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we design for life
Professional gear for the amateur fighter.
We were approached by Reevo Sportswear to design a line of lightweight, pro-level MMA fight gear to break dramatically from industry trends. We designed the R9 series. The line became Reevo’s bestselling collection and is still on sale almost five years later.
Services Offered
Branding
Product Design
Design Strategy
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The Client
The man behind Reevo, Roman Hatashita, has dedicated his life to full-contact sports- first as a three time Canadian judo champion, and now, post-retirement, as the organizer of Canada’s largest judo tournaments and as president of the Waterloo-based MMA fight-gear manufacturer, Reevo. When Roman stepped in, the industry of MMA was just finding itself. So finding companies that stood by the quality and durability of their equipment wasn’t easy. Too many options on the market were just rebranded imports with printed-on logos and overwrought graphic motifs.
Our Process
Dystil put resources into researching our demographics’ behaviour, noting the details that competitors were not addressing. Big features, such as a consistent, oversized dual strap system for wrist support; small touches, like including a breathable mesh bag with our gloves- these were design details that allowed our fighters to focus on fighting, instead of fidgeting with straps and packaging.
The R9 series also broke away from the status quo imagery of MMA- dragons and tattoos. Philosophically the R9 line was about commitment to hard-work, simplicity, and success- we developed a visual language that communicated these values well.
The Result
The R9 series offered unparalleled functionality in a sleek, mature package- from sparring gloves to protective headgear. Of particular note, we designed a unique Energy Dissipation Technology which offers better protection during training by using three different densities of foam; and ergonomically formed knee pads which keep protective padding in place without shifting. The R9 became Reevo’s bestselling series and is still on sale almost five years later. The line has seen use by professional MMA fighters, most notably UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. The line has also been recognised by the community, and received the Design Exchange Award for Outstanding Industrial Design.
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