JUST DOING IT
Professional TiTLE: NIKE SENIOR FOOTWEAR DESIGN DIRECTOR
How long have you been in your profession? 24 years
Brands: Adidas, Mecca, Pony, And1, Nike, Jordan
PROS in design career: You learn a ton about the workings of this industry as well as the disciplines behind production at a commercial level. I get paid to study the consumer, travel to various parts of the world, chop it up with other creatives. Grow thru the good and bad.
CONS in design career: Your job is to predict the future based on consumer insights, then present and sale your perspective… unfortunately, you fall into a ton of politics due to various professional perspectives and predictions based off numbers, sales, history, and business concerns… not the future… TIME is an issue as well. This business moves really fast… at times too fast. Speed hinders creativity a times. At times I feel I’m more of a fireman putting out fires rather than designing new, beautiful innovative concepts.
Best moment in your career? Every time I see a consumer wearing something God has blessed me to design.
Most challenging moment in your career? Letting go of a concept I was blessed to conceive and reap initial success and then hand over to another team.
“If I wasn’t doing______ I would be doing___________.” Fortunately, my current design job doesn’t restrict my creative desires in creating music, etc….
Advice to aspiring designers: BE A SPONGE…. FOR REAL!!! Tell a story that attracts me, engages me, and captures me!!!
