OTP Montagna Run

Footwear Design with AI
Introduction
At Premium Inc, the integration of modern design methods, such as AI, had never been done before. My prior experience with Midjourney and their willingness to push the boundaries of their design process resulted in this project. Off The Pitch is a lifestyle clothing and footwear brand, seamlessly blending luxury, sports, and streetwear through the use of premium materials and unique designs.
Design brief
In this project I received design guidance from my internship supervisor, who challenged me to incorporate AI methods into the design process of an outdoor runner sneaker for OTP's FW24 collection, themed "RISE UP." I was encouraged to use AI throughout the entire process, from vision to conceptualisation. I got full creative freedom for this project, as long as the end result aligned with OTP's brand identity.
I started by creating a design vision to understand the context, set the foundation for the project and get inspired. Then, I used a mix of sketching and Midjourney to come up with design ideas. Below are some of the images I generated, showing how using digital sketches as a reference image for Midjourney gave the most creative yet accurate results.
Project process
Footwear Design and Development Internship at Premium Inc.
Feb 2023 — Jul 2023

Ideation phase

Afterwards, I combined different components from the AI-generated shoes to create the pattern for the upper part. I couldn't copy images exactly due to flaws regarding proportions or feasibility. However, the sole was mostly copied, with slight modifications made to correct proportions and linework.

Conceptualisation

Since AI played a major role in the design process, we incorporated hints to AI in the details, such as neural network lines in the logo and as a reflective print on the upper. An AI fingerprint was also generated, which is featured on the outsole and insole. The shoe is a fusion of outdoor and luxury elements, reflected in the colors, materials and finishes.

Final product

In the end, we had to make some compromises with the details. Printing on hairy suede is quite difficult to achieve and technical materials such as textured hard PU rubber are quite costly. So by simplifying these aspects, the overall feasibility of the concept is improved. Unfortunately, no sample was produced, as the runner styles were being excluded from the product line for SS24 and therefor also FW24.
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Lastly, I conducted an AI masterclass to share my knowledge with the footwear department colleagues. Following their enthusiastic response, I also hosted an additional session with the clothing department.

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