Design that fits

The trousers Yu Kehan designed won the D&AD Yellow Pencil Award in London. Participants for the competition are tasked with creating a product for urban commuter cyclists and Yu's design minimizes cyclists' burden and make them comfortable for both cycling and working. Provided to China Daily

A Chinese student wins a contest in London with his functional design. Chen Nan checks out Yu Kehan's "hidden performance" cycling jeans.

Growing up in a country known as the world's bicycle kingdom, Yu Kehan has watched people riding bicycles in his hometown in Heilongjiang province since childhood. When he went to study in London last year, he also chose the bicycle as his means of transportation.

And the simple daily tool inspired him to come up with a design, which won the prestigious D&AD Yellow Pencil Award recently in London.

The 20-year-old, who is in his first year studying product design at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, took part in the contest organized by Oakley, one of the leaders in sports gear and equipment manufacturing in the world.

Participants were tasked with creating a product for urban commuter cyclists.

"It's a task that I feel so much for because I grew up with bicycle and am using it every day," says Yu, the youngest student to win the award.

As a regular cyclist, Yu wants to make his cycling experience as easy as possible. But a lot of cycling products in the market that are designed to solve problems had more gears to carry and are complex and inconvenient.

"I am not only designing a product but also a using process. I want something that replaces and reduces the use of equipment and makes the cycling process easier and simpler," he explains.

He spent a month interviewing nearly 100 cyclists about the problems they face while riding bicycles.

After six weeks of researching, testing and producing, he finally found a solution - a pair of trousers to minimize cyclists' burden and make them comfortable for both cycling and working.

Yu calls it "hidden performance" denim cycling jeans that eliminates the need to change into specific cycling attire while focusing on practicality, comfort and style.

He added a hook fastener at the bottom of the trousers to keep the trouser leg opening from flapping against the chain. He also attached a reflective fluorescent fabric at the trouser leg to increase visibility.

To reduce the weight of the trousers and increase comfort, he borrowed the design of traditional Chinese knotted buttons to replace the conventional denim buttons that are usually made of metal.

After repeated testing, Yu also found two kinds of fabrics, "event" and "3X Dry", which are waterproof and breathable at the same time.

"I didn't use the fabrics to make the whole trousers for the sake of eco-friendliness," says Yu. "Like constructing the ceiling of a house (as shelter), I only use the fabrics on the areas that are directly facing the rain - the front and the back of the trouser legs."