Nike Sabbatical May 23, 2011 Jackie Wickser I. In this write-up I will ...

Nike Sabbatical May 23, 2011
Jackie Wickser
I. In this write-up I will discuss what I learned while at Nike:
A. I learned how this 10 billion dollar apparel company is implementing an initiative
to reduce its carbon footprint for climate neutrality in 2015:
In my meeting with Rick MacDonald, head of Nike’s Considered Apparel
department, he explained how Nike is integrating sustainability into product creation at
every level (facilities, retail and business travel). Since Nike’s largest footprint is in
materials and processes, that is where he began.
The first step to the process of change is to find out where you are. Rick’s
department has created a “Considered Index Calculator”. This software measures the
sustainability level of each style at the creation level. Each prototype is scored on
their green use of material/ trim sustainability and processing (e.g. footwear-
molding, heat, tooling, adhesives and solvents). The proto is then ranked where the
best scores get gold, then silver or bronze categorizations.
Nikes target for 2015 is 100% bronze on all new styles, including all of the top 10
volume styles of each division.
Nike has shared its Considered Index Calculator with everyone interested.
There are 3 companies testing it at the moment, one of them being Patagonia. The
possible end result is hangtags with scorecards displaying the garments’ inherent
level of sustainability. It is predicted that consumers will consider the environment as
a purchasing criteria in the future.
“We’re equally committed to leading our industry in climate change and
sustainability. We’re entering a new era of open source collaboration that commits to
sharing intellectual and patent property. It’s the kind of behavioral change that can
help lower carbon emissions, reduce waste, and close the loop on the resources
required by product manufacturing.”
Mark Parker, Nike CEO, 7/28/09
B. While at Nike I was brought up to date with the industry’s new machinery and
software technologies.
I met Sherry Hawkins, the director of the “Hive”, a place where all of the
equipment for sampling is housed. Sherry is responsible for keeping the sewing
and cutting equipment current with the factories and she oversees the prototyping
for all Nike categories. Because Nike employs designers from the industrial sector,
they have adapted some industrial machinery to the apparel process. This
equipment works well with recycled polyurethane fibers.

•.
1. List of equipment:
• Ultrasonic line bonding which sews with sound
• Presses for sublimation prints.
• Dye-Sublimation which uses high heat and solid dyes to produce photo
lab-quality images.
• Dye-Sub printers which contain a roll of transparent film made up of pagesized
panels of color.
• Solid dyes in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are embedded in the film.
• Print head heating elements vaporize the inks, which adhere to a specially
coated paper. As the ink cools it re-solidifies on the paper. Color intensity is
controlled by precise variations in temperature. Because the color is
absorbed into the paper rather than sitting on the surface, the output is more
photo-realistic, more durable, and less vulnerable to fading than other ink
technologies.
• Bemus no sew seam bonding (tape adheres two pieces of fabric together
without overlapping and bulk).
• Bonding press (applies film to areas of a garment in order to lock the
stretch)
• Digital Vacuum cutter (laser for cutting bonding film, see sublimation
prints above)
• Tushima Embroidery machine
• Santory Circular Knit Flatbed Knitting machine
• Multi-needle Waistband Machine
• 12 needle (uses fluff thread so that it won’t chaff)
• Flat Seam Cover stitch
• Customization for pro combat (grid and foam) Basketball and football
undergarments/ injuries determine placement.
2. Three dimensional computer technologies at Nike are used solely to assist with
the concept process of design. The end result is more exact duplication at the
factory level and, in turn, fewer prototypes required. Illustrations are sent to the
factory and the factory sends a digital proto back. A physical prototype is made
only after the digital proto is approved:
• Optitex 3D sketching (Style lines can be digitally taped onto Blocks)
• V Stitcher (apparel simulation/ digital sewing room) sews pattern pieces
together virtually. Fabric weight, bend, stretch, and bias have to be inputted.
• V Tech 3D figure (Spinning movie of garment to show graphic design and
engineered prints)
• V tech Motion Capture - Match it with Avatar and simulation of garment
on body and in motion. High definition video conferencing with factory
while fitting.

C. Sitting in on garment fittings and global production meetings gave me a glimpse into
how this huge apparel company is now meeting the global challenge of outsourcing.
D. Management style: how to keep products fresh and innovative while keeping them
relevant. Through meetings with division heads, I got an idea of how this huge operation
works together and how they implement change from the top down.
I. Division Heads I met with and their departments:
Devon Burt, Global Creative Director
Susan Rowan, Global Outsourcing Trims and Processes
Mark Charlton and Rene Frei, Nike Women’s Sportswear
Dana Waltrip, Global Fit
Scott Williams, Global Innovative Director Advanced Innovative Technology
Sherry Hawkins, Director of the Hive
Diane Curry, Product Integrity and Quality Engineering
Michelle Miracle, Design Director Athletic Training
Janice Slonecker, Design Director Young Athletes
Rick Macdonald, Considered Apparel Lead
Cheyrl Millard-Nutt, Sports Performance Materials Merchandiser Design
Ed Thomas, Director of Advanced Materials Research
Jerrett Reynolds, Design Director Nike Sportswear
And many more…
II. Projects I accomplished while at Nike:
A. I helped the Athletics division reduce the carbon impact on the environment by
eliminating 2 to 2 ½% of the waste left on cutting tables for the Men's hooded fleece
pullover. This garment is a reorder item with over 100,000 pieces per cut. I completed a
study on how to improve the marker efficiency by strategically placed seams.
B. I was there to elevate apparel expertise, helping leverage a high degree of applied arts in
product creation. Just some of the projects I worked on:
1. I prepared and presented a draping seminar to 36 technical designers from many
divisions. The lesson was in draping a raglan without a shoulder dart or over arm
seam. This sleeve type was an area of confusion for the technicians across the
board.
2. I helped refine the fit and construction of the M-98 Women's sportswear jacket.
I reviewed the samples from New York in regards to construction and fit.
3. I developed a commercial prototype of a running jacket designed by Aitor Thorp
for the 2012 Olympics.

4. I worked with Guillermo Raphael in the Advanced Innovative Technology
department to develop a new stretch stitch based on an old school hand sewing
technique called "couching". The TLMX-120 Toshima Embroidery Machine was
adapted to couch elastic cording while retaining the inherent stretch of the fabric.
5. I developed jacket blocks for athletes Maria Sharapovich and Serina Williams.
6. I collaborated with an advanced technology designer to come up with an
alternative solution to knit for movement. This is because knits are more material
wasteful than wovens in that the weave chains and thus use more yarn. Working
with the structure of a garment we came up with a woven garment, which had a
wider range of motion than a knit.
My Sabbatical at Nike was truly inspirational. Being around the many brilliant and highly
ethical individuals at this company gave me an ideal vision of what a product manufacturer
could become.
I want to thank Otis for the opportunity to grow and expand my horizons, which will most
certainly be passed on to the students.
Jackie Wickser, Associate Professor, Senior Class