About a year into my career at New Balance they hired JF Fullum to be responsible for the direction of our running and innovation projects. Due to his previous employer, Nike, having him under a no compete clause we had to wait a little over six months for him to start. During those six months I heard rumors about a designer that was not afraid to lead and was incredibly talented. When JF finally started he instantly took New Balance in a new direction and we have not looked back since. Take some time to read about JF’s past and present and what he believes creates great products and better design. Continue reading Design Insight: Sessions Vol. 2 With JF Fullum…

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How many years have you been designing? What is your career history?
I’ve been involved with product design since around 1993. I was lucky enough to be able to design products for a local snowboard company while in design school so I got great experience and some money from that. I graduated from the University of Montreal in 1996 with an ID degree and got a job at Bauer Nike Hockey where I designed anything from inline skates to hockey gloves. In 2000, I got a position in the soccer team at Nike and did that for a few years then moved on to the running team and designed technical running shoes for the swoosh from 2004 to 2008. I’m now at New Balance and I’m responsible for the running and innovation design teams.

What motivates you?
I like to move things forward and feel like I make a difference either for the users or the team I’m working with. I need to know that what I’m doing will help somebody somewhere or one of our athletes run faster or further. I like to inspire people through my work.

What inspires you?
Athletes and people mostly. I always design with the end-user in mind and that’s what inspires me the most. I also like to look at products outside the footwear world like cycling and snowboarding. It’s good to see what’s going on in other industries. Sometimes it’s totally random, like last week at a track and field event I saw a super cool javelin and I was inspired by the graphics and colors.

Where has design taken you?
That’s one of the coolest things about being a designer I think. I get to travel all over the world and I also was lucky enough to have a great career in the US (I’m French Canadian). I went to Brazil and Italy a few times while working on soccer products and those trips were a blast. I got to meet and work with famous athletes like Ronaldhino, Mia Hamm, Mario Lemieux and now with Jenny Barringer. It’s super cool to be able to do that and it really makes me appreciate what I’m doing for a living. It’s pretty neat to look back and think about the journey that got me here today.

What is “good design” in your opinion?
Something that works as intended and solves a problem. For me, it needs to blend function with aesthetics. It can’t just be cool looking, it has to work better, feel better, fit better. Bonus points for keeping it simple too.

What is your creative process?
Good question, I don’t know if the way I work is very unique but I usually like to start by doing some research about the user, competitors, etc. Then I give myself no more than 3 objectives. It helps me stay focused and makes the product easier to understand and more iconic in the end. I still like to draw/sketch ideas on paper, I’m kind of old school that way. When the team feels good about the direction then I jump on the computer and refine the idea. I try to get to 3D as soon as possible so I can start looking at a real product quickly. I need to be able to put it on my feet, run in it, feel how light it is, etc. I don’t spend too much time on the concept rendering part; I’m trying to sell shoes, not drawings! Once I have a decent product in my hands then I spend quite a bit of time crafting it, looking at every seam, materials and details. I’m a good “finisher” I think.

How would you describe your design style?
Purposeful, technical, simple, iconic. That’s what I try to do with everything I touch. I’m definitely more of a “tech” guy; I like a good challenge. I don’t know how I would do designing purely lifestyle products.

What aspects of your own experiences are reflected in your design (if at all)?
I’m very organized in real life and I think I’m the same when it comes to my design process. I know it works for me so I tend to stick with it. Working with sick designers has definitely shaped the way I design now. I like to learn from experienced people and seeing how they work inspires me.

What is the difference between you and your designs during the beginning of your career as a designer and you as a designer now?
I’m definitely more confident with my designs today than I used to be. I try to make an impact with everything I design. I have a hard time now just updating an existing product; I need to feel like I’m designing a better solution. In my new role now I have the luxury to be able to work on fewer projects so I can spend more time and effort innovating and making sure the footwear I create will kick ass. With more experience you also gain more trust from the team so I try to use that to push for more aggressive design solutions.

How does your environment affect your design?
I guess you have to adapt to the culture you work in and either blend in or try to be aggressive and change things. Right now, I’m in the “change” mode for sure. I’m trying to make our brand [New Balance] more relevant and our products the best they can be. The team you work with makes a huge difference as well. The people I work with can definitely influence the way I design and even change my process a little bit. I’m fortunate to work with a good crew of people right now that are supporting our new design direction and brand philosophy so it’s all good.

What has design taught you?
Working with people better is one thing that my design career has taught me. I’ve had to work with a range of teams and functions and have learned how to work in a team environment pretty well I think. I’m also a pretty impatient guy when it comes to life situations and designing shoes tests my patience on a daily basis. I think I’m a little better at that now but my wife would probably tell you otherwise.

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Brett Golliff is a Designer 1 at New Balance

Check out previous “Design Insight With Brett Golliff” posts:

- Allow Me To Introduce Myself…
- Design Insight: Inspected (Inspired) by #23
- Design Insight: Art or Theft?
- Design Insight: Examining The Forces…
- Design Insight: The Sketchbook
- Design Insight: Forever Young
- Design Insight: Here Goes My List…
- Design Insight: mod·u·lar
- Design Insight: Why?
- Design Insight: The Second Season
- Design Insight: The Sketchbook (Inspiration)
- Design Insight: Creating Emotion With Motion
- Design Insight: Sketchbook Revisited
- Design Insight: Process
- Design Insight: Design School Confidential
- Design Insight: Step By Step
- Design Insight: Render
- Design Insight: The Warm Up
- Design Insight: Sessions Vol. 1 With Jason Mayden