Personality as a core tenet of design

In this episode of Abstract, I watched how sneakerheads praise the designer Tinker Hatfield. Being a pole vaulter and previously working in architecture, Hatfield transitioned into the shoe industry when he was poached by Nike.

It was pleasant to see the process of creating Nike’s self-lacing shoe that was prototyped in the movie, “Back to the future,” and watch it come into fruition in 2015 as a shoe disrupting the tech industry. Drawing inspiration from architecture, he also designed the Nike Air Max that was known for its iconic visible bubble in the shoe. Hatfield talks about how he was inspired by the Centre Pompidou for its exposed interior plastered in loud, primary colors. However, the most poignant example for me was his collaboration with Michael Jordan on the different series of shoes they ideated and created together.

In design we often think about functionality, but Hatfield argues that “great design is able to say something”. I think this correlates heavily with design thinking methodologies such as designing with the user in mind. Similarly to the Jordans, Nike took the opportunity to associate a shoe with Michael Jordan, a renowned basketball player. Through the use of patent black leather (inspired by a black leather high heel), and creation of finger-like platforms in Air Jordan 9 (in photo below) that protrude out of the sole of the shoe to grip Jordan’s feet, Jordans incorporated Michael Jordan’s personality and crafted a functional sneaker for basketball.

What is most admirable about Hatfield is his ability to give an inanimate object character that embodies a story. In Abstract, Hatfield encompasses Michael Jordan’s career through various versions of Jordans. However, the shoe most criticised for its design encapsulated a sombre time for Hatfield’s personal life: the passing of Bill Bowerman, his father and Michael Jordan’s father. The use of all black seems to commemorate the loss of these people. Additionally the use of mixed textures and materials suggest Hatfield's turmoil and sadness.

While storytelling plays a part in design, as designers I think what Hatfield means when he says “good design says something” is supposed to make viewers have some sort of reaction. Great designers have been lauded for their ability to incorporate their interpretation of a specific encounter between a person, place or object and create an object that represents them the most relative to that time.