Nike Timing & Techlab
Early CMF Systems Leadership in Emerging Wearables
Built scalable CMF systems for Nike’s global watch business integrating color, material, and manufacturing strategy before wearables became a mainstream category.
the challenge
As Nike expanded into performance and lifestyle wearables, the business required a scalable CMF system capable of supporting rapid seasonal launches across a growing global SKU portfolio.
At the time, CMF had not yet been formalized as a dedicated discipline.
Key challenges included:
• No established CMF development framework within the category
• Need for consistency across multiple materials and manufacturing methods
• High SKU volume across seasonal launches
• Pressure to align design vision with manufacturing realities at speed
• Requirement to support both performance and lifestyle segmentation through CMF
THE ROLE
Served in a dual strategic and execution capacity as Color & Trend Manager and CMF Developer.
Responsible for:
• Defining seasonal CMF strategy across ~100 SKUs per cycle
• Serving on Nike’s Corporate Color Committee
• Leading end-to-end CMF development from concept through production
• Managing supplier communication and manufacturing execution globally
• Approving final CMF standards for production release
THE WORK
Developed scalable CMF frameworks that integrated design, merchandising, and manufacturing.
This included:
• Seasonal color architecture aligned to consumer and market segmentation
• Material and pigment sourcing strategies across diverse substrates
• Cross-material color standardization for plastics, coatings, textiles, and packaging
• Process alignment to accelerate development timelines
• Integration of CMF into merchandising and retail color flow
THE IMPACT
• Enabled scalable CMF execution across hundreds of SKUs
• Achieved global consistency across factories, materials, and product lines
• Reduced development timelines through improved process integration
• Supported Nike Timing’s expansion into lifestyle and performance categories
• Contributed to early NikeiD customization initiatives
RECOGNITION
• Red Dot Best of the Best
• iF Design Award
• GOOD DESIGN Award
• IDSA Silver
Key Takeaway
This work reflects early proof of the systems-based CMF methodology I continue to apply today:
CMF is not styling; it is the operational bridge between product vision, manufacturing execution, and scalable brand expression.
