Terramimicry started as a design exercise inspired and informed by reconnecting with the pervasive presence of nature and outdoor culture in the Tri-state area during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both my creative process and ideology where greatly impacted and expanded through changes in my own experiences and circumstances and have been being reflected in this ongoing project. 

In the early months of the global pandemic, there was a large, sudden interest around the concept of "essentiality" and who/what is deemed essential to a given function. I internalized and reflected this in my sketching process and documentation in which I returned to largely analog mediums and methods such as using gouache to emulate the forms and surfaces of terrain in the outdoors of NJ/NY. My documentation became much more focused on communication of concept opposed to polished aesthetics and rendering, leaving evidence of physical process with the use of transparent overlays and mixed mediums to communicate texture as a visual tool to relate materiality to the natural/organic or to the futuristic/synthetic.

A reality for many designers/makers in quarantine was and still is the sudden lack of access to space and material resources to ideate with and further how we adapt to our new spaces and levels of access. For my process, this meant that I had to adapt the space in my bedroom to be a fabrication space where I could bring my experiences and insights from Terramimicry to life. I combined my understanding of materiality and fabrication methods to explore concepts beyond 2D. In my early Terra Dart exploration, I began interpreting existing Nike design DNA through early Terramimicry design thinking as a means of establishing a tangible design identity. 

Terra Gi is a subsequent concept that really began to see Terramimcry realized fully from the earliest sketches. Sustainability in my process is integral both out of environmental concern and material necessity. This informed my decision to create a breathable insulated textile largely composed of material scraps from previous projects and deconstructed shoes. 

One of the more pressing challenges with the materiality of the later Terramimcry concepts was creating a midsole that echoed the early gouache sketches and mirrored the terrain that informed their design. 

Terra Form is a concept designed to be a more radical expression of the Terramimicry design language that goes beyond the more casual tone of Terra Gi to emphasize more of the performance facet of Terramimicry through the use of zoned ripstop nylon in the upper and recycled EVA foam in the midsole to aid both cushion and traction.