Julian Schulz

Adidas Futurecraft Strung

Multidisciplinary design and research project

Julian Schulz Fotograf und interdisziplinärer Designer

Adidas Futurecraft Strung

Multidisciplinary design and research project

FUTURECRAFT.STRUNG represents a completely new technology in the footwear industry, in which performance shoes can be designed with precisely predefined properties using specially developed software.

With the newly designed STRUNG robot cell, the designs can be produced and replicated as prototypes. The production is based on a new process that is neither knitting nor weaving but represents a new type of textile production. This makes it possible to define the characteristic of each thread and adapt it to the desired features of the athletes.
The upper material of the shoes can in this way be designed, produced and tested in the shortest possible time to ensure maximum flexibility, stability, and breathability and thus maximum performance. And this is even across continents through the development of a unitized process.

The project was realized by the Adidas Futurecraft Development Team in cooperation with the design studio Kram/Weisshaar, for which I was involved from the beginning as a photographer and multidisciplinary designer and supported the project significantly.

In addition to the conception of the project, the main focus was on the software development and the creation of the robot cell, which went hand in hand with numerous material tests.

The design focus was on both the requirements of the footwear designers and the presentability of the robotic cell as a demonstrator for state-of-the-art technologies.

The project was achieved over a period of four years in several project phases and took place in various design studios in Munich, London, and Lisbon.

My mission in this project was to a significant extent to work at the intersection between the different professions with the aim of understanding and integrating the different perspectives and points of view of the various stakeholders.

A project of such complexity, with diverse international teams from different companies and across different continents working together, requires a lively exchange and frequent meetings at the development site.

It was equally important to identify problems in time, work out proposals for changes and forward these to the appropriate area. These included:

- Design conception
- Software development
- Hardware design
- Engineering
- Robotics
- Footwear design
- Material development
- Prototyping

Through the necessary familiarization with these topics, I was able to develop the project from the beginning and, depending on the project phase, to work more intensively in certain areas, such as robotics, engineering, footwear design, and UI design.

This meant that I was always working on the main object - the robot cell - as the output of this was a crucial indicator for the successful collaboration of all areas. This made another key task possible: the comprehensive documentation of the project via photography and video throughout all project phases.

This photographic documentation resulted in several books that reflect the entire development of the project from beginning to end. Since many areas of the project are subject to secrecy, the books are for internal use only. The photos presented here show a small part of this very extensive and innovative project.

FUTURECRAFT STRUNG and the Robot Cell was most recently exhibited at the Design Museum London in the exhibition "Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street".

Munich, London, Lisbon 2018-2021

Adidas Futurecraft Strung

Multidisciplinary design and research project

Adidas Futurecraft Strung

Multidisciplinary design and research project

FUTURECRAFT.STRUNG represents a completely new technology in the footwear industry, in which performance shoes can be designed with precisely predefined properties using specially developed software.

In addition to the conception of the project, the main focus was on the software development and the creation of the robot cell, which went hand in hand with numerous material tests.

The design focus was on both the requirements of the footwear designers and the presentability of the robotic cell as a demonstrator for state-of-the-art technologies.

The project was achieved over a period of four years in several project phases and took place in various design studios in Munich, London, and Lisbon.

It was equally important to identify problems in time, work out proposals for changes and forward these to the appropriate area. These included:

- Design conception
- Software development
- Hardware design
- Engineering
- Robotics
- Footwear design
- Material development
- Prototyping

FUTURECRAFT STRUNG and the Robot Cell was most recently exhibited at the Design Museum London in the exhibition "Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street".

Munich, London, Lisbon 2018-2021

info@julian-schulz.com | Studio: Gasteig, c/o FatCat | Kellerstraße 8a | 81667 München | Germany