Between The Lines 004: 6xteam
Even for the most astute follower of sneaker news, pinpointing the team behind some of the most culturally engaging products of our time is no easy feat. With an intangible structure and an appropriately vague Instagram handle, the group are perhaps best known for - but not limited to - Nike’s ISPA product line.
So just how do you nurture innovation from within the largest footwear company in the world? We talked things through with four of the team to find out that the answer lies in freedom, chemistry and leaving ego at the door.
If you can manage – for a moment - to look beyond the mass of desirable footwear that constitutes the @team_team_team_team_team_team Instagram, you’ll no doubt admire the authentic portrayal of this archive of work. A depiction so honest that when the online repository was picked up by Nike Global, it garnered a response of appreciation rather than rebuke. Now counting over thirty in number, the team credits Nate Jobe (Senior Director at Nike) for conductively pioneering collaboration, something which has strongly cultivated this tight-knit group. The result of the organic and differing routes that brought the team together is a culture of cross-pollination and “no egos” explains Gerald Sullivan (Design Director of Collaborations), a theme reiterated throughout the discourse and paramount to the mutual respect within the team.
The concept of dancing on the thin line between order and chaos is one that the team personifies wholeheartedly.
With a track record that boasts Comme Des Garcons, Undercover and Tom Sachs as partners, there is no shortage of creative prowess across the team. Some figures have backgrounds in Nike’s Catalyst division and the consumer-focused Nike By You, while others had a hand in NikeLab’s ACG line which in many respects was a spiritual precursor to what ISPA is today. Inspired by the commuter as their athlete of choice, ISPA is tailored to the challenges of transportation, pollution and city growth that afflict the urban environment; deeply permeating the product line and orienting the division within Nike’s wider mission statement. Here is something we should surely be grateful for: an elite team of creative minds wholly focussed on developing accessible products for metropolitan survival. Having fostered an environment of freedom with a group of “walking encyclopaedias”, it is no wonder that designer Asha Tamia describes the aura around her colleagues as transparent, genuine and beautiful.
(scavenged letter forms i from Airmax, s from Shox, p from Presto and a from Vapormax.)
Celeste Rhoads - a colour designer at Nike for ten years - finds the team to be a refreshing change to the compartmentalised nature that companies can tend towards. They occupy a territory which contains a creative need for everyone to provide input, breaking down the barriers that are often prevalent in work structures. No longer purely a colourist, she is able to freely delve into realms of material and footwear design as a result of the new-found category. The difference with this team is that they “don’t consider it work… just knowledge and learning” explains Material Designer Niek Pulles. The ability to think laterally and draw inspiration from those outside the footwear industry (concrete companies included) provides a cutting edge to this genre-bending group. This association of ideas empowers the team to gravitate towards their strengths and push design to the full; a reminder that at its core, Nike is a design-driven company.
In the summer of last year, the team hosted an online meeting space named ISPA Live with interactive modules and public communication sessions. This represented a problem-solving opportunity which defined the creative expression of a world dealing with a pandemic. The appetite for such events is a reflection of increasing consumer interest in a behind-the-scenes revelation of prototyping; something that is most visually explicit in Virgil Abloh’s ‘The Ten’. Asha insightfully points out that this gives the team a “little unlock” that would otherwise reside elsewhere in the product development lifecycle, with the shift in consumer dependence enabling design to lead the charge over marketing strategy or sales targets. The simultaneous combination of these internal and external factors coming into play is what makes the team so appropriately positioned.
As no strangers to video calls at this point, it is important to realise the huge positives to this free-spirited way of working. New modes of function mean the team are not a far cry from external consultants, allowing for the freedom and autonomy to “claim the space, take the risks and just go for it”, Niek asserts. This passionate drive for purpose unites these enterprising individuals as an inventive family; a harmonious balance made all the more impressive by the position from which it is generated. The result of this - as Celeste puts it – is “an A-type personality mixed with a messy, creative type” of team who are incredibly disposed to planning but move freely within their constraints. This contradictory environment is rooted in an idea that’s certainly not new, but the concept of dancing on the thin line between order and chaos is one that the team personifies wholeheartedly. Working with collaborators in a loose and fluid way requires an openness for compromise; with the inevitable convergence of views, opinions and feelings often leading to necessary change. The team aren’t afraid to tear it up and start again when they need to, completely embodying the ‘Improvise’ and ‘Adapt’ pillars of the ISPA moniker.
This ongoing process of refreshing consumer taste levels and shifting the window of opinion is where the team can find meaning.
Despite the inescapable pressures of commercial viability, the team have a deeply trusting relationship with other sections of the company. They negotiate closely with developers and line managers to achieve the price points and activations that befit the manner of the product; “It’s not like we make every shoe super expensive, we just do what we think is rad” expresses Gerald. One of the more challenging barriers to pricing is the issue of sustainability, which can be difficult to navigate from within existing business models. There is ground to be covered as we come to terms with the dangers of wasteful production but with a scavenging ethos and developments like the Space Hippie arising from other segments of the company, the future is one to be optimistic about.
The first ISPA products arrived on the scene relatively quietly; a curse that often afflicts seminal design which needs a second attempt to gain the recognition it deserves. The most recent collection however, is a resounding statement of intent from a team who believe wholeheartedly in its identity and can translate this to a consumer base now more ready to receive. This ongoing process of refreshing consumer taste levels and shifting the window of opinion is where the team can find meaning. In an industry full of retros and re-releases it’s heartening to see people flock to newness, unafraid to embrace forward-thinking design. When questioned about their definition of success, the team agree there are a multitude of boxes to tick. One indication is a sentiment of being both new and familiar, while enabling self-expression and redefining beauty are also marquee signifiers. The overarching feeling is that if they can demonstrate emotive communication through realistic experiences, we can chalk that up as a victory.
So what lies ahead for the team behind the mind-boggling Road Warrior; a silhouette that had Nike antagonist Kanye West reminiscing about his childhood?
With the demands of the cultural landscape of city-dwellers and country folk alike, the team won’t underestimate the awareness of one’s environment and the importance of taking that in your stride. As a “melting pot of opportunity”, Asha positions the category as a place where different realities and distinct needs are catered for; an echo of the adaptability presented by their foremost target consumer. ISPA Live has clearly spurred on ambitions for the digital age, with the team citing Martine Rose as exemplar in using virtual reality and creating environments online. “I think that’s the future…and that’s here now” Celeste declares.
Our time draws to a close with a show of gratitude for the expertise needed from others to bring the team’s projects to life. It’s one thing to design a shoe and sketch it out on a page, but another thing entirely to resolve the technical construction to make that a reality. Gerald outlines a mantra of “the harder the project, the better”, showing a collective desire to embrace the challenges of problem-solving crazy ideas. With a nurturing environment and an interconnection rivalling that of a great orchestra, there can surely only be more of the same on the horizon. Expect efforts in the same vein as those with the likes of Matthew Williams and Samuel Ross, as well as a greater focus on embracing consumer connection. It appears the sky is the limit for the team; an exponential rise where each small victory is a reason to double down on their plan of action. This ethos was summed up mid-way through the conversation as Niek recites the world-famous slogan – “Just do it”. And then keep doing it.