Tobin Dorn

TDS is a Full-Service Design Studio based in Southern California.

Tobin Dorn is an accomplished design professional with 28 years experience driving product design for leading global footwear and sportswear organizations.

Our design process is unique and tailorable, allowing us to meet the diverse needs of our clientele with insightful market research, innovative ideation, updated trend analysis, final design execution and/or storytelling.

+++ Created and drove the global design direction for the Outdoor Mens + Womens footwear divisions delivering functional and stylish designs, formulating overall product strategies, and establishing new footwear silos. Designed key styles considered best sellers were: Max Protect, Skech Air Envoy, Road Walker, Global Jogger, Equalizer 5, and Bionic Trail to name a few.

+++ Oversaw seasonal creative direction and design, researched and managed global style trends, and headed Outdoor projects with Goodyear and 3M Thinsulate to deliver a global brand creative vision.

- Maintained budgets and optimized expenses when I organized the first Outdoor team bonding/wear test experience called Trail Fest.

- Invited to design and develop the first Skechers 100% foam jogger called Arch-Fit Go Foam 1 that was an instant best seller.

- Curated thoughtfully with the Merchandising VP the Outdoor footwear range for ISPO and Outdoor Retailer trade shows.

- Designed and executed communication tactics, such as showroom banners, tech glossaries, shoe box artwork and catalog narratives for Marketing and Sales teams.

- Chosen for having excellent communication skills I created digital decks and scripts for Global Sales conferences.

- Operated as lead presenter at Global Sales meetings introducing key initiatives along with story telling, features and benefits and trend forecasting and consumer profile analysis.

- Led day to day range planning details with an innovation mindset, working directly with Merchandisers, Graphics/Product team, and oversaw operations of design and development that included uniting
Product, Costing, Merchandising and Brand Comm teams.

- A thoughtful leader and a confident decision-maker, helping the product, brand comm and marketing teams develop and be productive, while ensuring profits were on the rise for consecutive quarters.

- Presented to key stakeholders, Fila Global, CEO, Chairmen and Marketing VPs at sales meetings, pre-line meetings and sample meetings.
- Led cad, concept and design reviews inviting designers, developers, merchandisers, sales reps and marketing teams.
- Creative direction and footwear designs given to the FILA Lab APS team that created more engaging experiences.
- Presented seasonal trends and creative direction to product teams.
- Managed outsourced freelance footwear designers creating briefings and key styles to adapt and integrate into market strategy.
-Business trip leader for sample shopping, International fairs, and inspirational trips for R&D teams.
- Managed and motivated 3D designers sharing know-how of functionality in sportswear design.
- Gave final product approvals for brand ambassador and partner collaboration footwear projects such as FILA x Staple, AAPE, Chen Kun, Roy Wang, D-Antidote and the Milan Fashion Week footwear collections 2018.
- Collaborated, influenced and inspired key business partners and team members for global footwear styles.
- Excellent communicator to all levels of the organization with strong communication skills, written and verbal.
- Accompanied R&D teams to resolve product issues from commercialization to tech packs for Performance, Lifestyle and Fusion categories.
- Identified opportunities, new business drivers and creative solutions as well as footwear designs for mid-term and long term design strategies that included FUSION footwear collections, store display concepts and Olympics footwear innovations 2020 & 2022.
- Designed FILA x Milan Fashion Week SS19 footwear collection.

Performance Footwear Divisions - Running | Tennis | XT
- Expanded the visual/design language of FILA, both identity and footwear products, by designing the look and feel of product in new and refreshing directions.
- Drew out the team’s creativity and encouraged them to consistently (and as a key part of the work) bring product ideas/concepts to the table during design reviews.
- Built an environment and reputation that attracted creative people.
- Held designers to the highest standards for sketches, design, layout, and innovation. Challenged and pushed them to grow and stretch their range.
- Provided technical guidance to team members and freelance contributors.
- Key presentations to the CEO, President, FILA Intl., SVP of brand development, and sales staff.
- Led the invention of new footwear technologies to surprise and engage the customers as design leader.
- Oversaw quality-control checks and reviewed all work produced by the development team at the key stages (initial design concepts, first pull overs, first test samples, tech packs), and ensured that design and production were capable of and responsible for detailed review of samples and tech projects.
- Established strong Running, Tennis and X-training franchises for the FILA brand with innovative and high performance functional footwear designs, global creative direction and key marketing stories for the Kenya Racer 3, Kenya Trainer 1, FXT collections, and the Cage Delirium.

Designed Official UFC x Reebok MMA uniforms.
Presented apparel collections for the Combat Sports category that included trend research, market analysis, athlete feedback, design direction, design management, art direction, integrated marketing concepts, packaging design, story telling, graphic design and overall seasonal narrative for on court and off court.

Created vision and design direction for four distinct brands, UMBRO, FILA, KAPPA and TRYON.
- Footwear design/ideation from initial concepts/stories to final prototypes.
- Footwear technology exploration, ideation and creation for Umbro’s footwear technologies SC3, Centipax and Octopax.
- Strategic design helped TryOn as they looked to revolutionize their business by creating a category-specific branding campaign.
- KENYA Performance running platform story telling, design, technology ideation, art direction.

Created vision and design direction for three distinct brands, MIZUNO, TOPPER and RAINHA. Footwear design/ideation from initial concepts/stories to final prototypes.

Performance Running
As senior designer (Creation&Focus Studio) I managed a team of 5 junior/senior PUMA designers while creating footwear models for the COMPLETE performance running series.
- Deep involvement in research and concept development through sketch and 3D modeling, then worked alongside engineers to see products through to manufacturing at overseas factories.
- Assisted with sales presentations and concept renderings for the women's track suit concept worn by the Jamaican Olympic relay team, 'Sport Toga', 2004.

As the New York footwear design lead my responsibilities included design and co-developing technical products for aggressive timelines.
- Designed a wide variety of key styles which have gone on to achieve success as technical products in the marketplace. Managed projects through all phases of design cycle including: brainstorm sessions, initial concept sketches, presentation renderings, supervising prototypes, guiding design through engineering phases and presenting to clients.
- Set aesthetic direction for design team.
- Designed the 360 degree basketball apparel/footwear collection, 'The Cage', with Ciano Farmer that aired on 60 Minutes, 2000.
- Designed innovative boot concepts for Cyclops, Storm and Wolverine for the film ‘X-MEN 1’, a joint venture with New Regency Productions.

Worked closely with Fila athlete, Derek Jeter, NY Yankees, to develop x-training footwear that met his needs.
- Finalized tech packages and proactively followed the execution of all product details with strong creative multi- tasking skills, including construction, color, form, style, detail and fit performance with overseas factories.