Nike
Role
Artworker
Date
2023
Project Type
Retail experience
I collaborated with Seen Studios on a vibrant pop-up retail experience for Nike at All Points East Festival in London. Working closely with the art director, I produced a series of print-ready vinyl and paper artworks that brought the space to life, inline with Nike’s brand identity and the festival’s energetic atmosphere. The activation combined culture, community and purpose, including shoe-swap, DJ and beauty treatments. Guests could swap their shoes for a fresh pair of Nikes, with all donated footwear refurbished and redistributed via Sole Circle. A creative project rooted in circular design, collaboration and meaningful experience.
Brief
To deliver print-ready branded vinyls and environmental graphics in 2 day turnaround for Nike’s branded retail, culture and community experience.
Goal
Delivering a high-impact experience, promoting membership sign-up and sustainability action.
My Focus
Translating creative mock-ups into accurate, print-ready visuals for a dynamic physical environment, considering brand consistency, alignment and aesthetic cohesion.
Process
Briefing:
I was onboarded with a fast-turnaround brief, including mock-ups from the art director, brand assets and guidelines. My immediate role was to understand the goals, constraints, and user flow within the space festival-goers arriving, engaging with the swap process, and enjoying on-site experiences like music and styling.
Despite the design being primarily visual, I considered the festival-goer journey: How do they enter the space? What visual cues guide them? How does the branding contribute to excitement and clarity in a busy setting?
Design and Iterations:
I worked in Adobe Illustrator to produce artwork for vinyl applications across surfaces like mirrors, walls and display objects. Iterations were frequent, particularly with last-minute changes to colour palettes and layout specifications.
Challenge: Some dimensions (e.g. for furniture and mirrors) were unavailable or changed late in the process. This introduced risk and required rapid adaptation.
Reflection: This highlighted the importance of prototyping and early sign-off of physical assets. For future spatial or hybrid projects, advocating for early specifics or 3D mock-ups of objects (mirrors, signage frames) would create a smoother workflow and reduce late-stage uncertainty.
Production and Hand-off:
Once assets were approved by the client, I prepped files for print production ensuring accurate bleed, scale, and material specifications. I liaised with the art director to confirm final applications and use.
Even in handoff, I viewed deliverables as part of a broader ecosystem, ensuring the final experience felt cohesive, branded, and user-friendly in a live environment.
Challenges
Tight deadlines and no buffer for delays.
I prioritised clear file structure, rapid feedback loops, and clear communication with the art director and graphic designers.
Last-minute creative changes.
I maintained flexibility and to allow for quick updates.
Uncertain object dimensions.
I created adaptable designs with safe zones and suggested prototyping as a future improvement.
Reflections and Takeaways
Communication is key: Timely, transparent collaboration between creative, production, and client teams can make or break fast-paced experiences. Setting clearer workflows from the outset could have reduced pressure during the final hours.
UX isn't just digital: Even in print-based or spatial design, human behaviour, clarity and accessibility matter. Every design choice impacted how users felt and interacted with the brand.
Prototype early if possible: For future activations, I’d advocate for early-stage specifications of physical assets to confirm dimensions, placement, and user interaction with environmental objects such as mirrors, product displays, entry signage, etc.
Design for flexibility: The ability to adapt and pivot quickly while maintaining brand consistency is a vital skill, especially in hybrid or physical-digital contexts.
Outcome and Impact:
200 festival-goers visited the space
196 signed up as new Nike members
155 pairs of shoes were donated to Sole Circle
The activation was a vibrant success, encompassing community impact with immersive design. All shoes collected were refurbished by Sole Circle, reinforcing Nike’s brand ethos around movement, culture, and sustainability.
For me, the project was a valuable lesson in fast-turnaround design, cross-functional collaboration, and the role of design thinking beyond the screen.