Apple Hires Another Key Nike+ FuelBand Designer

In an effort to perfect the long-rumored iWatch, Apple has hired yet another Nike employee, according to 9to5Mac. This time, Ben Shaffer, studio director of the Innovation Kitchen, is making the move. The site speculates that Shaffer’s experience with both the FuelBand and Flyknit shoe could easily show how he would fit in at Apple:

Shaffer’s development process for the Flyknit shoe may even serve as a stronger indicator about how the design executive would fit right into Apple’s culture. When Jony Ive and his design team were designing Apple’s new unibody aluminum process for MacBooks (and now iMacs, iPads, and iPhones), the company realized that it needed an entirely new manufacturing process in order to create its now incredibly thin and light devices. Shaffer’s goal with the Flyknit was the create a shoe that feels much lighter on the foot, but one that is still created out of strong materials.

In August, another figure central to the design of the FuelBand, announced a move to Apple. Jay Blahnik was a longtime consultant to a number of fitness companies besides Nike, including Bowflex, Nautilus, Schwinn, and Stairmaster. Even though the iWatch has been just a rumor, Apple executives have had no issue complimenting what Nike did with the FuelBand. CEO Tim Cook wears the device, and earlier this year offered some high praise for the Nike product. But during the same conversation at D11, Cook said that there is no device on the market that can accomplish more than one task. According to recent reports, the iWatch is still on track to land sometime in 2014. Image: Highsnobette.com

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