Designers intending to embark on design research and development for a specific sport or range of activities should familiarize themselves with the ranges of existing brand leaders for their chosen specialisation.

A strong sense of the image and philosophy of the major players can be understood in collecting quantitative and qualitative market research as well as a breadth of visual information on clothing and footwear ranges and accessories.

Aspects such as quality, price points, use of colour, fabrication and branding and the choice of design detail may all contribute to the brand image.

A wealth of visual and verbal information and text can be collected in researching retail shops or specialist outlets, the internet, promotional and point of sale material etc. as relevant.