Trailside Creative is an Industrial Design and product development consultancy that helps outdoor brands create innovative gear, accessories, and equipment. With expertise in Design, Development, and Mechanical Engineering, we transform ideas into market-ready products that perform, endure, and inspire.

From initial concept sketches to hands-on prototyping and high-fidelity models, we specialize in hard goods — such as helmets, tools, and equipment — and soft goods, including bags, backpacks, and apparel.

Our collaborative approach ensures every product combines performance, durability, and aesthetics, helping the world’s leading brands connect with adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide.

We believe that our best ideas come from the trailside. By pursuing our outdoor passions, we keep authentic user experiences at the forefront of every design.

Kyle Ellison is the founder and lead designer at Trailside Creative. The roots of his passion for design trace back to his childhood when he fell in love with the natural world while hiking in California along the coastal mountains of Santa Cruz and high above the tree line in the Sierra Nevadas. 

In 2012, Kyle launched Trailside Creative with the explicit goal of sharing his love for the outdoors with others through sustainable product design. He and his team still find that the most inspiring, innovative, and compelling designs come from time spent outside, and the best way to make the world a better place is to make the outdoors experience more accessible to all.