- A Boot that makes a Statement -
Between June and July 2014, Mesh01 joined the Saudi sports brand DR3 to launch a competition named "DR3 Turf Football". The contest had a very interesting premise, which led me to participate, and at the end of two rounds I had the privilege to see my design selected as winner!
Below is the project I submitted, the DR3 One Touch, as well as the description of its creation process.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when creating it.
With two rounds of a week each, the contest was aimed at creating a boot for the amateur Saudi soccer player, meeting
their needs and creating a statement through storytelling, using patterns, materials and unusual shapes and colors.
- Research & Design Exploration -
Just like in any other country where soccer is the most popular sport, Saudis are passionate about their local teams. In the image above, the fans of Al-Ittihad (left) and Al-Ahli (right), two of the biggest soccer clubs in the country and both from the city of Jeddah.
The consumer of soccer related products in Saudi Arabia are men between teens and young adults, who enjoy playing from 3 to 5 times a week in different types of ground.
With teams such as Arsenal and Internazionale Milano owning soccer academies in KSA, Saudis also grew to become passionate about big European clubs and their playing styles. It's easy to spot Barcelona jerseys in the crowd during a Saudi Professional League match day. FC Barcelona is one of the most respected and praised, along with its trademarked "one touch football" style.
Also known as the "Tiki-Taka", this style of play is characterized by quick and short ground passing, smart use of ball possession, being elegant, fluid and precise, resembling a synchronized dance while working the ball around towards the goal. Players of this style must comprehend team unity and spacial geometry on a soccer field to be able to triangulate plays successfully.
DR3 Sports headquarter is located in Jeddah, one of the fastest growing cities in the Middle East. Jeddah's recent architectural projects (such as the KAUST Beacon or the upcoming tallest building in the world, the Jeddah Tower) feature a futuristic aesthetic mixed with traditional Saudi patterns, which provided material and insights for telling this project’s story.
With inspirations in mind I started a series of sketches trying to merge functionality and story, incorporating details of Jeddah architectural landmarks to a fast and lightweight boot for players adept to “one touch football” style. Since storytelling was so important in this project, my final goal was to somehow represent the "Tiki-Taka" soccer style in the boot's upper pattern.
- 2014: The DR3 One Touch -
After much exploration, the best ideas were combined to create a single, powerful design. The attempt
was to create something feasible, but iconic and yet not seen on the market. A boot that could reflect
Saudi Arabia's prosperous economic future while paying a homage to the "one touch soccer" style.
To finish the first round, I focused on quick digital renderings that could represent the general idea around the boot.
It also was used to show material piecing, emboss and different finishes of the DR3 One Touch.
The "one touch football" visually represented
A different color line (blue, in this case) trace a path through the pattern over the boot's upper, representing the way to the goal through a series of passes. The line flows to the “strike and pass” area, and then cross the outsole returning to its starting point, mimicking the start of a new play.
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Below is the second and final round of the project after DR3's feedback upon round 1. Both cleated
and artificial turf outsoles were redesigned and the boot drawing was turn into vectors for a better
understanding of shape, construction, material piecing and material position on equipment. Few other
details were added to the final design, such as the Arabic pattern over the cleated outsole PU plate.
- 2017: The DR3 One Touch Revisited -
In May 2017, I decided to revisit the DR3 One Touch project. A new and more realistic lateral rendering was
created with the goal of further exploring the design while generating a new base for colorway ideations.
It was an opportunity to apply new skills to an old project, refine the design look, and bring it closer to the
original design intent. Less technical limitations were present in the final design. Below is the final result.
In this comparison it's clearer how references were used to visually represent both the city of Jeddah and the Tiki-Taka soccer.
The heel shape was inspired by the architectural structures present along Jeddah Tower project.
- Colorways -
The color schemes below were created with ultimate goal to push the boot design's possibilities.
Unique color combinations with inspiration to guide various marketing strategies.
Colors that represent the elegance of Jeddah and celebrate Saudi Arabia's traditions and prosperity.
Bold colors combinations for bold players, representing unity and showing that teamwork (and some style) make the dream work.
Strong and vibrant color pops over a neutral base, representing quick thinking and swift passing.
As fast and intense as a thunderbolt.
Subdued colors with matte finish. Classic, elegant, timeless, precise, lethal. All of this without showing off.
For those who invade enemy's base and strike before being detected by the defender's radar.
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Thanks for taking the time to get to know my work!
Please, if you have any opinion, compliment, question or criticism,
let me know in the comments section below!
For more projects and updates, please visit: flaviomarkiewicz.com
