How We Design 5th Element Products
Why make our own products in the first place? When we first created 5th Element it came from a very specific need. We had all “grown up” in shops when affordable brands like 5150, Morrow and LTD were plentiful, snowboarding was booming, and buying a full package for a couple hundred dollars was the norm. As the years went by, many of the larger brands started to abandon those pricepoints due to the expenses of development, teams, marketing etc. We felt like the industry still needed that affordable product to get beginners out on the hill so we set out to make it!
Where do you make it? After a lot of research and multiple trips to various factories we found the best factories to partner with, many that also make a lot of the other major brands you’re familiar with. We’re in direct contact with these factories almost daily and also make sure to visit as much as possible to ensure the quality of our production and often to brainstorm new products.
How do we design our products? This is where it gets fun! Our team members have each worked in the industry for over 20 years which means we’ve seen and demoed A LOT of product over the years both good and bad. Our products are often the culmination of this. For example, we may start with an open binding mold our factory makes but then tell them “change the toe strap to stretch more”, or “make the footbed padding thicker”. We’re constantly trying out what others have on the market and then adapting our own product to what we think works best for our customers.
Test, test, and then test again… Sometimes we feel a little guilty calling a riding day a work day, but the reality is that every time we test a product it’s incredibly useful. Sometimes we find something minor like a logo that’s positioned wrong and prone to wear off or sometimes we don’t tweak anything at all. Putting our product to use with different types and sizes or riders is the best way to ensure that it does exactly what we want it to.
Listening to our customers - Whether it’s our retailers or our direct customers, we know that they’re our best resource for feedback. Our products have a 2 year warranty but we take every issue as an opportunity to tweak our product and make it even better. Often our customers help us come up with ideas for new products too, such as a need for smaller sizes in our kids boards or adjustable footbeds in our kids boots. These are all things that help us give you a better first-time experience as we truly believe that this is what shapes your likelihood of continuing the sport. Therefore, we also take the responsibility of making that product seriously. If you have any feedback we’d love to have it!