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Industrial Design Grad Sets the Creative Vision for Adidas Basketball
Nathan VanHook will be the keynote speaker at the School of Design and Engineering Graduate Forum.
For industrial design alumnus Nathan VanHook, the seeds of collaborating with the likes of Virgil Abloh, Salehe Bembury, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Pharrell Williams and Travis Scott began at the University’s Smith House. The clubhouse for industrial design students served as a den of creativity where he and his classmates would tinker, build and share ideas.
The Class of 2003 grad currently lives in Los Angeles and leads Adidas Basketball as the vice president of design. He will be the keynote speaker for Jefferson’s School of Design and Engineering Graduate Forum on Sept. 30.
VanHook started his career teaching eighth-grade art and design, and shortly after, moved to Body Glove as a wetsuit designer and then art director. Joining Nike in 2008, he created award-winning footwear designs, collaborated with brand and entertainment icons, led design teams to create industry-leading products for the Olympics and World Cup, and reset the company’s outdoor brand, ACG. Following Nike, VanHook went to luxury outdoor brand Moncler in Milan to reestablish their footwear business before joining Adidas in 2023.
The father of two shares a few words with The Nexus before the Graduate Forum, which will highlight future-oriented interdisciplinary conversations in design and engineering.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time here?
Besides hanging out in the Smith House, I loved playing on the baseball team, traveling, hanging out with friends on the weekends and going to South Street to visit Pearl and get cheesesteaks.
How did your Jefferson degree best prepare you for your career?
My degree was well-rounded and provided specialized skills in industrial design. The program focused on the process and how to be critical of your work. Competing against classmates helped build a work ethic that has followed me throughout my career. Plus, figuring out different ways around problems has fostered my entrepreneurial mindset.
Describe what your job at Adidas Basketball entails.
I set a creative vision to help drive the business and lead our team of incredibly talented designers to get there, problem-solving through the process. I focus on testing and sport and how to make the connection from on- to off-court.
Competing against classmates helped build a work ethic that has followed me throughout my career.
What have been some of the most rewarding projects you’ve worked on?
Some projects earn a lot of press, while others may be a struggle to get through the system. However, every project is rewarding. You always learn something from it to apply to your next project.
What advice can you offer Jefferson students?
If you want a specific job, try to do the job before you get the job. Learn as much as you can about the field, reach out to those you admire and copy their blueprint on how they got there and hustle. If you don’t have it in your portfolio or past school projects, do it in the extra time. Show that you uniquely approach your work and have the necessary skills for your future employer.
Also, enjoy your college experience to the fullest. It’s a magical time in your life where you can make mistakes, have new experiences and build long-lasting friendships and a future network. Have fun.
Open to professionals, alumni, and current and prospective graduate students, the School of Design and Engineering Graduate Forum will be Sept. 30 from 5-8 p.m. Visit here for more info and to register.
