RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
I had little to no interest in the Science Museum and Live Collaboration projects. The live competition around the creative conscience movement is intriguing. Still, I have spent the past few weeks exploring the effects of overly curated social media on our mental health and isolation and loneliness in the previous module. I would like to head in a different direction in the forthcoming weeks.
I am inspired by Morag Myerscough's Belonging Seminar showcasing her colourful structures that liven up neighbourhoods and cityscapes while involving the communities in the project I set about to explore the D&AD New Bloods Awards Adidas project. I tailored my research towards campaigns that were executed together with the help of communities and involved colourful, lively design constructs.
I looked at hype courts, spruced up with colourful makeovers in St Louis basketball and New York.
William LaChance created a giant mural across a series of basketball courts in a St Louis suburb to revitalise derelict communities overrun with poverty and corruption. With the help of 10 volunteers from the local neighbourhood, bold patterns were painted across three adjacent courts. The primary intent of the design was to create a tapestry of colour fields, large enough to act as stage sets awaiting the players (Howarth, 2017).
Artist Brian Donnelly in collaboration with Nikes New York Made campaign, covered two side-by-side courts on Manhattan's Stanton Street. The design featured bold lines and shapes, featuring an abstract version of his signature Elmo and Cookie Monster BFF designs, with crossed-out eyes. The project aimed to create collaboration within communities and public art that could casually reach people who aren't necessarily looking for it (Morby, 2016).
Fig. 5-7: Morby, 2016.
Nikes Be True campaign refurbished the running lanes of a track at Los Angeles City College. Each route painted a colour of the rainbow pride flag to advocate for the equality and inclusivity of LGBT+ athletes. The curved running lanes follow the order of the iconic eight-striped flag designed by Gilbert Baker, starting with pink and ending with a ring of violet. Lane numbers, arrows and other necessary signage are painted over the coloured pathways. The design aims to create a more inclusive culture through the power of sport (Klein, 2019).
Fig. 8, 9: Klein, 2019.
Exploring installation and executions in public spaces and cities together with community members, I focused on the work of Yinka Ilori and Myer Myerscough.
I have long been a fan of Nigeria, London-based designer Yinka Ilori who transformed 18 pedestrian crossings for the London Design Festival, using vibrant bands of colour and patterns. The project aimed to bring joy to the thousands of people walking through London's streets every day and celebrate places, communities and experiences.
The usual black and white stripes were replaced with bold shades of blue, orange, pink, purple and green, transforming the mundane into a focal point where people can experience art. Students from the University of the Arts London and volunteers participated in the design and execution (Frearson, 2021).
Fig. 10, 11: Frearson, 2021.
All of Morag Myerscough's work is grounded in the sense of belonging, community involvement and participation. From her first permanent installation, Power alongside the Thames in London to See Joy pedestrian crossing in Leeds and Surrender, to its Warm Embrace Life installation in Las Vegas. The creations showcase vibrant colour, patterns and scale of execution that attracts and engages an audience's curiosity and wonder (Myerscough, 2021).
Fig. 12-15: Myerscough, 2021.
The research and inspiration from this week will work as the foundations for my concept direction.
IMAGINE
D&AD New Blood Awards 2019 Brief
Use the power of sport as a catalyst for change through an innovative Adidas service or experience to improve the fabric of a city.
Adidas wants to make a difference in the lives of athletes and the world at large through sport, using cities and communities as sites for transformation.
Aimed at an audience between 17 and 25, explore the relationship between a city, sport, community or cultural issue. Use the city environment to find a meaningful way for Adidas to make a tangible, lasting impact in the communities.
Key elements that should be considered are - What change will my idea bring about? What is a crucial aspect or point of difference about my city? What issues are faced by the athletes? What are the aspirations and beliefs of the audience? How can I capitalise on Adidas's assets, networks, famous athletes, newsrooms and retail spaces? How will my target audience experience my concept? How can it be spread via media platforms?
Analysis of three competitor campaigns
1) Level The Playing Field Adidas Campaign
Overview
The Norwegian team of Johnstad and Lofald ascertain that only 7% of sports media covers women's sports in the UK. Young girls cannot be expected to keep playing sport or be encouraged to start when they hardly see any female athletes in media.
A hypothetical Level, The Playing Field campaign, was created to encourage people to donate their Instagram profiles and become micro-broadcasters of a woman's rugby union league match to supersede the viewership's of their male counterparts.
Adidas promoted the match across billboards and social media platforms and created their own crowdsourced media network with millions of potential viewers (Level The Playing Field | 2019 D&AD New Blood Winner | Adidas | D&AD, 2019).
Analysis
The strength of the campaign lay in the use of technology and the power of social media, specifically when aimed at a younger female target audience. This approach directly targeted their demographic in a medium they frequently use and allowed for audience participation and engagement.
Some weaker points of the campaign are the print advertisements on billboards, buses and print media instead of online and social media.
2) Belgian basketball court refreshed with mural based on colourful toy blocks.
Overview
Artist Katrien Vanderlinden painted colourful shapes inspired by toy bricks onto a basketball court in the Belgian city of Aalst. Inspired by a children's game called Logical Blocks, she added colourful triangles, circles, and rectangles between the traditional court markings, creating spaces for the local children to play other games.
"I like the fact that you can play the basketball game and that this design creates extra spaces for children to make up their games."
The courts are designed to be best-seen from above in response to the growing popularity of drone photography. The project breathed new life and colour into an inner-city area quickly and cheaply. The neighbourhoods were given a facelift, and sports, art, culture and youth were brought together (Gibson, 2013).
Fig. 16-19: Gibson, 2013.
Analysis
The inspiration of a children's game incorporated into the design of the court creates a multifunctional space for both adults and children in the community, encouraging all ages to participate in sports and outdoor activities.
The effectiveness of the colourful space and bird's eye view create a stunning backdrop for social media and drone photography, encouraging audience participation and content sharing.
The concept of bringing communities together through sports, art and culture could have been better executed had the communities been involved or participated in the painting of the courts.
3) Morag Myerscough Open Wide
Overview
Open Wide was a temporary pavilion in Graz, created by Morag Myerscough for the Steirischer Herbst festival. The vibrant and friendly arrival zone is a series of symbolic open doorways that welcome locals and foreigners to the event. The project highlights the cultural diversity present in this unique part of the city. It is a metaphor for the peaceful coming together of folk from all walks of life and circumstance.
A scaffolding structure hosts a blend of handmade signs, brightly coloured neon plywood shapes, painted patterns, and wind mobiles, bringing a lively atmosphere to the area. It is illuminated by natural sunlight passing through thousands of meters of neon-wrapped ribbons—the interior hosts a cafe to encourage visitors to engage with one another (Myerscough, 2021).
The artwork was created by over 100 people from Graz who participated in community workshops (Morag Myerscough: Belonging, 2021).
Fig. 21-24: Myerscough, 2021.
Analysis
As with all Myerscough work, her vibrant patterns and colours immediately attract and draw an audience in. From the entrance to the café and workshops, the project encourages participation and interaction from a diverse audience. The workshops, in particular, create an inclusive environment and give the participants a sense of belonging and ownership as well as an alternative, creative outlet in a safe space.
The campaign should have taken things one step further and incorporated the designs in community centres and buildings after the festival was complete.
REFLECTION
It is that time of the year where energy and drive are running low. With this in mind, I have decided to focus my attention on the design styles I want to execute and the emotions those styles evoke.
The vibrancy in colour, patterns, energy, joy and process the work Myerscough and Ilori create has long fascinated me and aligned with my African heritage. The Adidas brief struck me as the perfect opportunity to execute this style in all its vibrant wonder, in African and in a manner that engages, inspires and uplifts communities.
The smaller examples of the basketball courts showcase the successful executions that attract and engage communities. I am eager to see what would happen on a grander scale and across more diverse sports in rural settings with a black canvas on which I can execute something meaningful.
I am also in the process of developing a resource of essential and ongoing design reading material, including but not limited to – Creative Review, AIGA Eye, MagCulture, DeZeen, Thames & Hudson, Laurence King, Unit Editions and t's Nicer Tuesdays.
Reference: Gibson, E., 2013. Belgian basketball court is refreshed with mural based on colourful toy blocks. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/03/hypecourt-katrien-vanderlinden-basketball-court-artwork-aalst-belgium/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Howarth, D., 2017. William LaChance adds "tapestry of colour" to St Louis basketball courts. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2017/09/06/william-lachance-st-louis-basketball-cou
Nike has enlisted Brooklyn-based artist Kaws to paint his signature motifs across two basketball courts in New York City.
Reference: Klein, K., 2019. Nike paints Los Angeles running track in pride flag colours. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2019/11/01/nike-pride-flag-track-los-angeles/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Morby, A., 2016. Kaws covers New York basketball courts in colourful murals. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/15/stanton-street-basketball-courts-sport-installation-design-nike-kaws-brian-donnelly-manhattan-new-york-usa/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Frearson, A., 2021. Yinka Ilori creates 18 colourful crossings over London's streets. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2021/09/17/yinka-ilori-crossings-london-design-festival/?li_source=LI&li_medium=rhs_block_1> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Morby, A., 2016. Kaws covers New York basketball courts in colourful murals. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/15/stanton-street-basketball-courts-sport-installation-design-nike-kaws-brian-donnelly-manhattan-new-york-usa/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Dandad.org. 2019. Level The Playing Field | 2019 D&AD New Blood Winner | Adidas | D&AD. [online] Available at: <https://www.dandad.org/awards/new-blood/2019/adidas/3497/level-the-playing-field/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Myerscough, M., 2021. Commissions completed projects from 2012 onwards - Morag Myerscough. [online] Moragmyerscough.com. Available at: <https://www.moragmyerscough.com/commissions> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Youtube, 2021. Morag Myerscough: Belonging. [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoDUsBAfcwk> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Reference: Dandad.org. 2019. Level The Playing Field | 2019 D&AD New Blood Winner | Adidas | D&AD. [online] Available at: <https://www.dandad.org/awards/new-blood/2019/adidas/3497/level-the-playing-field/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Image 1-4: Howarth, D., 2017. William LaChance adds "tapestry of colour" to St Louis basketball courts. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2017/09/06/william-lachance-st-louis-basketball-cou
Image 5-7: Morby, A., 2016. Kaws covers New York basketball courts in colourful murals. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/15/stanton-street-basketball-courts-sport-installation-design-nike-kaws-brian-donnelly-manhattan-new-york-usa/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Image 8, 9: Klein, K., 2019. Nike paints Los Angeles running track in pride flag colours. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2019/11/01/nike-pride-flag-track-los-angeles/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Image 10, 11: Frearson, A., 2021. Yinka Ilori creates 18 colourful crossings over London's streets. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2021/09/17/yinka-ilori-crossings-london-design-festival/?li_source=LI&li_medium=rhs_block_1> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Image 12-15, 21-24: Myerscough, M., 2021. Commissions completed projects from 2012 onwards - Morag Myerscough. [online] Moragmyerscough.com. Available at: <https://www.moragmyerscough.com/commissions> [Accessed 31 October 2021].
Image 16-19: Gibson, E., 2013. Belgian basketball court refreshed with mural based on colourful toy blocks. [image] Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/03/hypecourt-katrien-vanderlinden-basketball-court-artwork-aalst-belgium/> [Accessed 31 October 2021].