DESIGN PROCESS
MOOD AND INSPIRATION BOARDING
After developing a design brief alongside a Product Marketer and/or collaborator I begin the process of crafting the narrative for the design. Once the story is developed, I begin gathering references for both functional elements and general aesthetic choices. This begins with sourcing historical references before creating a library of shapes and functional elements that can be used to inspire the design.
SKETCH IDEATION AND FINALIZATION
This is when I begin sketching iterations for the sneaker. It all begins with the silhouette, focusing on the last shape, construction, and the goals of the shoe. Then I use my mood and inspiration boards as tools to develop variations of the design. Once the iterations are complete I work with a Product Marketer and/or collaborator to finalize the design.
DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL PROTOTYPING
Usually certain elements of the shoe require some form of prototyping. This can mean using 3D modeling programs such as Fusion 360, Blender, and Rhinoceros 3D. Sometimes I need to make physical samples, stitching uppers or sections of the upper.
CONSTRUCTION TECH PACKS
Creating technical drawings and explanations to be sent to the factory to instruct them on how to build the shoe. These may include custom shell patterns, blueprints of molded parts and soles, the layering of materials, and the construction methods taken to build the shoe.
COLOR AND MATERIAL
At the beginning of each season, and after any new designs for that season are finished, I begin to craft seasonal stories for color and material. These are often influenced by trend, but also heavily inspired by red threads that run across the season's sneaker models. I often create mood boards for these stories as well before gathering material and color samples to be used for tech packs and reference.
MATERIAL AND COLOR TECH PACKS
After determining the materials and colors for each article I organize them into tech packs that inform the factory of all of the specs. This includes the material supplier and material names as well as all of the color codes. There are also separate views to provide as much information as possible for each article.
UPPER AND TOOLING REVISIONS
After doing construction, material, and color tech packs and working with a developer and the factory, the factory sends an initial pullover of the shoe along with a shell pattern and blueprints. These are used in tandem to take measurements and make aesthetic and functional changes to be sent back to the factory.
