Describe your role at Nike.
I help create a vision for the future of all Nike store environments. The current store design concept in the marketplace is rooted in a narrative based on the birthplace of sport—the gyms, the courts, the fields—where Nike was founded. It was great, but that’s run its course, and the tomorrow of sport, where the athletes live, train, and compete, is entirely different. My role is digesting that, taking on the mission to push the retail landscape into a more forward-thinking backdrop.
How do the footwear and apparel influence your retail design?
That connectivity between what you’re holding in your hand versus the space should all be one voice and ownable by the brand.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by the athlete’s lifestyle. Looking at the purpose for our store, it can be more than just a place to buy goods. How does it become a home base for that athlete community—whether through a grouping for Nike+ Run Club, or training clubs; whether it’s getting one-to-one services inside our stores. We’re looking to other areas that have done it well—what’s the level of attention you get inside a hotel [for example] and how does that transfer?
Nike is great at pop-ups. What’s driving that trend?
The need for the brand to stay sharp and respond in a physical expression that allows people to engage, see, and interact, and then have it go away, is exciting. It’s something we do all out. At the [2016 NBA] All-Star game we had the Jordan pop-up, and you got to be in a 365-degree LED room—it’s not just a product anymore. Being able to do it on a temporal basis, that’s fuel. It allows us to test things with a certain degree of intensity you can’t get in typical retail.
Talk about your design process.
Space planning, architecture, fixtures are changing. We approach our spaces in response to that [location’s] athletic community, the sports that are prevalent, the size of the space, and what we want to do for that group. How we create a space that adapts over time is also important. Building a store—and then working with external consultants and realizing it—really becomes site specific.
