OPDD graduates showcase capstone projects at the 2026 Senior Exhibit, capping a decade of innovation with alumni and industry leaders.

Utah State University's Outdoor Product Design and Development program held its 2026 Senior Exhibit on April 24 in the Sunburst Lounge of the Taggart Student Center, where graduating students presented their capstone projects to a crowd of family, friends, alumni and industry professionals, closing out what has been a landmark year for the program.

The event, free and open to the public, marked the culmination of OPDD's 10th anniversary celebration. What began a decade ago as an untested idea — a degree that combined design, product development, sustainability, textiles, and marketing in service of the outdoor industry — has grown into one of the most distinctive undergraduate programs in the country. Friday's exhibit was, in many ways, a reflection of everything that growth represents.

The timing could not have been more fitting. OPDD's Advisory Board — a group of industry leaders from companies and organizations, including Black Diamond, Salomon, Browning, Lifetime Products, Backcountry, and many more — was in Logan for their annual meeting earlier in the day. Board members made their way to the exhibit in the afternoon, walking the floor and spending time with the seniors before the public doors opened. 

Graduates from all three of OPDD's emphases — design, development, and product line management — presented individually researched and constructed projects spanning technical apparel, footwear, bags, accessories, and hard goods. The variety on display is a hallmark of the OPDD program: excellence in all categories related to sport and the outdoors.

What made the 2026 exhibit especially memorable, though, was who was in the crowd. Alumni from across OPDD's ten graduating classes returned to Logan to celebrate alongside the new graduates. For many, it was a chance to reconnect with faculty and friends, but also to see how the program has evolved since their own time in OPDD.

The 10th anniversary has been a year of reflection for the program — marked by visits from industry legends including Hap Klopp, Tim Leatherman, Nicole McLaughlin, and Shigeru Kaneko, a growing Outdoor Recreation Archive, and a widening network of partnerships with brands and institutions across the country. Friday's exhibit was the final chapter of that celebration, but not the end. OPDD looks forward to the next decade of educating and developing the future generation of product creators and leaders.

Learn more about the OPDD program at opdd.usu.edu.