Rather than re-designing an umbrella I chose to think of the problem in the terms of an object to protect one from the weather. While this is the explicit purpose of an umbrella, I wanted to get away from our common perception of the umbrella. The average umbrella is cumbersome, awkward to use, poorly constructed and of course easily damaged. The second most common fate of umbrellas is destruction, only beat by being lost or left behind. The answer is the RECOIL. The Recoil is to be a compact, simple weather shielding device that is minimal in parts, constructed from quality materials, and has a flexible frame to avoid breakage thus ensuring a long service life. Its flat construction allows it to be easily stored in a briefcase or bag, where it waits ready for action.

The structure of the RECOIL is composed of four spring steel hoop frames each coated with Polypropylene for rust resistance. The waterproof skin is made from durable Cordura ballistic nylon. While the materials may be seen as "traditional" it is their integration into the form that allows for long life of the product. When compared to traditional umbrellas the recoil's demise should come from being worn out versus being disposed of because it is broken. Recoil's frame is flexible which allows it to distort and return to its original position without damage. The most unique feature of the Recoil is that it quickly expands from a six inch disk to four 18 inch covers to shield one from the elements.

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