Speakers’ Corner gives you a preview of the voices you’ll hear at upcoming PI events, straight from the people shaping fashion and footwear.
In this edition, William Pittman, Footwear Designer at Helly Hansen Workwear, makes the case for closing the gap between design intent and manufacturing reality. From why the biggest shift in footwear isn't the tools themselves, to why strong sketching and clear design intent still drive the best products.
What’s the biggest shift you’ve seen in footwear design or development over the past year?
Faster decision making driven by early digital validation. Teams are relying less on physical sampling and more on resolving design, proportion, and construction upfront in 3D.
What’s one challenge in digital product creation that still keeps you up at night?
The gap between what is designed, what is modeled, and what is actually manufacturable. Aligning those three consistently across teams and suppliers is still not solved.
What innovation do you think will define the next five years of footwear?
Direct to manufacturing workflows. Designers owning files that move straight into production will change speed, margins, and authorship.
What’s the most underrated capability or mindset teams need to build today?
Designing with manufacturing in mind from day one. Not as a constraint, but as a creative advantage.
Do you think AI will replace or empower footwear designers?
It will empower. Designers who understand both design and systems will gain leverage.
What’s overhyped right now in the footwear innovation space?
Tools without process. AI and 3D software are powerful, but they don’t solve anything on their own. If teams don’t change how they work, the output doesn’t improve. Strong sketching and clear design intent still drive the best products.
William will be joining us at Stride Europe, taking place 28-29th April in Venice, where he'll be leading two interactive roundtables — 'Designing for Manufacturability From Day One' and 'Scaling Strong Design Outcomes without Flattening Craft'.
