ISAIC Hosts Design Core Detroit’s 2026 Design Jam: Designing for More Accessible Outdoor Recreation
DETROIT, MI — September 2026 — The Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), a Detroit-based nonprofit and national resource for textile and apparel manufacturing, hosted Design Core Detroit’s 2026 Design Jam at its new headquarters in the College for Creative Studies’ (CCS) A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education as part of Detroit’s Month of Design.
The two-day design sprint brought together athletes with disabilities, designers, engineers, makers, and community partners to develop adaptive outdoor sports and recreation solutions that expand access and opportunity for the limb loss and limb difference community.
Designing with Lived Experience
The 2026 theme was Adaptive Products for Outdoor Recreation. Throughout the event, 10 teams were each assigned a persona representing an individual with a specific age, interests, disability, and outdoor recreation needs. Using these personas as a starting point, teams collaborated to identify challenges, brainstorm solutions, and develop innovative products designed to address their assigned user's unique needs.
The process centered on inclusive design and collaborative problem-solving, giving participants the opportunity to learn from lived experiences while creating solutions with practical applications.
At the conclusion of the event, participants and special guest judges evaluated the prototypes and voted for the winning team based on three criteria: concept, manufacturing feasibility, and the ability to address a real-world issue.
From Ideas to Working Prototypes
With access to CCS and ISAIC experts, equipment, and advanced manufacturing capabilities, participants transformed ideas from the drawing board into working prototypes. The collaborative environment encouraged teams to experiment, refine their concepts, and explore how design and manufacturing can work together to create more accessible outdoor recreation experiences.
Ari Harris, ISAIC Operations Support & Development Specialist, facilitating her team during the 2026 Design Jam. Photos courtesy of Design Core Detroit.
“I think it's great Design Core Detroit brings designers of different disciplines together with an athletes advocate to work on a common goal. It allowed us to center the voice of someone having lived experience during the design process. There's an accountability there that forced us to check unconscious biases and the daily things we take for granted.
Accessibility in design should always be considered in products as a standard, not an outlier. I learned so much that I will take with me into my own practice.”
— Ari Harris, ISAIC Operations Support & Development Specialist, 2026 Design Jam Team Facilitator
Celebrating Innovation and Collaboration
Congratulations to the 2026 Design Jam winning team, and thank you to everyone who participated, contributed their expertise, and helped bring this experience to life. We extend a special thank-you to Design Core Detroit for entrusting ISAIC with this incredible event.
We’re proud to partner with Design Core Detroit to foster innovation that starts with lived experience and leads to meaningful impact. By bringing together diverse perspectives, creative problem-solving, and hands-on manufacturing expertise, we can help create a future where outdoor recreation is more accessible to everyone.
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