Research
Looking at both correct branding and innovation, this device had to know both consumers and client needs. We utilised brand guidelines from Size? and New Balance, and investigated Size? stores. Looking from the perspective of a customer to see where the issue lied.
The team and I found that the store "didn't feel like you could hang about in it" and it seemed as though customers went quickly in and out of the store. We wondered how we could make customers pause for a moment, gather interest in the store as well as the New Balance shoe line and it's materials.
Ideation & Development
In ideation, the team went through many stages of trial and error. Utilising a whiteboard and throwing ideas around until we came up with Footprint. When we'd settled on an idea, we half-faked the interaction for the prototype, which I made using Figma, for the on-screen interaction. I created a variety of these for team review, and we decided on a development for each stage of design as a unit.
As New Balance's made-in-UK line specifically came from a seaside factory in Flimby, we chose to have the user control a wave-like motion using the shoe as an interface. Getting the user hands on with the high quality fabrics and designs, combining this with a sound shower (a device with a one-spot speaker) to support and explain the making process.
Design
Using the Size? orange and the New Balance red, I went about making the visual design that the consumer could interact with. We consistently recognised the brand guidelines throughout the process, and took note of the style of New Balance and Size? advertising, as well as site designs.
We also had a stationary screen, that played Ads when it was not in use, to indicate to the user how to start the interaction, and so the screen is not useless otherwise.
