Reimagining STEM for Kids
Nike Marketing Concept Exploration
What: STEM subjects in the United States.
Why: STEM subjects in the U.S. have been on a consistent decline over the past few years. The problem isn’t the subjects themselves but rather the way in which they’re taught.
How: In this example associative learning via the National Football League (NFL).
The National Football League with Nike and Todd Van Horne (current designer responsible for the NFL jerseys) could use anatomical and architectural visuals to make science using story for kids more engaging.
What if kids knew the story and science behind the bright colored gloves and shoes the Seahawks wore? When running the hands and feet move faster than other parts of the body. By highlighting the hands and feet you can visually trick your opponents to think you’re moving faster than actually you are. Another trick (in staying with the eyes) is font design. As a designer you can make players look broader or physically more imposing by printing their uniform numbers wider at the top and narrower moving down visually creating a broader shoulder. Or 3D printing.
What if kids knew what additive manufacturing or built-as-needed design was? The next wave in manufacturing for customer experience, retail and content licensing. Combine modular and nested components to self organize and build from the bottom up.
How does it work? Athletes slip into one-piece body suits speckled with reference points while an optical scanner reads the bodysuit and builds a 3-D model of the athlete. Designers then fit the padding to the digital model and adjust it on request for more protection or mobility depending on the athlete and their needs. Form to function. The designs are then sent to the 3D printer to print, try on and adjust.
The result? You have something NFL ready made awesome via STEM.
