Footwear Color Designer [AQ-16617]

About the role

Aquent is partnering with a global leader in sportswear and lifestyle, offering an unparalleled opportunity to profoundly influence product direction through the power of color. This is your chance to infuse culture, consumer insights, and compelling storytelling directly into the seasonal footwear portfolio, shaping how products resonate with consumers worldwide and leaving an indelible mark on products enjoyed by millions. We are seeking a visionary designer for this pivotal Footwear Color Designer role, who will be instrumental in shaping seasonal footwear concepts and developing original color stories rooted in cultural trends, consumer insights, and broader product narratives that captivate and inspire. Your creative vision will directly shape product direction, contributing expertise to a highly visible global footwear portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Develop compelling color stories, palettes, and seasonal concepts for an exciting footwear portfolio.
• Create impactful moodboards and visual presentations that clearly communicate the inspiration and strategic rationale behind color direction.
• Conduct in-depth research into cultural movements, consumer trends, and relevant subcultures to inform innovative design decisions.
• Translate complex consumer insights and trend data into commercially relevant and aspirational color concepts.
• Proactively review seasonal footwear lines, identifying and seizing opportunities for fresh, differentiated, and market-leading color stories.
• Guide color concepts seamlessly through the entire product development journey, from initial ideation and concepting to final execution.
• Collaborate closely with a diverse range of cross-functional stakeholders, including designers, product teams, developers, and merchandising partners, fostering a cohesive creative process.
• Present innovative creative concepts and strategic color direction to teammates and key stakeholders, articulating your vision with clarity and passion.
• Master the balance between creative storytelling, consumer relevance, authentic brand expression, and critical product considerations.

Required qualifications

• 5+ years of professional color design experience, specifically within footwear.
• A strong, dynamic portfolio showcasing exceptional color storytelling, moodboard creation, palette development, and concept ideation.
• Deep, nuanced knowledge of relevant cultural trends and consumer behaviors within the footwear market.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage consumer insights, cultural research, and trend data to drive and influence impactful design decisions.
• Proven experience developing compelling color and product narratives within categories such as sportswear, lifestyle, streetwear, or athletic footwear.
• A sophisticated understanding of how color profoundly contributes to a product's overall story and its appeal to diverse consumers.
• Bachelor's degree in design or a related field, or equivalent professional experience that demonstrates a high level of expertise.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, capable of articulating complex creative ideas to various audiences.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience managing color concepts across an entire seasonal product journey, from inception to market launch.
• Demonstrated experience developing comprehensive color direction for seasonal footwear assortments.
• A background working with a major brand in the sportswear, footwear, lifestyle, or streetwear sectors.
• Experience in effective cross-functional partnership across design, development, merchandising, and product teams.
• Proficiency in presenting creative direction to senior leadership or diverse cross-functional stakeholders.
• Familiarity with color & materials (CMF) processes and the intricacies of footwear product development.