Vans: Designer, Color & Trend, Skate Footwear

As a Footwear Color and Trend Designer, Skateboarding you will be working with a large project team of different professional (Product Line Managers, Developers, Marketers, Fit and Wear testing, Sustainability, Materials, etc.), and collaborate within the design community (Industrial Designers, Apparel Designers, Color & Trend designers, Art Directors, and Marketing creatives, etc.). You will work under the direction of a Senior Designer, Head Designer, or Design Director of Footwear-Product.

In this role, you will create compelling, innovative footwear designs from concept to production. How does a 50+ year old company stay relevant?  We value design thinking in providing Vans consumers timeless designs that explore new opportunities and take risks - never stop looking to youth counter-culture for inspiration. Responsibilities include finding key insights and unmet consumer needs, researching creative inspiration, leveraging culture, working with athletes and collaborators, and crafting a vast range of creative and appealing solutions; that are also sustainable and considerate of cost. This role also participates in Vans seasonal creative vision, contributes to seasonal color and trend strategy, executes graphics, product branding, and design direction of various seasonal collections.  As a Designer with growing knowledge and experience in footwear, you will be seen as a highly proficient individual contributor closely collaborating with your design leadership and as well as your design peers.

Join the Vans Family

Vans® is the original action sports footwear company, rooted in authenticity and creativity. Founded in 1966, we have thrived on a legacy of impacting our greater community through four pillars: action sports, music, art and street culture. We are constantly inspired by the creative voyagers within our company and community.  For them, creativity is about the journey, not just the output.  Our mission is to empower everyone to use creativity to discover themselves. Our vision is to create a world where anyone can be their unique self.

At Vans, our culture sets us apart and influences everything we do. We are driven by our five values: We have HEART – also referred to as the “Van Doren Spirit”.  We are relentlessly CURIOUS about our consumers and the world around us. We are UNAPOLOGETICALLY AUTHENTIC and whole heartedly believe the most “Off the Wall” thing you can do is be yourself.  We are driven by a spirit of INGENUITY.  And we are passionate about local COMMUNITIES.  And most of all, we are a family that has fun together.

At Vans we empower creative exploration and inspire youth culture through a commitment to inclusivity. We welcome anyone and everyone into our global family and proudly celebrate and environment where individuality is embraced, equal opportunities thrive, and everyone is empowered to reach their greatest potential. 

By joining our family, you will be immersed in an environment of incredibly supportive and collaborative people. We work hard across a multitude of initiatives to bring the Van Doren Spirit to life. We live for what we do.

Vans Creative Vision

The cornerstone of our creative vision is the idea of Creative Experimentation. It is our engine in the constant pursuit of progress. An environment of experimentation lessens the fear of failure as we learn from our mistakes. We take the idea of creative experimentation and implement it through a set of beliefs and guidelines we use to make sure our process and output always reflects the characteristics of our brand.

How You Will Make a Difference

• Build category footwear color and graphic direction and partner with Product Line Managers to create visual like plans of the global skateboarding footwear line.
• Responsible for creation of color CAD designs and graphic spec packages throughout design process to product confirmation. 
• Create presentations for line reviews, and athlete or collaborator meetings.
• Utilize 3D and digital resources to create color ups and visual line plans.
• Create seasonal color palettes and inform color usage.
• Continual research of footwear sustainable materials, functional and innovative materials.
• Partner with material sourcing to develop innovative fabrications and capabilities. 
• Expected to understand market structure and distribution points for all assigned collections, collaborations and categories.
• Ensure timely completion of in-line footwear color design packages, and color CADs according to Vans Footwear development calendar. 

Free To Be, Inclusion & Diversity

As a purpose-led, performance driven company, we strive to foster a culture of belonging based on respect, connection, openness and authenticity. We are committed to buil