On Thursday, February 17, The Briefing was held, marking the beginning of Sonda’s first Designed by People program. In this initiative, selected participants will collaborate with the Sonda team to design skis for Elan, a globally recognized and widely used ski brand.

Six participants of Sonda’s Designed by People program gathered for the first workshop, aimed at introducing the client and the project brief. The workshop was led by Jelena Fiškuš and Sean Poropat, founders and creative directors of Studio Sonda, an internationally awarded design and communications studio, which is also a partner of the association on this project. Together, they presented the program agenda and working guidelines, while participants received their first practical assignments to gather insights about the client, competitors, target audience, and upcoming trends.

Kristina Simčič, a graphic designer, and Klarisa Veselič, a product manager, personally joined the first workshop on behalf of Elan to present the brand’s vision, values, goals, communication model, and work approach. They also introduced the participants to the brief – the working task preceding the design process.

Additionally, they highlighted the significance of such projects for society, as they foster the long-term importance of creativity in community development. They emphasized that, as a company investing significantly in innovation and sustainability, Elan finds it crucial to support socially beneficial programs like this one.

“It is always important for us that our users are part of our development story. Their participation in the process is invaluable, and we are proud to involve them in the evolution of our brand, Elan, in this way. Under Sonda’s guidance, we are confident that the participants will create outstanding ski designs, and we look forward to the collaborative process, including our own engagement in sessions held in Vižinada and Begunje“, stated representatives from Elan.

Throughout the remaining workshops, participants will go through creative and practical processes leading to a final product. The workshops will continue until March 18, after which the ski designed within the program will go into production. Participants will also have the opportunity to gain insight into the manufacturing process through an organized field visit to Elan’s factory in Begunje.

Upon completing the program, all participants will receive a certificate of participation. Additionally, a promotional campaign for both the project and the designed ski is planned to introduce the results to the public.