Ray Adams
(Willemstad, Curaçao)
Ray Adams, a senior color and materials designer for adidas football, did not always know that that was what he wanted to do. He knew that he wanted to do something with footwear and sports, so he started exploring. In college, he got a footwear design internship with Puma at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany and his career and interest in the footwear design industry took off from there. After interning for Puma and Nike, he went on to work for Asics, Björn Borg, a Swedish sportswear brand, and adidas, where he works now. Adams acknowledges that the industry has changed and is continuing to change and become more competitive since he started out, but he believes that the people he works with make the difference in his growth.
When did you first realize that you want to work in design?
I think right about the period I realized I wasn’t going to make it as a professional basketball player. Being 5'7”, I wasn’t going to be Michael Jordan anytime soon. But I wanted to do something that was still close to the [sports industry] or at least help athletes achieve their goals in their respective sports. While reading Slam magazine, I realized, ‘Hey all of these athletes need footwear, maybe I could do something with that.’
Why did you initially choose to study industrial design in college?
At the time, Slam Magazine had a Kicks edition which had more in-depth sneaker related articles. Amongst them was an interview with a footwear designer who shared her career path and mentioned that she had industrial design as a starting point to get into the industry. So, I started looking in my country, the Netherlands, for industrial design or something similar. [In college] I thought I signed up for industrial design but as I got into the course, it got to be a little bit more engineering than design driven. But by that time, I was already a good year in, and I was so focused on footwear. So, I thought, ‘Okay, what can help me get to that point?’
Was your internship with Puma your first experience working in your area of interest?
Yeah, it was more than I imagined it would be. It was a very good experience for me and I think that all had to do with my mentors. I was fortunate enough to have a set of very good mentors at Puma as well as at Nike that helped set the pace of what is expected from a professional in this industry.
At Puma that was Kevin Fallon, he’s now the Vice President of innovation at Under Armour. He gave me my very first chance in the industry and I learned so much from him. Kevin told me this internship is more or less what you make out of it. If you initiate a lot, you will get a lot out of this experience. And I think that is definitely a mindset that resonated with me.
I got a lot of freedom, and a lot of opportunities to work on projects. A world opened up for me and I really felt it was an opportunity that didn’t come by every day. I was really fortunate that Puma not only hired me, but also took the time to explain to me how things work. That’s not always a given with internships.
How did you get that internship?
Weirdly enough, by just applying online. I saw a posting on their corporate website for an internship and I filled in all the boxes, hit send, and I was fortunate enough to get an interview. I think at the time I was the fourth or fifth intern they had in the design team.
There’s a competition [for positions] nowadays. It’s so fierce. I think that has to do with the state of the industry as well. You get way more exposure now as a designer. Design in the industry used to be more behind-the-scenes as opposed to today’s reality.
I was just talking about this the other day with my wife. Everyone can broadcast their own self-made content through social media. That ever-evolving trend and the increased global reach of social media has definitely elevated the status of design now, making it even more competitive for certain jobs.
What was it like when you first went to Germany for the Puma internship?
In terms of culture and diversity, it was very different. People think that because the Netherlands and Germany are neighboring countries, there are not that many differences. But actually there are. This was ten years ago, now it’s way more international, there’s mixing of cultures going on. It was just different than where I grew up and the people I associated with. But it was a great learning experience. Being in a more corporate setting teaches you different skills that are very important for you to progress and evolve further if you want to be in this industry.
From the living perspective, it was also a moment that I was really by myself, no immediate friends or family around the corner. Which is always a good period to reflect and keep a mirror in front of you and say, ‘How do I handle this? How do I handle that?’
What did working in a corporate setting teach you?
Even if you have good ideas and designs, there’s a way to present and propose those ideas. You have to understand how you pitch a good idea in a short amount of time. In a corporate setting, you really need to start learning what your concept is really about and try to make it as strong as it can be while making sure you are hitting your deadlines.
And from a diversity perspective, being a person from the Caribbean in a predominantly European company, the most important thing I would say, it might sound like a cliché, but you shouldn’t forget your own personality. A lot of people try to change who they are to just fit a certain box. But it’s important to stay true to who you are.
What do you think helped you get to where you are now?
I think that the internships I did were key to landing my first job. They gave me an idea of what working life is about, revealed the discipline needed to work in a company, and showed that I was able to be a team player who can perform on a consistent basis, not just occasionally.
What advice would you give to your younger self who wants to pursue a career in design?
I would tell myself that inexperience can also be an asset to get where you want to go. I tried to gain experience as soon as possible but working with interns now, I can appreciate their fresh perspectives and opposite opinions. Don’t underestimate your inexperience, use it. Be yourself, try to build genuine relationships and be disciplined in your area of interest. This will prepare you when opportunities come your way.
Edited by Marley Shelby (marley@andthem.com)
