The North Face works closely with world-class athletes to design high-performance gear for extreme outdoor activities. They conduct extensive research and testing on new materials and prototypes, getting feedback from athletes on expeditions. Every product undergoes rigorous laboratory and real-world testing before being approved to ensure it exceeds expectations under the most demanding conditions.

1. The Role of Design
To supply athletes with high performance gear for extreme
activities such as high altitude mountaineering, rock and ice
climbing, and back-country skiing and snowboarding.
To become the industry standard in
technically advanced and smart
textiles
To inspire, motivate, and encourage
outdoor recreation.

2. STEP 1: Research & Design in Conjunction With World-Class Athletes
“Athletes who constantly pursue their own limits help us push the limits of
apparel and equipment design and technology. The North Face® Athlete Team
gives us constant feedback on the clothing and equipment they depend on for
success and survival in their adventures. We hear from our athletes through gear
evaluations and regular athlete input sessions.” 1
“No other company has
this level of interaction
between athletes and
designers. We’ll have an
idea and the design team
creates a prototype. Then
we take it out on expeditions
and give them real-time
feedback to fine-tune it.”
— Conrad Anker, Alpinist2

3. STEP 2: Advance Material Research & Development
“We partner with the world’s most innovative leading
materials engineers to create the technically advanced
fabrics needed to develop clothing and equipment that
meet our high standards.'1

4. STEP 3: Innovative Design & Construction
“Exploring the frontiers of technology for better fabrics and
components is only the beginning of the life cycle of a new
piece of gear. A great example of this is our C130 Tent
Test. Our entire tent line was tested against our
competitors by placing them in back of a C130 plane. The
plane’s four engines produce 13,000 ft/lbs. of torque and
are capable of producing wind speeds in excess of 80 mph
and unlike wind-tunnel tests, the propellers can create wind
currents that are irregular and multi-directional. The results
speak for themselves - our tents outperformed all the
competition.”1

5. STEP 4: Laboratory Tested & Expedition Proven
“We save the most critical step in our product development process
for last. In addition to subjecting our products to a tortuous battery of
laboratory tests, we send our apparel and equipment on extended
athlete expeditions to learn how new products perform under the true
test of the great outdoors. After receiving feedback, we refine each
product until it receives approval from our world-class athlete team.” 1

6. The North Face design staff takes 24 adventure trips a year.
“We have an annual athlete summit where all North Face athletes worldwide
are brought together with select executives, managers, and directors to meet
and interact, share input and ideas, and to also be educated about the
company plans, direction, and goals.”4
More work than play; equipment gets tested, the finishing touches on a
design are finalized and new science, especially dealing with temperature
control, gets discovered.
“Often notebooks get taken out on these trips,” Jim Zellers (a retired snow
boarder) said. “Inevitably what happens is one of the athletes will point to a
place on the backpack and say, ‘A pocket would be great here.’ Then one of
the designers will flip through his or her notebook and say, ‘Really? Last year
you said a pocket there would be a terrible idea. It gets made whether it sells
or not,” he said. “Because we still learn from it.”4
“The goal is to get the creatives out into the field practicing the sports for
which they make things with the athletes as facilitators, but more as
collaborators, new sources of ideas, and fresh perspectives. It is a very
organic means of conversation and interaction because the subject is directly
at hand.“4

7. Sustainability
Research environmental impact from conception to the end of the
product's life to reduce their carbon footprint
Fabric department
Researches smart fabrics to ensure athletes can regulate
temperature and stay protected from the enmiroment3
Fabric Testing
Fabrics are vigorously tested for moisture control, pilling, and
windblock3
Color Testing
Fabrics are then tested for colorfastness and wash tests1

8. 1
http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/innovation/research-anddevelopment/#ooid=9zaTVnMjr121eMHsMUQZpUG8PDHCXl-M
2
http://reporting.vfc.com/2012/made-to-last/northface.php
3
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/07/BUSK1NVGDT.DTL
4
http://neverstopexploring.com/2011/06/28/inside-the-north-face/