Fresh from bringing the Cookit Camp Kitchen™ to life, UCO’s Creative Services Manager, Matt Delcomyn, sits down with us to talk about the inspiration, design, and storytelling behind UCO’s latest innovation. From solving camp kitchen chaos to crafting a product that resonates with outdoor adventurers, Matt shares how the Cookit went from an idea to an essential piece of gear for every camper.
Q: As the creative brand builder on the team- what was your role in bringing the Cookit to life?
During the development of this kit, we all shared our experiences with car camping cook kits, and it was fun to see everyone’s different takes on cooking tools. It really highlighted how personal these choices can be.
I got to put a special UCO twist on the Cookit with the naming, color choices for the plastic parts, and the box graphics. Picking colors for outdoor gear is pretty interesting; we thought about current trends, who our audience is, and what competitors are doing—all while trying to land on earthy tones that feel vibrant and appetizing.
Naming a product can be trickier than you'd think, thanks to the sea of existing products that need legal protection. Luckily, the name "Cookit" popped into my head quickly and cleared the legal review, so we ran with it.
Designing the box graphics was a blast! It felt like a blank canvas that needed something UCO special. I wanted to go with a fractal mountainscape motif to show off a different landscape on each side. We ended up working with Gretchen Leggitt from Bellingham, known for her cool Hydrascape mountain stickers. After some back-and-forth, we created a five-sided artwork design, and it was awesome to collaborate with someone local.
Q: How do you decide on the overall aesthetic of a product?
It’s all about blending your brand's unique design style with shapes and features that provide the best value to your customers. Your brand has a personality—how it communicates, looks, and the problems it addresses. These traits help create brand harmony across all your products.
In the early days of a brand’s development, designs might be more instinctual, but as your brand grows, you can better express its style, ensuring that future products maintain that signature look. This consistency helps customers recognize and connect with your products.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. A good designer learns where to apply this design language and where to adapt it. Fortunately, we have some amazing industrial designers to help us.
Your design language also influences color choices, packaging, website text, and images. The clearer you are in defining it, the better chance you have of standing out in a crowded retail space.
Q: What’s the process like for choosing colors, materials, and finishes?
I talked about the colors, art, and design processes earlier. When it comes to materials and finishes, that’s mostly up to product engineers, industrial designers, and sales managers who know their stuff. At this point, we shift from just looking at aesthetics to considering what’s practical and cost-effective.
Product engineers usually handle the spreadsheets and cost breakdowns, while the product manager and sales teams look at the market for opportunities. Often, the choices for materials and finishes are pretty limited. But when we are lucky enough to have several options, we all sit around in meetings and fidget with these options until we all start to develop a consensus.
Q: How does the product’s design tie into UCO’s brand identity and story?
A brand isn’t just how a company sees itself; it’s really about what customers think and feel. That’s why blending both practical and emotional benefits in product design is so important. At UCO, we’re all about creating surprisingly functional products. Even though our company has been around since the 1970s and many of our designs come from earlier teams, they still work because they deliver on that promise of functionality. We believe this brings joy to people, getting them outside with their loved ones—and that makes us happy!
Q: Are there any hidden details or Easter eggs in the design that customers might not notice right away?
We always strive for that! Remember—surprisingly functional! :) For instance, our pots and utensil handles are inspired by the UCO design language. Over the years, we’ve fine-tuned the shapes of our sporks, folding knives, grilling tools, and more, so they feel just right in your hands. Plus, our eating utensils have spoon shapes that fit perfectly with the curves of our bowls, making it easy to scoop up every last morsel!
And our Cookit Carry box is surprisingly tough! It’s made from the same plastic corrugated material that the U.S. Postal Service has relied on for ages, so you know it's been tested and is ready to go.
Q: What do you hope customers feel or experience when they use a product you’ve designed?
We're all about helping people get outside more often and more easily! We believe that connecting with the people and places that matter most brings so much joy and renewal to our lives.
We also put a lot of love and care into the details of our products. Our hope is that when you use UCO products, you feel confident and excited to embrace all your outdoor adventures!
Click here to learn more about the Cookit Camp Kitchen.
