The adidas MAKERLAB

The adidas Makerlab was opened in 2016 to tap into the creative potential of all employees. For designers it’s a place where they can have access to the tools they need to innovate and craft their designs. Those outside of design come to expand their perspectives and benefit from learning creative processes that they can apply to their work. From the day it opened, the Makerlab was my second office where I could finally get my hands busy making shoes and accessories there. In 2018 I took the opportunity to make it my work-home and joined the Makerlab team as Senior Manager of the adidas Makerlab within adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach Germany.

For 13 years I was designing multiple shoes a season. To work as a team on one complex evolving project like the Makerlab has given me a the opportunity to build on my people management skills and learn more about project management. Despite exchanging my design title for an operations title, because of the nature of the space, I’m more connected to the broader creative community than ever and I’m having a broader impact on the brand by ushering others through the act of making, creating, and innovating.

See below to learn more about how the Makerlab works.

Inspire, Empower, & Connect

The Makerlab was created to inspire, empower, and connect adidas creators through the platform of a community powered workshop. We empower them by educating the community in manufacturing, prototyping, and concept generation techniques. Exploratory concepts and research are done by our staff on a constant basis to inspire the creators. We partner up with the creators to work side-by-side on their projects as maker/experts. Our community network connections help us to bring together different disciplines to work together. We link creators internally and externally to help idea reach full potential. All the while we are busy maintaining an open workshop that is always ready for anything and in accordance with German health and safety regulations.