PRODUCT PROPOSAL
CONVERSE BRAND STUDY
Faina Iasen, 2019
DESIGN FUTURES AND LIFESTYLES labbook by Faina Iasen, 2019.
PROJECT TIMELINE
I always like to build a timeline for the project. I helps me to think through the steps while working on it as well as construct and document everything in the labbook afterwards. Usually it consist of things like brief, ideation, research, development and production with the evaluation being the last. But since this project is hypothetical and doesn't involve production, this timeline will be a bit different from what I usually stick to.
brand history ambassador user profiling products analysis ideation development finals
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CONVERSE TODAY CONV ERSE C HUCK ALL ST T A Y LO A R H IG R H TOP C LA S S IC S
Converse's fortunes have since rebounded. The company more than tripled its profit in 2002 compared with 2001. Rival Nike acquired the company in 2003 for $305 million. Nike tried tried to introduce new models and some apparel but it didn't get as much attention from the general pubic. In recent years, the company has benefited from a revival of vintage apparel. Even after a century, the original style of Converse's famous high-tops remains a hit.
examples of ambassadors
AMBASSADOR /amˈbasədə/
an accredited diplomat sent by a state as its permanent representative in a foreign country; a representative or promoter of a specified activity.
A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person who is hired by an organisation or company to represent a brand in a positive light and by doing so help to increase brand awareness and sales. Celebrity branding or celebrity endorsement is a form of advertising campaign or marketing strategy used by brands, companies, or a nonprofit organisation which involves celebrities or a well-known person using their social status or their fame to help promote a product, service or even raise awareness on environmental or social matters. The goal of coming up with an ambassador for the chosen brand is to better understand the brand's identity, ideology and target audience. Through this task I managed to research and adopt Converse's brand representation of themselves to the public.
CHARACTERS
THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD
BACKGROUND
The End of the F***ing World is a British dark comedy-drama television programme, based on a graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman. The programme follows James (Alex Lawther), a 17-year-old who believes himself to be a psychopath, and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), a rebellious classmate who sees in James a chance to escape from her tumultuous home life. The programme has been met with critical acclaim, and has been praised for its writing, execution and subject matter.
STORYLINE
Male, 17 Believes he is a psychopath, having once intentionally burned his hand in a deep fryer in order to feel something, and has been killing animals since he was 8 years old doesn't know emotions; has a lasting fantasy of punching his dad;
JAMES
James is a 17-year-old who believes he is a psychopath. He kills animals as a hobby but grows bored of the practice. He decides he wants to try killing a human. He settles on Alyssa, a mouthy, rebellious 17-year-old classmate with issues of her own. She proposes they run away together, hoping for an adventure away from her turbulent home-life, and James agrees with the intention of finding an opportunity to kill her. They embark on a road trip across England and begin to develop a relationship after a series of mishaps.
I chose these two characters because of their personal characteristics and their context in the show. The show is also very popular at the moment so they have quite a high level of relevance to the youth culture and the brand.
Outcast Unemotional, cold, nihilistic Socially akward, 'properly beautiful' (c)
CHARACTER Female, 17 Alyssa is teen angst personified. She feels estranged from her mother, hates her stepfather and rejects pretty much everyone she meets; bored and sceptical of normal people;
ALYSSA
Mood swings and wild ideas Reckless and edgy, Irresponsible and windy, daring and rebellious
Poster moodboard
PROMOTIONAL POSTER A type of poster created and designed in various colours, materials, mechanisms, shapes, sizes and styles used by a business, company or organisation to promote their goods, products or services. Often these posters feature various celebrity ambassadors to attract people with help of their favourite personalities and try to make them fee;l like they can relate to a brand or a particular product. I had to design a promotional poster for Converse featuring my chosen ambassadors James and Alyssa. It had to be catchy and attractive as well as relative to the brand and promoting it or its product.
POSTER CONCEPT in the style of a comic book since it originated from one, but the style of drawing will be closer to the TV show the colour palette of grey + white + black + red to compliment Converse's main colour and to keep it simple only one part of the slogan + integrate a noticeable piece from the name of the show in the same style and font - the title is well-known enough for people to know the second part of it + it's a homage to the name of the show and it makes it a bit more rebellious Only accents will be red and they will emphasise the shoe but at the same time calm it down with the big red car behind it
SHOES ARE F***ING BORING
POSTER EXECUTION I found an artist with the style that fits my requirements and the general concept of the poster, contacted her and together we developed a poster that I commissioned. The sketch in red is her vision with all the references and concepts provided by me. On the next spread, you can see the finished poster itself/
Poster sketches
POSTER The idea that I wanted the viewer to get from this poster is that shoeas are boring and once you get over them and are brave enough to wear sneakers - crazy amazing adventures happen in your life. They might be dangerous or scary but this life is still btter than a boring and stagnant one. And that's what Converse stands for This poster The final poster came out beautifully in 2 weeks with all the references and small details thought of as well as a couple eastern eggs added in the process (such as the 'ALL STAR' sign on the number plate). It was only my second comission and first collaboration so I was quite anxipus about iit the whole time but the artist was very friendly and helpful and we worked together great! Credits to Joy Johnson (@TheHumbug472 on twitter)
INTEGRATION IDEAS As a promotional poster on the streets / bus stops / near the shop / mall / on the billboards As a magazine and online advertisement As a hand-out flyer As a limited collection artwork sold in shops to the fans
CUSTOMER PROFILING /ˈkʌstəmə ˈprəʊfʌɪlɪŋ/
Customer profiling is a way to create a portrait of your customers to help you make design decisions concerning your service. Your customers are broken down into groups of customers sharing similar goals and characteristics and each group is given a representative with a photo, a name, and a description. This task was meant for us to understand the target audience of the chosen brand and their needs and desires. Going further it would provide ideas for products to be developed for this brand.I'm very familiar with the character profiling due to my background in creative writing and storytelling so this was a very enjoyable part of the project for me. I started with the most basic and stereotypical user character, they moved to the two opposites extremes on the opposite sides of the scale and then tried to find the middles between them and the stereotype. This way I came up with 5 profiles that you're about to read. Since Converse has a very long and close history with the youth culture and especially music, for this section of the labbook I compiled a special playlist with a song matching each separate profile. Please scan the QR code shown to enter the playlist and play songs in order according to the title at the top of a page.
01. Joe Dassin - Taka takata ( La femme du Toréro)
?REMOTSUC EHT SI OHW
CONVERSE CHUC K ALL STAR DINOVE TAYLOR RSE
Converse| 35$
Homelife Louis is a little demon of a 5 year old.
he's always scared when left in a line in a
He's constantly running around the
shop by himself that mom will be gone
house and the backyard and never sits
he feels frustrated when parents put him
still. His parents jokingly call him a
to bed earlier than his older brother
Tasmanian devil. His older brother
he is afraid to be a bad boy in Santa's list
Gabriel (8 yo) finds him cute rather
because he doesn't want to get bad
than annoying and looks out for him.
presents for Christmas
Motivations to grow up to be a super hero to jump higher than older brother for his parents to be proud of him
"
Fears and frustrations
Needs he gets thirsty easily so he needs to drink a lot of liquids throughout the day he is a bit shy and doubting so he needs to be encouraged and praised sometimes
Likes and dislikes
I like dinosaurs so
he really likes chocolate so he needs his Hershey's every now and then
loves to play pretend with his dinosaur
mommy buys them for me. I also like Hershey's,
"
toys and put on plays for his parents likes to play hide and seek with his
Desires, goals and dreams
but of those I don't get
older brother and his friends
he dreams of learning to fly and help
as much.
likes to play actively outside with other
people when he becomes older
kids and their parent's pets
he plays basketball and hopes to win a
Louis, 5
doesn't like to clean his room
medal one day just like sport stars do
Kindergartener
hates asparagus and apricots
every night before sleep he dreams of a
Marseille, France
pup to be his friend
$61 ROCCO & R
O X IE T - R E X
$04
?DEEN YEHT OD TAHW
19
PLUSH TOY
$
29
$
LE GO CR EA TO R 31 05 8 MI GH TY DI NO SA UR S Louis is an active boy with an extremely
Louis likes dinosaurs a lot. And
inquisitive young mind. He's interested
although he mostly plays with
in how things are made and how they
plastic figurines, he could take this cute plush dinosaur to bed with him. This cute little T-Rex
HE RI TA GE BA CK PA CK
Y ST O R A G E B O X LA
RGE
work and why. So he would benefit
| SK Y CA PT AI N
strongly from constructor like toys such as Lego creator. It will also help him develop fine motor skills and
will protect him from underbed monsters and bad dreams.
M O K EE FE LT B A B
Louis doesn't go to school yet,
understanding of causal relationships
but he attends kindergarten on
between elements. And if at the end he
weekdays, so he needs a nice
will get to build his own dinosaur than
little backpack to always keep
it's even better!
his favourite dino toys and coloured pencils with him.
Louis owns a lot of toys and a lot of times he leaves them scattered on the floor of his bedroom or in the garden. With this cute box all his dinos and cars will be stored neatly. It can be customised by drawing, embroidering or putting a name tag on it. And its soft felt structure will not hurt its little owner with sharp edges of standard storage boxes.
$61
$ 9 0 1
$00
S 1 0 " B IC Y
CLE
$741
2
A S A M A K ID
TW O GI RL S W IT H GI FT S DI NO SA UR PE NC IL CA SE Louis likes to draw comic books
Louis is a very active boy and he always finds obnoxious ways to let his energy out. He's also very clumsy and
about dinosaurs and super heroes
NU NA AA CE BO OS TE R
but he has difficulties keeping his
SE AT
drawing supplies in order, especially
get hurt because of it a lot, so his
when he takes them to kindergarten.
parents try to manage very carefully
This cute and fluffy dino pencil case
what he's engaging into. This balance
Louis is still a toddler so he has to
will definetely come in handy and
bike will let Louis have fun during
be seated in a booster seat during
help him keep all the pens and
walks and won't go too fast and get
car rides that he likes so much. This
pencils neat and tidy.
hurt. One of the greatest advantages
comfortable and stylish booster
of balance bikes is that kids ride them
will keep him safe and comfortable
all on their own.
even during the longest rides.
WIG IWA MA MO NO CH RO ME STR IPE S TEE PEE SET Louis is a child with wild imagination and great love for play-pretend games with his peers and parents so it would be awesome for him to get a full-size (to a child) wigwam for fun times!
02. Lana Del Rey - Born to die
?REMOTSUC EHT SI OHW
CONVERSE CHUC K STAR LOW TOP CL TAYLOR ALL ASSICS WHITE
Converse| 50$
Homelife
Fears and frustrations
Jamee is a quiet school girl who can
her main fear is other people's
often be seen reading books in the
expectations because they're so different
library or talking to the teachers about
from her own plans and dreams
their subjects. But with her closest
she's really scared of the idea of being
friends she unravels her beautiful
forced in a profession she would hate
personality and goes full head into creating, sharing and enjoying life.
Motivations
"
Needs
to develop deep interpersonal
she feels great need for acceptance and
relationships with people she
understanding from her closest people
considers friends
she is quite introverted and needs her
to get accepted into Oxford
personal time and privacy to avoid being overwhelmed with the loudness
I might seem ordinary
Likes and dislikes
and over saturation of the outside world
Jamee likes quiet big spaces like libraries
but I think in song
and crowded indie concerts
lyrics and poetry.
she enjoys reading, watching old movies
"
Jamee, 16 School student
Dundee, Scotland
Desires, goals and dreams
and discussions on literature web forums
to major in classic literature in Oxford
she loves cooking but hates doing dishes
to overstep her shyness and try theatre
her least favourite day is Sunday because
she dreams of writing music and be a
the town's library is closed
classic English literature teacher to
her secret pleasure is watching people
interest kids in the beauty of language
with dogs having strolls at the park
and world of stories and characters
$0021
$81
AP PL E 13 -IN CH M AC BO
OK AI R
$021
$051
?DEEN YEHT OD TAHW
G O S T A T IO NERY A 5 M ID Y E M O N O C H R O M E A R D IA R Y
Attending school and instrument classes, Jamee always has to do a
Being a high-schooler today requires a great deal of personal responsibility and organisation, especially time-management
lot of papers writing, chores
RO CK BO X BO LD L W AT ER PR OO F BL UE TO OT H SP EA
googling and other internet
KE R
wise. This simple and elegant weekly organiser will help out with keeping classes, birthdays and appointments neat and tidy!
surfing on the go. With this stylish light-weight Macbook she will
GA TO R CA SE S JO UR NE YM AN RE GU IT AR DE LU XE WO OD CASO NA TO R SE
have no problem working on a Jamee is in love with music and
bus, during a school lunch or even
Her first guitar was given to Jamee
she tries to carry it everywhere she
in a cafe nearby the rehearsal
by her granddad and it's still her
goes. That includes pool parties,
studio. Always keeping up!
favourite by this day. She cherishes
baths and showers. To make them
it like her life. This wonderful sturdy
a bit more fun she can use this
wood case will protect it with its
waterproof bluetooth speaker that
velvet lined walls and keep Jamee
doesn't fear rain, pools or bubbles!
in style with its elegant design
$8
$56 1
1
Jamee does give credit to vinyl records for their warm human-like
value authenticity and uniqueness they catch moment and save them somewhere else apart from
sound. Especially when they come
AP PL E AI RP OD S
ability to save and store moments while keeping thm unique and not needing to print out photos.
with a free link for a mp3 version! For her it's a great way to enjoy the
SW EET CO UC H TRI AN GLE S PEN CIL
CA SE
same tracks both at home and
unreliable human memory. This instant camera will give her the
DI E CD
Enjoying music like she does,
Jamee is one of those people who a lot. She likes photos in the way
LA NA DE L RE Y - BO RN TO
$21
$06
F U J IF IL M IN QUA BLUE STAX SQUARE SQ6 IN S T A N T C AMERA
She's a person who owns multiple pairs of headphones for all kinds of situations. Apple Airpods allow her to listen to music in gym, in the streets and even during boring classes. But shhhhh.
away while also supporting her
She doesn't draw much, just
favourite artists.
doodles sometimes. And also needs some coloured pens for her conspects so this pencil while small, provides all the storage she needs on an everyday basis.
03. Sunrise Avenue - Dreamer
?REMOTSUC EHT SI OHW
CONVERSE CHUC K T STAR HIGH TOP C AYLOR ALL LASSICS RED
Converse| 60$
Homelife Jacob is a university student
to be stuck in one place for too long
majoring in general management
stagnation, boredom
for the sake of a diploma. He lives
to never find his niche in the world
for travelling, meeting new people
is always annoyed and frustrated when
and exploring the world.
limited and put in the box
Motivations
"
Fears and frustrations
Needs
is driven by desire to find his true
money for his trips
passion in life
a big backpack for his belongings
wants to reach his full potential
a small easy-to-match wardrobe his regular sport activities
Likes and dislikes
I'm always on the move, travelling light, I don't want anything
"
a rush of Adrenalin from time to time
likes to travel with only basics in his backpack, nothing excessive hates to be held down by lots of clatter
Desires, goals and dreams
or his own insecurities
to round the world back and forth
likes to explore the authenticity of each
to find his passion and base his future
place he visits
business on it
Jacob, 21
likes to ride his bicycle and skate
a partner who would share his values
University student
enjoys speed and feel of freedom
and views on life, passion for travel
to hold me back!
USA, CA
$021
$03 NK 10400
RA Y- BA N RB 34 49 SU NG
LA SS ES
$051
POWER BA
$54
?DEEN YEHT OD TAHW
X IA O M I M I
MAH He lives in sunny California
Jacob doesn't like to be tied to one
when the Sun shines all year
place so having his pone charged
around so to protect his eyes
at all times is very important to him. Even at home he doesn't use the wall power to charge it except
GL AS S W AT ER BO TT LE
from excessive light damage
0, 55 L
for the night. This heavy-duty power bank will keep him supplied with energy anywhere anytime and won't take much space in his backpack or pocket
It's important to stay hydrated while doing any sports, especially away from home. This sturdy sport bottle will help Jacob out on training sessions as well as on plane flights while also reducing his impact on the environment.
Jacob can use these trendy and all-fitting aviator Ray-Bans.
MA RS HA LL MA JOR II BLU ETO OTH Jacob likes music and enjoys listening to it most of the time so he really likes a good pair of headphones. He's the type of person to pay once and use for years so these Marshall Majors, although pricy, will guarantee him quality sound and style for time.
$021
$03 2
Travelling light, Jacob needs a good spacious backpack to fit in a couple
While enjoying traditional sports
of clean shirts, his devices and some
and vehicles, Jacob also likes to be independent in his travels. This self-powered skateboard can provide him free transportation
food. This reliable backpack will not
17 91 VI NT AG E - SI LV
ER ZI PP O LI GH TE R
only keep all of his belongings safe
Jacob cares about his things so he prefers to have few of good ones than myriads of clutter. This classic zippo lighter will last him decades and save a lot of plastic from one-use lighter on its way.
RX 1R PR OFE SSI ON AL CO MP AC T CA
ME RA
but also prevent his back from getting tired.
in his trips while still allowing manual use. A 2-in-1 solution!
IC A BA CK PA CK
2
HE RS CH EL LI TT LE AM ER
HOVER-1 C R S K A T E B O A U Z E E L E C T R IC S E L F R D W IT H C P A R R Y IN G H O W E R E D ANDLE
$004
50$
Jacob is an amateur but passionate photographer and he long dreamed about having a one-for-all camera to use in his travels. This Professional Sony camera will fill his need for high quality pictures and pleasantly surprise with its user-friendly interface.
04. Bebe Rexha- I'm a Mess
?REMOTSUC EHT SI OHW
CONVER
A B L E F F U D SE 3-WAY
Cllassic design | 2016
G
Homelife
Fears and frustrations
Hanna is a personal fitness trainer
always gates frustrated with people
from Germany who found her passion
who try to tell her where her place is
in movement and transition. She is
and underestimate her abilities
never stagnant, exploring new places
she lives in a big city and doesn't
and conquering new heights. Her days
understand the small town life, so she's
are filled with experiences, emotions
a bit scared to move out
and joy of life.
Motivations she wants to challenge herself and always improve
"
she wants to spread her lifestyle and passion for life to others around her and help them feel it Much like my city I
Likes and dislikes
live an active life
likes hiking during summer and extreme
during the day and don't bother to stop at night.
sports like snowboarding and ski during
"
Hanna, 28 Fitness trainer
Berlin, Germany
Needs she needs her freedom and lifestyle and won't let anybody take it away from her she is very social and can't be alone for long so she needs her social circle and regular interactions with other humans her morning running routine helps her clear her mind before the day starts
Desires, goals and dreams
the winter times
her goal in life is to live to the fullest and
adores all kinds of animals and rescues
experience life from different sides
cats and pups from streets
she dreams of travelling the world with
loves her cat Luna and always runs
her friends and living free
home after work to spend some time
she hopes that she'll stay herself even in
with her fluffy princess
the toughest of times and circumstances
$31
$0
9
$041
$54
?DEEN YEHT OD TAHW
ON CLOUD
JE M AC HE AR M BA ND X On her morning runs Hanna likes to watch the sun rise above
Hanna is a sports enthusiast and
the river and having some nice
she especially enjoys her morning runs. These On Cloud running shoes will support her heels and ankles and help her set the right
VE NU M GL AD IA BO XI NG GL OV ES - BLTO R 3. 0 AC K/ BL AC K
music to listen to only enriches the experience. This armband will secure her phone on her bicep safely and provide her
mood for the entire day. She is one strong woman and she shows it through her boxing as well! These Venum boxing gloves will protect her knuckles and aid her on her way to the top of the ring!
freedom from pockets and the noises of the city.
GA TO R CA SE S JO UR NE YM AN RE GU IT AR DE LU XE WO OD CASO NA TO R SE Hanna always strives to get better and reach higher so she tracks her progress meticulously. This smartwatch will help her keep close watch at her daily activity, sleep and heart rate during training while seamlessly integrating in her everyday outfits.
$333
$91 65 TSWEAR H
E R IT A G E F A
JB L BO OM BO X PO RT ABRLE BL UE TO OT H SP EA KE
NNY PACK
$841
N IK E S P O R
$
The gym which she trains is quite spacious and the acoustics is quite
Another perk of a morning run for Hanna is getting that amazing coffee from her favourite coffee shop down the river. This fanny
sensitive so she likes to keep the
SH EF IT UL TI M AT E SP
OR TS BR A
run to let her enjoy her guilty pleasure without the burden of pockets and big bags,
out all thuds and steps. This heavy duty JBL boombox will help her
pack will take care of her wallet and keys all the way through her
music on during sessions to mute
Chest support is vital for women during sport activities as it provides freedom of movement and security. This innovative sports
ON MY LEV EL RU CK SA CK
and her students focus as well as provide some motivation through
Since Hanna has a gym-social
the dynamic beats resonating
double life she needs to keep a
from the walls.
spare utfit to change into after work everyday. This comfortable and
bra will keep her safe and sound
spacious city rucksack will fit all of
and protect her ribcage during
her needs and a little bit more.
high intensity activities.
05. Louis Armstrong - Go Down Moses
?REMOTSUC EHT SI OHW
CONVERSE CHUC K STAR HIGH TOP A TAYLOR ALL LL BLACK
Converse| 55$
Homelife Bastian is a big city boy with lots of
he is frustrated by people who don't
colourful ideas in his head and a big
want to learn or improve anything
heart in his chest. Cheerful and
he often worries for his little daughter
outgoing, he's always the soul of the
to get in trouble or get hurt
company. But at home he becomes
he's afraid of becoming irrelevant so he
a loving husband to his partner and
constantly educates himself on current
the best father to his daughter.
trends and new techniques
Motivations he is driven by his passion for
"
I don't try to pretend
than myself.
"
Sebastian, 36
Brand Identity Consultant USA, NY
Needs
creation and aesthetics
feeling security for his family
he loves to help people and share
a stable income for comfortable living
his knowledge with those in need
time to socialise and catch up with
will do anything for his daughter
friends as well as quality time with family
to have a better life than he did
freedom of expression
Likes and dislikes
to be anything other
Fears and frustrations
likes to get a good coffee in the morning, especially if he's on dog duty that day he finds great joy in the way his daughter Mia plays with his dog Charlie loves ho hear and feel the buzz of the city enjoys listening to jazz and rock'n'roll
Desires, goals and dreams he wants the best for his daughter and will do everything for her well-being he dreams of opening his own design agency and spread his knowledge wider his goal is to become a person he would be proud of and look up to
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?DEEN YEHT OD TAHW
O G O N D E S IG
SA TC HM I MO TO RIN O MK 3 VIN YL PL AY ER
ALLET Raised on old classics and soft
Sebastian is not a cash and change guy so he doesn't ever carry a big 'presentable' wallet,
soulful sound of vinyl recordings,
AP PL E IP AD PR O 12 .9 + AP PL E PE NC IL
keeping it down to just several cards and a banknote or two instead. This sleek smart wallet will give him easy assets to all of his assets and still keep some change fro his daughter's lollipops.
Bastian rejects modern tendency to suppress musical art pieces into tiny mp3 files. He prefers to listen to music thoughtfully in the comfort
Being a creative professional, Sebastian often works on the go during random sparks of inspiration. Instead of carrying a notebook and then redrawing he can utilise this tablet and its pencil to express his ideas to their full potential right away.
IPH ONE 5S RET RO CAS SET TE CAS E
of his home. This innovative vinyl player will not only give him this
Sebastian doesn't show too much of
opportunity but also let him listen
his personality to others, preferring
to his favourite records through his
to hint it through small details here
Bluetooth headphones anywhere
and there. This nostalgic phone case
in the house.
will portray his connection to the earlier times and his warm love of it.
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DR MARTE
PO LO RA LP H LA UR EN EY EG LA SS ES 0P H2 08 3
0 BOOTS
Sebastian always says that Keeping it simple Sebastian dresses in black and its other
NH M OV E IN SU LA TI ON
eye-wear is as important to a
CU P O, 6L
variation most of the time. But he
gentleman as his shoes. These thin elegant Ralph Laurens will
MO LES KIN EÂŽ LEA TH ER NO TEB OO K
add to his generous collection.
still likes to showcase his creative side from time to time. These
Sebastian is a coffee maniac. A
tastefull embroidered Dr Martens
nice cup of cappuccino during his
boots will enrich his classic outfits
morning walk through Manhattan
a slight touch of fancy.
is his sacred daily ritual. This sleek insulated cup will fit in nicely, reducing the non-recyclable paper cups as a bonus.
He's a creative individual as well as practical, so even in the days of modern technology he still keeps a small notebook on him for times of no power and spontaneous inspirations. Moleskines are a classic that will suit his needs as much as his personality.
PERSONAL ELECTRONICS
SPORTS AND APPAREL
PERSONAL ITEMS & STATIONARY
ANALYSIS
Above are all most of the product I came up with during customer profiling. Looking at them altogether I was able to divide them into three categories. I plan to use them as guidelines of path I will go in the process of choice of product and its further development.
CATEGORISATION Personal electronic devices today are deeply engraved into our everyday lives , so it is not surprising to see that almost a third of all products fall into that category. I think it would be an interesting direction to go into with Converse as the company never stepped their foot there. I can also see the pattern in the amount of item connected to music in this category and over the profiles, which is nice since Converse had quite a close relationship with music over its history.
Sportswear and devices are quite obvious I'd say as Converse are a company who built their fame on their close connection to sports. I can see any of these product easily integrated into their product line. I'm not too exited with the idea of heading that direction as I think it is too simple and unambitious.
The last category is also the most vague out of three. It contains a wide range of different objects and products that are more or less mundane. I do like some of the items from there but it doesn't give a clear direction for further development.
BRANDING I started my path of learning the visual language of the company through taking some of the products I came up with earlier, finding a 3D model of it on the Internet and trying to brand it to look like Converse.
CONCLUSIONS First of all, I realised that Converse doesn't really have a clear visual language among all of their products except for the iconic sneakers. f you strip down their logo (one of its many variations) and the canvas textile - it is not Converse anymore. Their preferred colour palettes stands within monochrome and solid colour accents, in classic models it would be different variations of red.
THOUGHTS My main realisation through this activity is that I don't know what Converse is aside from their logo and shape of a sneaker, so if I want my final product to look and feel Converse without their logo, I have to dig deeper and go away from just colouring and stamping. It's time to draw some sketches.
converse's core design elements
WHAT'S THE CONTEXT?
WHAT'S THE CONTEXT?
THOUGHTS
THOUGHTS
This is one of my two best shots during this attempt at branding. I think it suits the image of Converse pretty well and since Converse do have a close connection to the skating community it would also go well with the positioning of the brand. It has a minimal design and a functional structure, leaving it most colourful part for the bottom of the board.
This is the second best that I got. I think out of all of my attempts this is the Closest one to the Converse branding, maybe even without the logo. I'm actually pretty satisfied with this one even though I know I won't go further with it as it leaves little space for creativity and imagination in my opinion.
?TXETNOC EHT S'TAHW
T N I R P T N A T S N I E S R E V CON A R E M A C L DIGITA
INSTANT CAMERA This is my second try at branding, this time in form of sketches. I think this time I got way closer. One of the decisions that I made at the very beginning was to not use the logo until the very end. At first in this one I added it to the shutter button but then decided it was too much and out of place, so I took it away and then used an embossed version of it which I am very happy with. I chose an instant camera since it's a phenomenon that got lost in the past but then came back to life with new power just as Converse did and it appeals to their nostalgic vintage trend as well. And the target audience is the same.
THOUGHTS The canvas texture is one of the main elements when it comes to it looking like Converse so I'll probably keep that for the final product. I can utilise parts of the sneaker design without the product being a shoe. Like the stitching ad the white stripe being an homage to the ribbon of the sneaker's sole. I have to look at the broader range of colours for the final product as being restricted with just red and monochrome seems very generic.
?TXETNOC EHT S'TAHW
H T O O T E U L B E S R E V N D O R C A O B Y E K R E T I R W E P Y T
TYPEWRITER KEYBOARD A typewriter is another thing from the past that many people find endearing and nostalgic. It is very rewarding in the feedback it gives to its user in the form of tactile and sound stimulation. Nowadays we're all in the flat lands of our touchscreen devices and thin laptop keyboards. I think this would be a nice refreshment, especially for those who have to write a lot due to the nature of their education, hobby or profession. It is a Bluetooth keyboard so it can be connected not only to a computer but also a tablet or even a smartphone, adapting them to be comfortable for long writing.
THOUGHTS The colours alone can have quite a connection to the brand I also used some metal from the sneaker's rivets and it integrated beautifully, but when I tried to make all of the button's casings metal it cae out too much. So I'll have to keep it to minimal in the final product. The change of shape should also be followed by a change of material or better adjusted as it might look lacking otherwise.
CONVERSE CHUC S T A R H I G H T O P CK T A Y L O R A L L LASSICS RED
BRANDING After closer look into the brand's visual language and its main design elements I decided to not try and combine all of their products and try to figure out a pattern and go with their iconic Chuck Taylor All Star instead, focusing on one product's details.
CONCLUSIONS I realised that many of the main elements are not as obvious on their own but they play a huge role when combined together. Main elements of their design is the functional parts that became a brand, e.g. stitching, sole pattern, the rubber strip connecting textile and the sole together. The elements I will use in the final product development will be the subtle ones first and the logo at the very end for it to not be overpowering.
THOUGHTS I want my final product to both look and feel like Converse, not just in its visual language but also its context. The elements on the right are going to be my main clues to its appearance, but the history of the brand will be the clue to its nature.
converse's subtle design elements
FAINA IASEN, 2019
Faina Iasen, 2019