Update: Wow. This worked out awesome! I proudly joined adidas in April 2012. Here's what I've learned.

florian is all in I want to help you deliver world-class experiences for miadidas and miCoach.

Florian Holstein

In love with design and sports. Seven years of experience. Currently working as Creative Director in a digital marketing agency in Nuremberg, Germany. And this job at Herzobase basically was made for me. Let me explain why.Req Number: HQ-8062DP

Why adidas + this job?

 

Goodbye, comfort zone.

I like my current job as Creative Director. But at adidas I'll build sports and style products I really care about, will force myself to learn faster and step up my whole game. Am I scared? Hell, yes I am. Usually a good sign ...

Saluting the 3-Stripes.

Ali in »Impossible is nothing« – wow. The campaign inspired me to show up, push myself hard and get into marketing and UX. I've always wanted to build things (ads, products, ...) that get people off their asses.

Well, I'm selfish.

For instance: Nike+ made me train – miCoach made me train right. I’m forever thankful, but the system needs work. At your Software teams I’ll get the chance to improve the experience for athletes around the globe – including myself.

Reasons to hire me

 

  1. I already worked for adidas – more or less. Out of a passion I created and maintained adidas’ biggest twitter account @adidasrunning in 2009 and made it successful. One year later I gave a proactive presentation on the relationship of marketing and the miCoach experience.

  2. Yes, I’m a nerd.Please don’t ask me if I know how to use Software X. I am obsessed with design, technology, the resulting experiences and how everything works. Developers don’t think I’m »the Photoshop douche«, because I speak their language. Here’s a nerdy tip: Try to view this site on a smartphone or resize the browser. Here’s a nerdy tip: Try to view this site on a bigger screen.

  3. Shipping mentality.Shipping is the best part of my job. Great ideas are completely worthless, unless you make them happen. I like to inspire, live and spread this attitude, working interdisciplinary with every team involved.

  4. You need T-shaped people.People who see and understand the big picture. Everything we do in UX has consequences. After all, this is business, not Monopoly.

  5. I’m an athlete. I finished my first marathon (3:15h) in 2010. Solo, no event, no water stations, no cheering crowd – just me and the uphill road to Athens, Greece. Soon I’ll finish my first ultra. My friends think I’m crazy and maybe they’re right. But I definitely understand the mind of an athlete.

  6. Not another bullshit bingo champion.I found what works every time to communicate big ideas: Passionate plain english. This applies not just for presentations – which I really enjoy doing – but also everything else. Breaking down complex stuff, not trying to impress people with overly-verbose buzzwords.

  7. I love to draw maps. Most of us, for most of our lives, have been waiting on someone else to give us permission to act. I became Creative Director, not because I’m exceptionally talented – I just wasn’t waiting for instructions. People like to follow maps, but not draw them. I do and it makes people happy (and sometimes makes me feel smart).

  8. I don’t need “a” job.This is my first application in years. I’m completely aware that most UX professionals out there have a better track record, more experience and better references. But you won’t find someone this excited and prepared to work hard. Your teams will get my A game and I’ll get paid for work I enjoy. Win-win, right?

Updated on January 30, 2012
I really appreciate your consideration in interviewing me for this position — now you hopefully have a better picture how I handle problems, teams and the process of UX methods. After the interview today I'm more interested than ever in working for adidas and I'm really looking forward to hear from you once the final decision is made.

Vision for miCoach View interview presentation on SlideShare Download interview presentation PDF (about 15 MB)

VISION FOR MICOACH

 

Well, for this we actually need to talk – a lot. In 2010 I sat down with Clemens Dopjans, back then your Head of Digital Marketing DE/CH/AT, and presented a few of my proactive thoughts. Almost two years have passed, but I'm still really looking forward to share and evolve my thinking on the miCoach experience.

Vision for miCoach View miCoach vision presentation on SlideShare Download miCoach vision presentation PDF (about 28MB)

Resumé

 
Florian Holstein
Résumé Florian Holstein
 

Creative Director

Jan 2011 — Present (15 months), arsmedium group
  • ResponsibilitiesStrategy, UI/UX Design. Overseeing the output of the creative and frontend dev teams. Giving presentations and working on new business opportunities.
  • What I've learned Leading a team of 12 people. Not by being the superstar, but by making sure everybody can do their best work.
  • What I'm focusing on Managing resources, mentoring designers and improving workflows. Basically working on being dispensable again.

Head of Strategy and UX

Apr 2009 — Dec 2010 (21 months), arsmedium group
  • ResponsibilitiesStrategy, IA, UI/UX Design, creating wireframes and designing prototypes for digital projects.
  • What I've learnedNo great presentation was ever finished the night before. More importantly, showing a design prototype is worth a thousand words.
  • What I focused onEstablishing a new creative team, now the strategic and creative core of arsmedium.

Junior Art Director

Apr 2007 — Apr 2009 (24 months), arsmedium group
  • ResponsibilitiesVisual and UI Design, mostly campaign execution. Keeping the pace up while handling the day-to-day business.
  • What I've learned I‘m not good at executing strategies and ideas that didn't make sense (and money).
  • What I focused onWorking hard to get indispensable. Improved the design process and introduced wireframes to save time and money.

Studied Integrated Design and Digital Media

2005 — 2006 (3 semesters), University of the Arts Bremen
  • ResponsibilitiesTrying to learn practical stuff to prepare myself for the real life: Working in design or advertising agencies (I kept looking for three semesters and quit shortly after without a degree).
  • What I've learnedA master student whom I admired and was working with on a magazine asked me »Why didn't you push forward with your ideas while I was on vacation?«. Most valuable lesson: I don't need to wait for a permission to do something cool.
  • What I focused onFinishing projects.

Let's get in touch

 

Thank you.

First an foremost, thank you – yes, you – for your attention. I hope to hear from you soon. Also thanks to Steve Jobs and Johnny Ive – two of the best UX designers of our time – for the inspiration and the tools. Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin, for the weekly rambling on Back To Work about facing the resistance. Patricia Ulrich for the awesome photos that make me look like a professional. And of course my friends – for encouraging me to pursue my dreams.