PROGRESS WORK
sneakher culture
wall of inspiration images + content in my studio
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prelude reflecting back on such a long term project, I went through quite a few different phases and burned through a couple ideas before settling on the infographic series that became my final project. this is not to say that the work prior to the final outcome is not important, infact, it heavily informed the inspiration behind the infographs. my work throughout the year can be categorized into two main sections: before infographics and the infographics. Within those phases, there are eight distinct processes that I went through, all to create the final piece.
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contents 5 6 14 20
before infographics redesigned ads the “ideal� campaign sneaker illustrations
27 28 32 38 46 50
infographics color palette logo iteration infographic iteration original display plan final outcome
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before infographics prior to deciding on a series of infographics for the final form of my project, I explored multiple possibilities for how to convey my concept. I knew I wanted to make a statement on women’s underrepresentation within sneaker culture but wasn’t sure how to do so. in this section, I experimented with three rather different ways to communicate this specific gender imbalance.
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redesigned ads inspired by my visual research, I created a short series of “redesigned� advertisements that took a jab at the historical depiction of women vs men in sneaker marketing content. I came to the realization that, for example, the history of men’s basketball, can be clearly plotted out simply by observing sneaker ads throughout the decades. meanwhile, women are severely underrepresented, therefore, I redesigned a handful of retro advertisements in a way that highlights women that were excelling in either athletics or hip-hop during the same time periods.
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before infographics
redesigned ad inspiration; women vs men’s depiction Converse, 1966
progress work
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original ad Adidas 1973
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redesigned ad Sheryl Swoopes 1995
before infographics
original ad Walt “Clyde� Frazier 1970
progress work
redesigned ad Patricia Palinkas 1970
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original ad Michael Jordan 1987
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redesigned ad Debbie Brill 1979
before infographics
original ad Patrick Ewing 1985
progress work
redesigned ad Lynette Woodard 1985
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original ad Michael Jordan 1985
redesigned ad Brittney Griner 2019
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before infographics
original ad RUN DMC 1985
redesigned ad Salt n Pepa 1985
progress work
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the “ideal� campaign after deciding that redesigning ads was more of a visual exploration than an actual thesis project, I decided to attempt my own sneaker campaign that was aimed at inspiring and empowering women rather than focusing on selling a product. I first explored typography and pattern, then moving to digital illustrations of women icons in the sneaker industry. lastly, I created direct visuals with blunt wording, specifically aimed at the woman consumer. originally, I envisioned adding on photography and videography elements, however, I changed courses in my project before I reached this point.
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before infographics
campaign inspiration; trendy / minimal aesthetic top: Nike, 2019 bottom: Yeezy, 2018
progress work
campaign inspiration; inspirational aesthetic both: Nike, 2019
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typography exploration
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typography exploration
before infographics
digital illustration Diana Veras
progress work
digital illustration Aleali May
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call-to-action visual
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educational visual
before infographics
mock up example Instagram post
progress work
mock up example Facebook post
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sneaker illustrations during a creative rut, I attempted to keep busy by creating series of sneaker illustrations. while conducting visual research, I was often drawn to the frequently used hand-drawn digital aesthetic. by creating these illustrations, I was also studying the commonalities between popular sneakers, in addition to collecting color palettes inspired by each chosen sneaker.
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before infographics
illustration inspiration; top: Manuela Meurer, 2018 bottom: Stepha Pearson
progress work
illustration inspiration; both: Yang
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digital illustration series + color palette Nike Air Force 1
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before infographics
digital illustration series + color palette Air Jordan Retro 1
progress work
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digital illustration series + color palette Balenciaga Triple S
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before infographics
digital illustration series + color palette Air Jordan Retro 4
progress work
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digital illustration series + color palette Nike Air Max 97
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before infographics
infographics after these phases of form exploration, I came to the realization that women do not need another sneaker ad campaign; they need to be informed in order to ideally make more educated decisions in the future, plus this need also applies to men. the idea of the infographic series came in response to the overwhelming and shocking statistics that I came across in my prior research. I decided that the best way to communicate this specific gender inequality was to translate this information into visual graphics, making it more accessible to the masses. in this way, I am using sneaker culture as a lens to speak on the discrimination of women; a new perspective to stand out amongst the overload of existing feminist movements in the media.
progress work
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color palette before I dove into the making of the infographics, I first experimented with the overall branding and aesthetic for my project and exhibition. even though I wasn’t creating a brand, per se, I still visualized a branded experience for my audience — a cohesive look that coincided with my project topic. these applied branding methods will reassure the viewer that they are receiving information from a reliable source: a consistent branded front. in addition, the branding of the infographics provides an identity that viewers can identify and relate to. I first started with color explorations.
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infographics
color palette inspiration; top: Man vs Machine, 2018 bottom: Pinterest, artist unknown
progress work
color palette inspiration; top: Yu-Ming Huang, 2018 bottom: rakibcn, 2015
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color palette exploration cool toned gender neutral approach
color palette exploration mix of tones gender neutral approach
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infographics
final color palette warmer toned inspired by popular sneakers
progress work
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logo iteration when developing the logo, I went through a few name options, however the idea of utilizing the term sneakher remained constant. I also wanted the logo to reflect the digital hand-drawn aesthetic that I had decided upon, therefore, most logo iterations included a line drawing as a visual element to accompany the name.
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infographics
logo inspiration; top: Sneaker News bottom: Air Jordan, Miami Heat
progress work
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sneakher statistics sneakher statistics sneakher statistics 34
logo exploration black + white
infographics
sneakher culture building a better
logo exploration black + white
progress work
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sneakher culture sneakher culture alternate logos
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infographics
final logo
progress work
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infographic iteration while deciding the overall look and feel of the infographic series, I focused mainly on the first couple pieces in the document. during this process, I explored color, layout, pattern, and hierarchy. some aspects remained consistent such as aesthetic and typefaces. once I had finalized the first infographics, the rest of the infographics had only small changes.
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infographics
infographic inspiration; left: The Los Angeles Lakers right: Nike, Pinterest artist unknown
progress work
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individual graphic iterations
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infographics
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infographic iteration introduction
progress work
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SNEAKER MARKET BASICS market research that provides some context on how prominent sneakers are
market breakdown Taking a look at the sneaker market justifies how influential sneakers are at the moment. Sneakers alone account for almost a quarter of the shoe market. Considering how popular sneakers are, they provide a unique lens for observing our society.
sneaker sales
20 billion
9.45%
popularity by sneaker brand most popular brands by search terms in 2017 showing that Nike (who also owns Jordan) is by far the most popular brand.
total shoe sales
82.1 billion
putting it into perspective In order to get a better idea of how much money the sneaker industry makes:
at Nike alone, there are
25 pairs sold
per second that adds up to
$100 million per day sneakerhead: (n) a sneaker enthusiast; a person who collects, trades, or admires sneakers as a hobby.
5.88%
athletics
5.53%
hip-hop
3.41%
sneaker culture fashion
celebrities
1.34%
The four main influences on sneaker culture, in addition to sneaker culture informing these areas
new sneaker sub-markets With the ever-changing nature of the sneaker market, there have been distinct sub-markets emerge in recent years. The graphic on the left represents the growing demand for resold sneakers, becoming even easier with online services. This creates an immense amount of revenue on its own. On the right, women have clearly become a force in sneaker culture.
rise of resale
women in sneakers
women’s sneaker sales increased 37%
2438%
resale average: $4,000
$3,901
$3,000
2169%
resale average:
$3,904
$2,000
1268%
resale average:
$1,520
1200%
resale average:
$1,921
$1,000 retail:
$160
retail:
$180
$0
Nike Air Jordan 1 Solefly Art Basel “Black”
Undefeated x Nike Kobe 1 Protro “Flight Jacket”
retail:
$120
Nike Kyrie 3 “Ray Gun”
retail:
$160
Nike Air Jordan 1 Solefly Art Basel “Sail”
674%
resale average:
$978
retail:
$145
Nike Kyrie 4 “London”
646%
resale average:
$388
retail:
$60
Crocs x Post Malone “Dimitri Clog”
while high heels dropped 11%
infographic iteration sneaker market basics
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infographics
SNEAKER MARKET BASICS market research that provides some context on how prominent sneakers are
market breakdown Taking a look at the sneaker market justifies how influential sneakers are at the moment. Sneakers alone account for almost a quarter of the shoe market. Considering how popular sneakers are, they provide a unique lens for observing our society.
putting it into perspective In order to get a better idea of how much money the sneaker industry makes:
sneaker sales
20 billion
at Nike alone, there are
9.45%
popularity by sneaker brand most popular brands by search terms in 2017 showing that Nike (who also owns Jordan) is by far the most popular brand.
total shoe sales
82.1 billion
25 pairs sold
per second that adds up to
$100 million per day sneakerhead: (n) a sneaker enthusiast; a person who collects, trades, or admires sneakers as a hobby.
5.88%
athletics
5.53%
hip-hop
3.41%
sneaker culture fashion
celebrities
1.34%
The four main influences on sneaker culture, in addition to sneaker culture informing these areas
new sneaker sub-markets With the ever-changing nature of the sneaker market, there have been distinct sub-markets emerge in recent years. The graphic on the left represents the growing demand for resold sneakers, becoming even easier with online services. This creates an immense amount of revenue on its own. On the right, women have clearly become a force in sneaker culture.
rise of resale
women in sneakers
women’s sneaker sales increased 37%
2438%
resale average: $4,000
$3,901
$3,000
2169%
resale average:
$3,904
$2,000
1268%
resale average:
$1,520
1200%
resale average:
$1,921
$1,000 retail:
$160
retail:
$180
$0
Nike Air Jordan 1 Solefly Art Basel “Black”
Undefeated x Nike Kobe 1 Protro “Flight Jacket”
retail:
$120
Nike Kyrie 3 “Ray Gun”
retail:
$160
Nike Air Jordan 1 Solefly Art Basel “Sail”
674%
resale average:
$978
retail:
$145
Nike Kyrie 4 “London”
646%
resale average:
$388
retail:
$60
Crocs x Post Malone “Dimitri Clog”
while high heels dropped 11%
infographic iteration sneaker market basics
progress work
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infographic iteration sneaker market basics
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infographics
infographic iteration (cropped) sneaker culture timeline
progress work
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original display plan before switching to an online gallery, I was planning to print the infographic series in a large scale format, all fitting together to make “one� large infographic. each infographic could potentially stand alone, however, I was drawn to the idea that they formed a larger set of data.
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infographics
gallery layout illustration
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layout plan in my studio
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infographics
mock up of gallery display
progress work
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final outcome based on the obstacles that were thrown my way, I am very satisfied with how my project turned out. an additional bonus: in this format, the infographic series has the potential to reach a broader audience which would add to the educational value that I was hoping for. overall, my infographics serve as an educational tool for the general public, speaking on gender inequality from a new lens perspective: sneaker culture.
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infographics
sneakher culture The following series of infographics displays a summary of an immense amount of research focused on women’s underrepresentation and gender inequality within sneaker culture. With sneakers being so influential in our society today, this study provides a specific lens and new perspective on women’s representation and equality.
CONTENTS
clickable infographic topics that bring you to the designated page sneaker market basics
significance of hip-hop
the gender pay gap
general information about the industry for better understanding of the following infographics
data regarding the connections between hip-hop, the industry, and gender imbalance
the pay gap related to sneaker culture and how it relates to broader contexts
final infographic series (cropped) sneaker culture timeline
women’s sneakers
role model importance
definitive timeline of sneaker culture vs “sneakerher” culture, highlighting the differences
proof that women have far less sneaker options than men, adding to the female exclusion
the mental benefits of having role models that look like you + women’s empowerment
significance
women’s
conclusion +
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