Talking Backpacks with Peak Design’s Founder Peter Dering | The PetaPixel Podcast

Sep 25, 2024

Jaron Schneider

Peak Design is one of the most recognizable names in the photography industry and probably the most well-known accessory brand in the space. From the Capture Clip, to straps, to bags, tripods, and more, the company recently set its sights on the outdoor and adventure market after years in development.

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This week on The PetaPixel Podcast, Peak Design’s founder and CEO Peter Dering joins Chris Niccolls, Jordan Drake, and me for a discussion about the company’s history, product strategy, and — of course — the new Outdoor series of backpacks. While we recommend you watch or listen to the full interview yourself, Dering and the Peak Design Team answered some of the questions in text form below.

Q: For starters, give folks a bit of a history behind your company. How it started, your personal journey and experience, the design philosophy of what you make, and what you think makes you different.

A person wearing a teal jacket holds a vintage-style camera. They have long blonde hair and are carrying a backpack with utensils sticking out of it. The background is green and out of focus, suggesting a natural setting.

Peak Design: Peak Design first launched in 2011 with the Capture Kickstarter. This was a result of Peter Dering’s 4-month trip around the world where he learned that carrying a camera while traveling was way less than convenient. Upon returning to San Francisco, he quit his job and spent nearly a year designing the little device that would transform camera carry for the world’s photographers.

Since the first launch, Peak Design has repeatedly and thoughtfully designed products to solve real problems – products that look good, are easy to use, and that are respectful of the planet. What makes these products different from every other brand is that they are simple and effective – not complicated and not containing any unnecessary extras.

Q: How many people did Peak start with and how many work there now?

Peter Dering: It started with just me, and we’re currently at 84 full time folks, and 165 if you include contractors and part time employees.

A person stands on a hiking trail overlooking a scenic view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay, with the bridge bathed in warm sunlight. The person wears a backpack and beanie, facing away from the camera. Distant hills and water are visible in the background.

Q: Folks often wonder why you still go with Kickstarter for product launches. Can you explain why after so long and so much popularity, you return to a platform that is famously not a pre-order service?

Peak Design: Crowdfunding brings Peak Design customers closer to the brand. It gives them a stronger connection to our overall process, product development, and launch. Kickstarter is not necessary for us to rely on, but it’s how we’ve built our community over the years. Plus, this essentially acts as an alternative funding method to outside investment. Leaning into Kickstarters has allowed us to stay investor-free and avoid any turbulence that might come with it, while focusing on what we care most about: innovation, thoughtful design, and prioritizing people and the planet over profits.

A white travel backpack lies open on a rocky surface, revealing organized compartments filled with camera gear, including a camera with a lens, additional lenses, and various cases and pouches. A blue hydration tube is partially visible in the background.

Q: What happens between the end of a Kickstarter campaign and the delivery date?

Peter Dering: A lot. But… it also depends on what stage in the production we are. We actually launch at different times for different products, which is always an important and strategic decision. But one thing that always happens is we send out a survey to our backers asking for shipping information, and also offer the opportunity to add on other peak design products, also occasionally at a discount. On the back end, we’re in that mad dash of corralling shipments to 7 worldwide locations.

A person kneels in dry grass while opening a black camera backpack. They hold a DSLR camera, and various camera equipment is visible inside the bag. They are wearing a green jacket and orange pants. The scene appears to be outdoors in a nature setting.

Q: How long have you been working on the design for the new outdoor adventure backpack?

Peter Dering: In earnest, 3 years.

Q: Which outdoor camera bags were you looking at as competition, and how is Peak Design’s new Outdoor line the better choice?

On the camera side, it was Shimoda, F-stop, Lowepro, and Mindshift. But we also had a much wider look at outdoor competition. Like… super wide. Archeryx, black diamond, north face, Patagonia, hyper lite, matador… you name it, we studied it.

A person wearing a light gray shirt, brown pants, and a khaki cap is walking through a lush, green forest carrying a large white backpack. The person's back is facing the camera, and the background is blurred with trees and grass in focus.

Q: What were some major changes you can think of that evolved over the design iteration process? Like, what choices did you initially think were a good idea that tested poorly?

Peter Dering: I mentioned this in the interview about the sternum strap. Another idea that came late to the part was the dedicated capture attachment. Earlier designs only made accommodations for Capture in “the usual way”, clamping around the whole strap (as it does on most backpacks). This would have been a big miss, though.

A person in a long-sleeve shirt packs or unpacks a white backpack placed on a rocky ground, with a brown jacket inside. A small gray pouch lies beside the backpack. The surroundings suggest an outdoor or hiking setting.

For the full interview with Dering, make sure to listen to this week’s episode of The PetaPixel Podcast.

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