
While many of the same companies which manufacture cycling apparel have “urban apparel” lines for men, very few options
exist for women. Many times it is cited that the market for women’s bike apparel is just to small to warrant dedicated lines, but
this presumption is not supported by the facts. A 2012 report by the City of Portland, Oregon found that 31% of bicyclists
were women. This means that nearly 1/3 of the potential market is being under-served by the current options, and the potential
customer base of these companies could be increased by 50%. It seems unwise to continue to actively ignore this segment of the
population.
current options for men: rapha, levi’s, girocurrent options for women

8. tangible product
This project proposes to create a line of apparel, particularly pants, for the actively cycling female population. These pants will be
fully functional on the bike, but will not look strange being worn in a store, restaurant, or around the office. There is a need for this
type of cross-functional apparel, to allow women to ride without carrying around an extra change of clothes, or remove padded
chamois shorts once they arrive at a destination.
proposed designs

9. tangible product
There are many features which make for a great cycling pant. The crotch area of the pant must be gusseted, to remove any seams
which can cause discomfort and chaffing. The legs must be tapered or use some type of fastener to keep the cuff away from the
chain. Strategic areas should be reinforced against wear, and knees must be articulated for extra room during pedaling. High rear
waists, loops for carrying a lock, and thoughtfully placed pockets can all add to the functionality as well.
These pants will be made from a blend of undyed, unbleached wool. Wool is a great fiber for athletic apparel, because it is
antibacterial, handle moisture well, and does not stink, even after the wearer has sweated in it. Avoiding bleaches and dyes allows
the natural color of the wool to shine while lowering the chemical and water use impacts of the material.

10. intangible service
what innovative services can be offered to enhance the product?
Cycling pants have a tendency to wear out quickly in certain high-friction areas. The inner thigh rub against the seat of the bike,
resulting in pants which are unusable much earlier than if they had only been walked in. This is a common complaint in women (and
men) who cycle in jeans.
While some wear can be delayed through reinforced materials and effective gusseting, eventual wear is inevitable. I will offer a
service to extend the life of the garment, sending out free patches and replacement panels to customers who request them and can
handle basic sewing repairs on their own. For customers who are not comfortable with a sewing machine, I will offer repairs at a
small fee.
Some day, even well-made, well-designed, and repairable pants will become unwearable and require disposal. I will offer a product
take-back service for this stage of the pant’s life cycle, and encourage customers to return their pants in exchange for a discount on
a new pair. After collecting the used pants, we will downcycle them into insulation and stuffing. They will be cleaned, shredded, and
sold to a secondary market to further extend their usefulness.
Shredded wool has many possible scenarios for reuse. Wool makes a great insulation, and could be packed around sewer and
intake pipes for protection against freezing. Felted wool can be stuffed into mattresses or bedding, and has good demand in
undeveloped nations or even refugee camps. Finally, it could be used as cushioning and packing materials in shipping.
At first blush it might seem that wool should be compostable, but in fact wool takes an unreasonably long time to break down,
even in an industrial composting situation. Currently, the only options for responsible disposal are through reuse, until technology
advances. Because these pants are designed to last for several years, there may be opportunity for further secondary uses to be
developed before the need arises.

11. brand experience
what will make this pss stand out from the competition?
Branding is crucial to establish the identity of a product in a consumer’s mind.
As has been said in several ways by different folks, branding is essentially what
your customer describes you as when you’re not around.
I will be tying the identity of my product to an important female bike racer from
the mid-20th century–Beryl Burton. Beryl began cycling when she met her
husband, Charlie, when they both worked in an apparel factory in Northern
England. She started by riding her bike to work, and quickly became stronger
and faster. Eventually, she and her husband joined a racing team. Beryl ended
up becoming one of the most decorated athletes in history, winning 72 national
time trials title, 12 national road race titles, 12 national track racing titles and 7
world championships, during a career which spanned 4 decades. Beryl was
such a dedicated cyclist that she rode until the day she died, in 1996, while
delivering invitations to her birthday party. I want to tether this story to my brand
in order to associate the limitless potential of bikes for women.

12. brand experience
Visually, the branding is bright and cheerful, but not typically “feminine.” One thing which became very clear during my research is
that women do not want to be pandered to or be given more pink flowery garments. Stereotypically “girly” looks do not appeal to
many active women.
Deann Garcia | Founder
c: 503.277.0326 w: beryl.com
s: beryldeanne: deanng@beryl.com
f: 503.277.0300
garment tag business card
color palettelogo supporting graphic element
PMS 151
PMS 7540
PMS 635

13. brand experience
I will start with gathering a group of brand ambassadors–women from different
flavors of cycling, to give potential customers a picture in their heads of what
it means to wear Beryl. These women will be stylish, in shape, doing well in
their careers. Some will be bike industry people, others will just be powerful
women from different walks of life. They will showcase the ethos of the brand:
women who ride are influential, capable, fun, and stylish. We will walk a fine
line, however, and never call our ambassadors “female cyclists.” Instead, they
are simply cyclists, who are also impressive women. The term of cyclist does
not require a gender-qualifier. But women do require clothing tailored to their
bodies.

14. brand experience
We will spread the word of our brand through social media (Instagram, Twitter, and to a lesser degree, Facebook). Our traditional
media exposure (print ads, TV) will be limited, but we will place web ads on cycling websites. One important group to get on
board is the blogging community. There is a solid group of cycling bloggers who have become quite influential in the greater bike
community, writing about issues and opportunities for cycling’s advancement in transportation and as a sport. Strategic product
previews and testing samples will be crucial to gain exposure through these heavily-visited websites.
There is definitely resistance within cycling to overbearing, oppressive corporations. Recently, the bike maker Specialized has been
under fire for their tendency to litigate against any party whom they deem to be infringing on their product name copyrights, and this
has received a great deal of backlash from customers who identify with the smaller, independent shop owners who have been at
the raw end of these deals. It is important to avoid any appearance of being too large, so telling our story of our growth from a local-
oriented product will be a big boon to us.

15. brand experience
Sustainability will be more than something we mention in passing–it will be a core value and foundation upon which the brand
is built. We will take an uncompromising stance on sustainability (the specifics of which will be discussed later), and will make a
point of being transparent and open to criticism. Our website will feature detailed reports on suppliers, distances traveled, and
manufacturing standards. Each hang tag will feature a QR code, which can be scanned to take the user to a digital experience
which displays the actual distance the garment has traveled to make it to the place the user is standing.
Made in USA
Dye free
12 hour pant
Crafted of 100%
holistically managed
sheep’s wool
When you’ve finished with this
garment, please return it to Beryl.
Visit beryl.com for instructions.
Crafted of 100%
holistically managed
sheep’s wool
When you’ve finished with this
garment, please return it to Beryl.
Visit beryl.com for instructions.
Made in USA
Dye free
12 hour pant
This garment began as a Willamette
Valley sheep, in the beautiful state of
Oregon.
From sheep to finished pants, the wool
incorporated in this garment never
traveled farther than 80 miles.
If your 12 Hour Pants begin to wear
out, give us a call. We may be able to
assist you in repairing them, so you get
the longest possible life out of your
pants.
We do our best to keep our impact
low. Please keep paying it forward, by
returning these pants to us when you
are finished with them. We will take
care of recycling them for you.
Would you like to know more
about the ecological footprint
of this garment? Scan the
code below to learn about
what wentinto this pair of
pants, and how you can help
support holistic sheep farmers
world wide.
Hang tag printed on 100% PC
Environment® paper by Neenah
• FSC certified
• Milled with 100% renewable
power
• Manufacturer supports
environmental causes
(“ENVIRONMENT® Papers.”)
• Size is kept to 2.5” long for
minimum resource use

16. brand experience
Below is a mockup of the basic design of the digital footprint experience. It includes maps and facts about the
garment, as well as information about how to repair or recycle your pants when they wear out.

17. business model
how will business be carried out?
Beryl will be dedicated to a fully-localized supply chain. Our suppliers will be carefully chosen, among a plethora of options for
sheep production in the Willamette Valley, here in Oregon. We will use woolen mills in the same communities as the sheep, and cut
& sew facilities in Portland. In all, materials will not travel more that 100 miles during production.
All out suppliers will be required to meet certain standards for quality and sustainability. Sheep farmers will need to use Holistic
Management practices, and will be checked in on at least twice a year to ensure compliance. Woolen mills and factories will
have to meet pay standards for their employees that guarantee a living wage, and will have to show progress toward reducing
waste, with the ultimate goal of all partners being waste-free. This could mean that Beryl works with them to develop product line
extensions, such as creative ways to use waste cloth, or it could mean installing higher-efficiency machinery to use less power.

18. business model

19. business model
Currently, there are very few companies serving the customer that Beryl will target. Beryl’s garments will also likely be quite
expensive, due to the high standards set for production and suppliers, and the cost of materials. For this reason, even though
there isn’t a direct low-cost comparison, we will be operating in a Value-Based business model. If customers are unwilling to
pay the price required for these goods, they will most likely just not buy anything. We have the job of convincing customers that
the product is worth the high cost they are being asked to pay. There are intangibles, such as supporting a sustainable system,
giving workers a living wage, and regenerating damaged lands, that will need to be explained to some extent, to justify the value
proposition.

20. business model

21. internal processes
how will we foster employee growth?
Once a business has gotten off the ground, with employees on board and customers in the pipeline, culture begins to take hold.
Culture can be one of the most important aspects of a business–products change, customers evolve, but culture is a legacy.
Establishing the right culture at the very beginning can send a business in the right direction.
Beryl is embedded in the cycling industry; we need to make cycling part of our core values. Authenticity is crucial, and the public
can tell when you’re faking it. To encourage biking to work, we will have indoor, locked bike parking, showers, and dryers for getting
gear warmed up on wet days. Beryl will offer financial incentive to employees who ride bikes or take public transport to work, giving
a concrete value to leaving the car at home. Lunch rides will be established, with groups for differing skill level and goals.

22. internal processes
Beryl will also encourage employees to interact with each other at work, using an open office plan to foster cooperation. For those
employees who prefer to work in a quiet, more secluded setting, individual office spaces will be available for anyone’s use. Cube
walls will not exist here, and bosses will not have offices. We will encourage people to innovate on a daily basis, trying out new
things and allowing them to offer up suggestions in a formalized manner. Overall we will have a flattened hierarchical structure, so
that no one feels intimidated to innovate.
One important program for employee growth that will be implemented is a mentorship program. I myself have benefited from
mentorship programs, and I’ve seen it to be an invaluable resource for entry level to middle management employees to grow and
become better at their jobs.

23. internal processes

24. sustainability
how can we be better earth stewards while still selling product?
Beryl’s entire product supply chain will be built upon sustainability goals. Wool
suppliers will have to meet strict standards for environmental and ethical goals. The
most important of these will be operating under Holistic Management practices, as
outlined by the Savory Institute. Holistic Management rest upon 4 principles:
1 Nature is complex and must be considered as a whole system
2 Every environment is different and must be managed uniquely
3 Proper management of livestock can improve land health
4 Timing of grazing rotation is more important than the number of animals on a parcel
of land
The Savory Institute’s framework is not without its detractors, who criticize the lack of
published, controlled studies supporting its efficacy. However, anecdotal evidence is
quite impressive, and it is most definitely worth further development. Implementation
of these practices has resulted in the regeneration of native grasslands in Africa and
South America, creating vast carbon sinks and better managed watersheds.

25. sustainability
In addition to holistically farmed wool, Beryl’s garments will be made without
the use of bleaches or dyes. In traditional wool production, bleaching is
carried out using oxidative peroxide chemicals to remove the yellow tone
that merino sheep naturally have. Beryl will purposely source wool from
sheep of different fleece colors to achieve color tones naturally, without
bleaching or harmful dyeing.
By sourcing our wool from local farmers and performing all our garment
production in Oregon, we will be able to create garments which have
traveled fewer than 100 miles in their entire production lives. This will
keep the carbon footprint of the garment as low as possible (in fact, when
coupled with regenerative land use practices, the footprint can actually be
negative). We will use plug-in electric vehicles to transport materials within
our small radius, which is especially helpful in Oregon where the majority
of our electricity can come from renewable sources (or can be offset with
renewable credits).
Overall, these standards for sustainable innovation will result in a product
which has little to no carbon footprint and supports the improvement of the
local grasslands, creating carbon sinks which, at a large enough scale, can
help to mitigate the ongoing effects of climate change.

26. conclusion.
I have attempted in this PSS description to achieve innovative ideas and concepts in each of the six categories in the Strategic
Enterprise Innovation Framework. The product itself is thoughtfully designed, drawing upon a variety of influences and responding
directly to needs of the target consumer, resulting in a garment that is unique to the women’s cycling market. Beryl will offer repair
services to extend the life of the product, adding real value that can help justify the cost in the consumer’s mind. Once the product
is worn out, the recycling services developed create a secondary use and market for the material, resulting in both an additional
revenue stream and an ecological benefit.
From a branding perspective, Beryl tells the story of a remarkable female cyclist, giving the consumer something to aspire to.
The marketing plan builds slow, grassroots traction, which increases loyalty and proliferates brand ambassadors, and the bright,
cheerful visual identity is appealing and one of a kind. This leads to the business model, which relies on a value proposition, using
a fully local supply chain to increase quality and social and ecological benefits, which should make the decision to support the
company easy for consumers to make.
Beryl will also treat its employees well, fostering goodwill, loyalty, and encouraging constant innovation through incentives and a
structure built upon mentorship and community. The culture this builds will inform our environmental policies and practices, making
sustainability at the very core of our identity as a brand.
Topping off everything else are our requirements for Holistic Management of flocks and fields, pioneering a new brand of
agriculture that is not just light on the land, but regenerates grasslands and offsets carbon.

27. conclusion.
Beryl cycling apparel stands for many things, including active transportation, female empowerment, regenerative agriculture, and
employee growth. Mapping out this PSS in terms of the Strategic Enterprise Innovation framework has allowed a clear picture to
develop of how these causes and values can also stand together, under one umbrella of innovation.

28. sources.
“Beryl Burton.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Burton>.
“How to Extract Lanolin from Sheep’s Wool.” WikiHow. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. <http://www.wikihow.com/Extract-Lanolin-from-Sheep%27s-Wool>.
“Steps in Processing Wool.” Steps in Processing Wool. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://www.blackberry-ridge.com/prosdscr.htm>.
“Healing the Land.” The Savory Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.savoryinstitute.com/our-work/healing-the-land/>.
“Evidence Supporting Holistic Management.” The Savory Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. <http://www.savoryinstitute.com/science/holistic-management-research/>.
Savory, Allan. “Allan Savory: How to green the world’s deserts and reverse climate change.” YouTube. TED, 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpTHi7O66pI>.
“Wool data sheet.” Wool as an alternative fabric. Oakdene Hollins Ltd., 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. <http://www.uniformreuse.co.uk/fabric_wool.html?KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=
560&width=800>.
Savory, Allan. “Allan Savory - Reversing Global Warming while Meeting Human Needs.” YouTube. YouTube, 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEAFTsFH_
x4>.
“ENVIRONMENT® Papers.” Neenah Paper. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. <http://www.neenahpaper.com/FinePaper/ENVIRONMENTPapers>.