The most consistent deliverables I had as the head of content for adidas’ Global Trend & Cultural Insights were our team’s seasonal reports.

These bodies of work typically balanced globally conducted research from multiple sources, including observations from at least one in-person market dive. I wrote the briefs and organized the content around the brand’s big-picture areas of inquiry, making sure everything stayed on track.

When the pandemic shut down travel, it threw our methodologies into question. Would we be able to draw out quality insights from behind screens, separated by oceans and time zones?

We found that not only were people willing to open up, they went deeper and gave more than ever.

Capturing the thoughts of people around the world during a once-in-a-lifetime moment of collective introspection was a tender process.

A particular chapter within our SS23 report, Future States of Change, is dear to me. Based on interviews with young thought leaders around the world, it thoughtfully articulated the beauty and horror of the experience.

Sharing and workshopping it with our teams was sometimes emotional. Everyone was asking the important questions and looking for ways to heal, provoked and inspired by this work.

See more of Future States of Change