Product Design Graduate Wins Adidas Fellowship in Germany

Adidas has reinstituted its Design Academy, and Kurtis Hoffman ’19, Product Design, has won a two-year fellowship to the company’s European headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, starting in October 2019. Focused on identifying and nurturing emerging design talent, the fellowship gives young designers from across the globe — with no more than two years of freelance and internship experience — the opportunity to gain cross-functional knowledge through four-week rotations on brand design, product marketing, product development, and innovation teams.

The 24-month fellowship will allow Hoffman to explore and develop what is already an award-winning talent. The young designer is currently a design intern at Carhartt, with previous internships at Saucony for product and Under Armour (UA) for footwear. In 2017, Hoffman won top honors in footwear design at UA’s first-ever Design Future Show.

Adidas Design Academy expects fellows to exceed their own creative boundaries and, in tandem with the sportswear brand’s existing design teams, to develop groundbreaking design ideas. Successful fellows may have opportunities to secure permanent positions upon completion of the program.