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Designer I, Tech Style Footwear
Adidas Group
Boston, MA, United States
Job Details - this job has expired, please see similar jobs below
Purpose (Brief summary of why role exists):
This position is responsible for researching trends, ideation of new concepts and creating compelling footwear product to meet the brand aesthetic. The footwear Designer 1 works with the footwear team to ensure that each product meets the category’s product brief and the seasonal design direction set by the Creative Director and Senior Management team.
Key Accountabilities (List the 5-10 major areas of responsibility for role):
Technical Communication
Accurately depict hand-drawn sketches, designs, graphic applications, and ideations as digitally rendered line art, flat patterns, 2D / 3D, technical drawings, and other required art / illustrations
Capture mental impressions and ideas in visual, verbal, or audio renderings
Effectively and efficiently navigate and use Reebok software tools and systems
Use appropriate Reebok forms and templates, such as briefs and tech packs, to capture, convey, and communicate design and product information to others throughout the design cycle
Create technical drawings and representations of fabric, trim, graphic artwork, and products such that construction information is interpreted exactly as intended
Select appropriate methods of communications to accurately convey technical information in informal and formal situations
Create design and concept boards to communicate seasonal direction and design theme application to a product or product line
Create supporting artwork that illustrates design concepts and tells stories
Create new products, graphics, seasonal color palettes, or seasonal vision / concepts using trends in fashion and culture, competition, and Reebok past designs as catalysts
Translate fashion and culture trends to the brand, products, product lines, design concepts, color, and graphics
Freely speculate possibilities and if/then scenarios during brainstorming or sketch sessions
Employ multi-dimensional thinking to ideate and discover new perspectives, view points, or approaches
Use unorthodox or atypical ways of solving problems to conceive innovative, usable concepts, or inspire other concepts / ideas
Respond to design critique with multiple solutions
Reebok Design DNA
Incorporate seasonal inspiration, fabric/materials/trims, color, and graphics stories in designs that have visual aesthetic as well as relevant product color / graphics themes and placement
Select and ensure color, graphics/prints, materials, fit, and trims enhance product aesthetic, works within overall design range, and overall design has market appeal
Ensure the product successfully meets the brand aesthetic by adhering to Reebok design DNA fundamentals
Design products based on accurate assessment of fabric and anatomical characteristics
Ensure construction, finishing techniques, and textiles enhance product usability
Select textiles based on their functional properties, aesthetic, cost, and support of the intended design
Infuse and apply new technologies to performance products or fashion influences to sports-based lifestyle products or graphics / color and ensure they are integral elements of the design
Research and apply new and innovative ways to use existing techniques
Visualize concepts, impressions, and ideas in concrete and tangible ways
Translate design concepts to products and product lines
Design new components or innovate existing footwear parts
Attend and contribute to review sessions for designs, construction, fit, and/or prototypes
Resolve product design and development problems using innovative approaches
Ensure design reflects / incorporates market needs and product brief requirements
Design products that are achievable given construction and manufacturing techniques
Ensure execution of 2D into 3D / prototypes meets the vision and intent of the orginal design, margin expectations, and is of high-caliber
Apply knowledge of footwear technical processes for lasts, patterns, blueprints and molds
Industry, Market, and Consumer Acumen
Use relevant and appropriate resources to accurately determine, anticipate, and validate current and future trends, competition, retail landscape, and cultural drivers
Use appropriate research methods and resources to efficiently obtain current, reliable, and credible information regarding markets, colors, trends, consumers, retailer strategies, and other required types of information
Interpret and understand consumer dynamics, predict shifts, and react to trends
Make accurate assessments and projections of competitors' strengths and weaknesses in the global market relative to the Reebok brand, products, and product lines including market presence, tactics, merchandising, and trends
Maintain current information of Reebok and industry factors that can affect products, such as material, technology, and consumer feedback and insight
Accurately assess the impact consumers have on the market
Employ formal and informal methods to gain insight and to research industry, market, consumer, and competitor information
Analyze and summarize research data
Gather and apply market research and/or consumer feedback to accurately anticipate and fulfill consumer needs, and identify consumers and trends
Financial Aptitude
Create / design products that integrate technology, function, and design aesthetic and remain within cost margins
Assess potential cost / margin impact of fabric, color, trim, graphics, treatments, technology, components, and construction choices
Resolve cost / margin issues and ensure product / design realization and execution, within budget, against the targeted Go-In-Margin, revenue, quality / pricing, and timelines to meet market requirements
Analyze and select design / product elements based on cost and a hierarchy of importance
Fulfill product briefs' cost, margin, and competitive pricing requirements
Knowledge Skills and Abilities:
Manage Business (Processes and Projects)
Improve the design and development process by suggesting / using new, innovative concepts, materials, or manufacturing processes
Manage direct reports, junior team members, and/or interns and apprentices in their daily work and ensure they meet deadlines and deliverables
Communicate with Others
Transport information effectively in individual and group situations using the most appropriate and effective medium, such as, but not limited to, presentations, meetings, one-to-one situations
Select content and use language and terminology appropriate to the audience
Prepare concise presentations, briefings, and email that ensure the intent is consistently and correctly interpreted by recipients
Convey messages verbally and visually in a clear, concise, and accurate way during meetings, telephone / video conferences such that interpretation is consistent and accurate, and need for clarification is minimal
Present facts and factual information in a structured and non-ambiguous manner
Receive and give feedback in a positive, constructive manner
Convey conceptual information in a concrete and tangible manner
Manage Relationships and Diversity
Tackle conflicts proactively and finds constructive solutions together with his/her counterparts
Planning and Organizing
Work independently and perform a variety of tasks with different levels of complexity by developing effective plans and organizing work efficiently
Meet design calendar deadlines and deliverables
Participate conscientiously and with accountability in own, cross-department, and cross-function teams, and facilitate effective team outcomes
Think and act in a goal-oriented manner, and prioritize and complete tasks in order of importance
Qualifications (Minimum required education and experience):
2+ years of footwear design experience
Advanced level Adobe Illustrator; Photoshop and 3D software a plus
Understanding of materials and their application to footwear designs; understanding of material development processes and footwear construction.
Bachelors degree in product, industrial, automotive or interior design
The Reebok brand has moved their HQ to a 220,000 square-foot section of the Innovation and Design Building in Boston’s Seaport District. This move has brought community fitness to a next generation design and innovation space; the all new workplace fosters a vibrant collaborative culture and allows the brand to be closely connected to the community in Boston. Alongside state-of-the-art office spaces, the headquarters is equipped with an employee fitness center and a retail store.