JOHN HELF

Welcome to my website! My name is John Helf, and I am an award winning sports product designer who is passionate about creating connection. Whether it be through the beauty of small moments, or the struggle of mighty movements, I love when little design details fuel imaginative aesthetics, and I hope my work inspires individuals to own their story.

JOHN HELF

Welcome to my website! My name is John Helf, and I am an award winning sports product designer who is passionate about creating connection. Whether it be through the beauty of small moments, or the struggle of mighty movements, I love when little design details fuel imaginative aesthetics, and I hope my work inspires individuals to own their story.

hōm
2024
Designed during my equipment studio at the University of Oregon Sports Product Design, hōm is a backpack-to-tent system created to redefine the first-time camping experience. Inspired by notions of accessible luxury and whimsical refinement, hōm prioritizes intuitive setup and refined aesthetics, making it perfect for those seeking a confident and stylish introduction to the outdoors.
Serving: Miu Miu Pickleball Collection
2024
Designed during my equipment studio at UOSPD, Serving is a pickleball paddle and bag collection I designed for the brand Miu Miu. Capturing the brand's playful yet sophisticated aesthetic, Serving features a paddle that emulates the iconic Wander matelassé bag, along with a crossbody cover that mimics their Ivy leather bag.
CARACAL
2024
Designed during my footwear studio at University of Oregon Sports Product Design, Caracal is a basketball shoe I created with the goal of making a "super shoe" for lateral agility. Throughout the project I was able to hone my skills in research, ideation, prototyping, and rendering. Winner of the Global Footwear Awards, GFA in the category of SPORTS PERFORMANCE-BASKETBALL/FOOTBALL/RUGBY
Wave Rocker
2024
Designed during my equipment studio at UOSPD, the Wave Rocker is a pair of racing sunglasses designed for desert ultramarathon runners. Featuring biomimicry-inspired lenses that adapt to harsh sunlight like cuttlefish eyes, and chameleon-arm-inspired temple grips, these blades ensure a secure and comfortable fit through every stride, even in the toughest conditions.
elevé
2024
Winner of the Global Footwear Awards, GFA Emerging Footwear Designer of the year, elevé is a ballet training footwear project I designed during my spring semester at UO SPD. The goal of this project was to create a ballet shoe that helped new dancers as they learned proper form. elevé displays my passion for creating innovative products that inspire athletes to push their limits and also allows me to develop my creative process and love of aesthetics.
New Balance x Sydney McLaughlin Concept
2022
The New Balance Be. Fly. Is a New Balance and Sydney Mclaughlin Concept collaboration I created in 2022. This project brief was self-guided but displays my skills in branding, footwear design, as well as some 3d modeling.
Back to Top