From March 22 to April 15, Nike will be hosting Nike: ON AIR, a design workshop series in Paris, London, New York, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo that engages participants in the Nike footwear design processes.
The program grants participants (no prior experience in product design is required) an opportunity to create the ultimate articulation of one of 10 Air Max icons for their city through creative sessions that will encompass the briefing, concept building and mood boarding stages of design.
In each city, the design brief begins with a consideration of the local environment. Participants are asked to envision a new Air Max for their respective city, taking inspiration from what it means to them and their experiences in it. Nike designers, with help from guest mentors from the local creative community, guide the approach principles, which involve innovative problem solving, sustainable materials and manufacturing.
The day is shaped by the following five stages of footwear product creation:
1. Concept development: Participants will explore ideas and research the subject of the design brief and form the initial story behind their concept.
2. Silhouette selection: The program’s silhouettes will be revealed and, in partnership with Nike designers and guest mentors, the participants will select the one that best fits their respective concept.
3. Material exploration: Nike designers will lead a deep dive into material theory, exploring a variety of swatches to select the elements of the chosen silhouette’s upper.
4. Color exploration: Participants will get a lesson in color theory and be guided through the process of selecting colors that best express the intent of their concept.
5. Embellishment: Participants will learn about and apply post-embellishment techniques ranging from laser engraving to embroidery, the final steps in bringing their imagined vision to life.
Upon completion of the Nike: ON AIR program, each participant will submit their Air Max concept to a judging panel, including Nike designers and city ambassadors, who will select the top three designs from each city. From there, these concepts will be turned into 3D designs that will go to a global vote on nike.com/onair (in a style akin to last year’s Vote Forward campaign). The most-voted design per city will go into production and be made available at a later date.
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