NikeLab1948
MA Innovation Management 2016-2018
Project manager on an innovation management project for Nike to increase their community engagement around the NikeLab1948 store in Shoreditch, London. Part of the MA Innovation Management course at Central Saint Martins as a study of uncertainty, experimentation and failure.
Research + Experimentation
The brief was to present two proposals at the end of the project, one safe and one radical, for how Nike could increase community engagement around their NikeLab1948 store in East London. Our task was to show that we had formulated these proposals not just from research and ideation but from experimentation thus showing our ability to navigate uncertainty and learn from failure.
NikeLab was launched by Nike in 2014 with six stores around the world designed to showcase innovation and their most exclusive footwear drops. With stores in cities like New York, Shanghai, Paris and Milan, the brand was riding high on the athleisure wave bridging the gap between athletic wear and fashion.
NikeLab 1948 Background
The NikeLab 1948 store in Shoreditch was tucked away in an inconspicuous alleyway of East London where upon entering, you were greeted with a large patio and gallery space before reaching the store. This arrangement lent itself to an air of discovery which we experienced when we visited the store to chat with the staff and observe current store dynamics. We also participated in an in store interactive installation.
Market Research
Having visited the NikeLab 1948 store, we set off to understand the high end sneaker market. We visited other sneaker stores around London and interviewed employees who shared their insights on both products and customers. We also interviewed people lined up outside one of the shops to understand their motivations. We found that most customers were very young, often teenagers, who were buying to re-sell for a profit.
Our next step was to understand what the other retailers in the neighbourhood were doing in regards to social impact and community engagement. We were pleasantly surprised to find many stores hosted community events, helped each other out and even created circular initiatives between them.
Surrounding Community
One example was the chocolate store Mast Chocolates who had their flagship store on Redchurch Street. They explained to us how they processed the cocoa on location and adopted a no waste policy, using every part of the cocoa bean even donating the shell to a brewery down the road to be used for beer production.
Hello, what are you doing?
Our first experiment was to gauge the willingness of the residents and visitors of Shoreditch to share what they are doing. We embarked on a photo campaign titled “Just Do” to engage with the community, document everyday activities and gain a deeper understanding of the neighbourhood surrounding the NikeLab 1948 store.
We found an array of activities ranging from the expected - coffee breaks and haircuts - to the less visible - steel workers and co-living. We found people were generally willing to tell us what they were doing and allowed us to share their pictures.
Just Do
We found that people were ready to share what they are doing but that our “Just Do” campaign failed to create engagement between different groups. These learnings led to our first proposition, the “safe” option.
We proposed installing a smart board in the NikeLab 1948 store, using a digital interface to connect people in real life. The smart board would be connected to an app where people could share their goals and invite others to join them in achieving them. The NikeLab 1948 store could be a meeting point and social space to support these goals.
Transformation and Uncertainty
Our second experiment explored the idea of circularity. To give it a radical twist, we set a future scenario where products could be brought into the store and deposited into a box where they would be processed and returned in a different form. The basis of this scenario is 3D printing technology where for example, shoes could be broken down and reprinted in a different style. Further intrigue could be added to the in-store experience by not allowing the participant to have any control over the outcome.
We decided to test this concept by setting up a “Box of Uncertainty” at Central Saint Martins where people could voluntarily put objects through a box without knowing what would happen to them.
We found that people enjoyed the experience but were more willing to put objects in the box that were not their own and more willing to participate if they approached us in groups.
Vault of Transformation
Building on the Box of Uncertainty, we developed our radical recommendation which replaces the object with the human body. Teams of people would cross a threshold into an alternate universe where they are confronted with a mission which they must accomplish together. During this mission, people are faced with obstacles which have hindered them from achieving their goals in the past.
When crossing over the threshold, it is uncertain what form the body will take on the other side. For example, if someone has a fear of losing control, they might take the form of water, a representation of fluidity. This “Vault of Transformation” embodies the experimentation of a lab and reflects Nike’s emphasis on the journey towards victory.
