adidas’ MakerLab network is rooted in the hacker space model, offering all employees a place to explore out-of-the-box ideas. The mantra—get your hands dirty and make your mark. Just like on a farm, which is exactly where you’ll find its leading innovators, designers and dreamers.
Exploring the PDX @adidasmakerlab • #photoaday2017 #adilife • @focalmark #styleblogger #streetphotographer #HypeBe… https://t.co/tpXJemkq0Z pic.twitter.com/v8pMHrjpfR
— Natasha Salter (@iamsalti) April 12, 2017
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Inspired by research showing that 75% of adults don’t think they’re living up to their creative potential, adidas tasked Jordi Closa, who runs its MakerLab Network, with the goal of creating three unique spaces around the globe where adidas employees could reconnect with that curiosity and wonder which lead to exploration and innovation.
The sites—one at its global HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany, one on its campus in Portland, Oregon, and a third in Brooklyn, New York—are distinctive, but each is filled with tools, workbenches, ongoing workshops and a staff ready to assist. The goal is to stimulate individual and collective connections, daring and relevant design, and foster fearless creativity.
“The ‘network’ aspect first and foremost comes to life when two people connect in the MakerLab, collaborate, learn from each other and then pass their experience on to another person,” Closa noted. “That’s the magic spark. From there, it’s a ripple effect until a whole community of creators, artists and thinkers are igniting new dialogues and perspectives. This is the key to innovation.
“The meaning of the network continues through external partnerships developed with ateliers, studios, universities, artists, crafters and design experts. The result of this connected web is that a project can start in Germany, move for a while to the US and then end up in a creative direction exhibition which showcases the top inspirations for future seasons.”
The first MakerLab opened in Germany in October 2016, where designers like Federica Tedeschi, Senior Material Designer, Brand Creative Direction, can come and play / experiment with materials, colors and textures.
“MakerLab is a unique and potent melting pot of ideas and creativity,” she said. “The best part about spending time there has been the cross-pollination of knowledge and skills. It’s a unique and potent melting pot of ideas and creativity.”
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Jean Khalife, Concept Creator at adidas Brooklyn Farm, is focused on the transition from 2D sketches to working on 3D concepts. “Before beginning my role in the Brooklyn Farm, I was a footwear designer with the (adidas) Originals team for three years,” she said. “A lot of my concepts were born out of 2D sketches. Coming into the MakerLab for the first time was an eye-opener. I had a trial-by-error experience as I transitioned from illustrations to working with my hands to express my concepts.”
Innovation by no means began in 2016 with the opening of the maker spaces. For example, adidas (always focused on reinventing the athletic shoe and thinking about sustainability) released a prototype in 2015 for 3D-printed, lattice-like bed of foam called Futurecraft 3D, following its shoe made entirely of recycled plastic in partnership with Parley for the Oceans and designer Alexander Taylor.
A spokeswoman for adidas told The Huffington Post about the shoe, “This is not a plan, this is an action. We did this to show what we are capable of doing when we all put our heads together.” Futurecraft looked to collaborate with designers, makers and engineers, to take it and iterate with adidas’ tools.
In April, its creative team revealed the Futurecraft 4D prototype:
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“It’d be easy to make a 3D-printed product for a lifestyle shoe, but it’s hard to make a 3D-printed product for performance,” CMO Eric Liedtke told Fast Company. “Our ambition is to always be the best sports brand in the world,” he added. “But to do that, we need to turn to partners and externals who can help us fulfill our vision. It’s not so easy to do everything by yourself.”
Collaborations with Kanye West, Raf Simons and Yohji Yamamoto have helped adidas’ street cred along with wooing Nike designers Mark Dolce, Mark Miner, and Denis Dekovic.
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The “creator farms” network aims to spur innovation and stave off competition, primarily (but not only) from rival Nike. A call for applications at its Brooklyn studio/collective by VP/creative director Dolce opened with a stirring call:
To our fellow creators, Come define the industry. Dream without limits.
This is an exciting time at adidas, there is a movement happening….you can feel the energy and momentum in the streets. The success adidas has generated creates the unprecedented opportunity to be the undisputed WORLD’S BEST SPORT BRAND.
Our newly opened adidas BrooklynFARM will be a place for Creatives to be creative! We’re excited to announce a new series of opportunities for creators at the BrooklynFARM, where we will help drive our commitment to design, partnership and innovation. Paving the way for a new vision and setting the direction for our brand — we’re defining the entire industry.
We understand the benefits of a design collective, collaborative environment for visionaries and the sharing of ideas throughout our team already in place at the BrooklynFARM. We’re now looking for the brightest talents that share in our mindset of collaborative innovation to join us.
Nike has reaped success with tech-driven innovations in shoes and apparel including its Nike Free midsoles, Flyknit uppers and Tech Fleece line of sweats, all designed by its HTM group featuring Nike CEO Mark Parker, lead designer Tinker Hatfield and Fragment Design founder Hiroshi Fujiwara.
I think i'd do anything to work at @adidas and work in their maker's lab #creative #sport #make
— Joey Enright (@EnrightJoey) March 25, 2017
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At launch in 2015, Liedtke told FastCo, “We want to bring some weight behind this, and open up our doors and let them come in. We will look at professional creators like Alexander Taylor, who is a furniture designer, but we like how he thinks. And we will look at citizen creators that have a point of view to express. But first we have to have the platform where we’re making a great performance product.”
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Now the platform and three physical places are in place, adidas continues to innovate, firing up its own community’s prowess to spark innovation from the inside out—but first, you have to step inside.
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