Camping gear company Olpro launches design collaboration with University of Worcester students

Worcestershire-based Olpro has launched a collaboration with the University of Worcester’s Graphic Design students.

The camping equipment specialist has kick started a four-month collaboration with the university students, who will use their design expertise to develop eye-catching visual content for Olpro ’s sustainability initiatives. The two sustainability-focused initiatives that OLPRO will include the company’s tree planting initiative and ‘Loan & Go’ rental service.

At the beginning of 2021, Olpro pledged to plant one tree for every Olpro tent and awning sold, and this has already led to the planting of more than 3,500 trees around the world. ‘Loan & Go’ was introduced as a rental service that allows people to go camping once before deciding whether they want to purchase their product and commit to camping longer term. The company introduced this scheme after seeing the huge number of tents that festival goers were leaving behind for disposal at landfills.

Daniel Walton, Founder of Olpro, said: “We’re delighted to be working in collaboration with the University of Worcester’s Graphic Design students. We’re really pleased that we can give local students an opportunity to gain some valuable business experience and to collaborate in making some eye-catching content that will go towards promoting some fantastic sustainability initiatives.”

Andy Stevenson, Senior Lecturer in Design at the University of Worcester, said: "We're really pleased that our year 3 Graphic Design degree students are working on a creative concepts brief for OLPRO on our 'Green Design' module this semester. It's a whole new area for most of them in terms of the subject matter and also the use of sustainable design practices too.

“We're looking forward to seeing the ideas and artwork evolve as the semester goes on and are really thankful to OLPRO too for giving us their time like this. We're also hoping that we can develop some effective ideas for the clients that they can use some, or all, of once the students have submitted their work."

Third year design student, Hope Whitehouse, said: “Working on this live brief with OLPRO allows us to work closely with real clients and gain hugely valuable experiences. It’s a growing ask for 'sustainable design' working practices by clients and I believe this aids in an effective collaborative process. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the final outcomes from this brief will be."