SNEAKERS DESIGN SUBMISSION 2017

Late 2016 and earlier this year, I participated in two different pensole sneakers design competitions. I lost the first which was a TV show and the other was a boot camp which I won. I was denied visa though to train as a footwear designer but the experience was an amazing one as I discovered how to render my designs using vector illustrations.

The brief was to design a footwear themed around a fashion designer from the 18th century and other inspirations from my environment.

The Mood board

The Sketch

The line art

The Knit

Adding the details

Full render

Of course, a patriot must always remember where he comes from

...and lastly, my favourite colour combinations

PRO(duct)-DESIGN

I got into the office early and I noticed the red can on the left in the picture above on one of the tables. In a split of a second, I thought "what was an insecticide doing in here?" as I couldn't smell the choky smell of it being used. Obviously, the office assistant forgot to take it along after cleaning.

Anyway, I sat at my desk trying to get into the day's work when I noticed a creepy spider on my wall. I got up like "den! den!! den!!!" you are dead. I rushed to the table to pick up the can I spotted earlier, dashed back to my table and sprayed the hell out of the spider. My nose was subconsciously insensitive to the smell as I was prepared to capture the spider's fatal fall and death under the choky smell of my wicked deed, then I realised the smell was odourless and the spider was gallivanting joyously. I was hit by the brick-wall sound effect "windows" always makes with a big speech bubble that read "NTOI!" from the spider.

I looked at the can again, then I saw "Mr Sheen multi surface polish" for wood, glass, metal, plastic. I shook my head in disappointment and said to myself, "Another failed design".

The reason is this simple.  My mind has attached red in that space to insecticides which automatically made me think it was an insecticide in the first place. According to the psychology of colour as shown below, red might not be a very good choice of colour for "Mr. Sheen" but hey! the product has been in existence before I was born.

For polish and stuffs, I expect cool colours to be used like blue etc.

Perhaps, products could be designed for design sake and just let people get used to it by constantly shoving it in their faces or design could be done with the user in mind to deliver great products and experiences.

Anyway, I have learnt to read the labels on every product before use so as to cure my ignorance. I hope you do too.

LONG THROAT

There is this discussion going on about the "Pepsi Long throat" campaign and I particularly don't believe that the idea was best expressed compared to the weight of the idea but I get it especially when the client says the agency needs to use their ambassadors in the works( blah! blah!! blah!!!....because they are obviously paid a lot of money).
So, my questions are,
Is the wrong use of caricature the best approach?
Lastly; does the increase in size of the bottle best express the long throat proposition?
I think this gives an opportunity to design a product as shown below.
Option A is to design a bottle with long throat or option B is to design a can that is longer than the normal can which people would kinda love to hold (maybe). I think any of these would spark a better conversation and put the brand in the mind of consumers especially when there is an introduction of BIG COLA which is even 65Cl for same price.