Our task was to redesign the exhibition, Shoes – Pleasure & Pain, as it promenaded its way from the V&A in London to the Bowes Museum in County Durham. Looking at the extremes of footwear (from an Ancient Egyptian gold leaf sandal to 20th century brogues) and the joy of shoe possession and obsession, we developed a strong, iconic, fully integrated design that helped the exhibition step up a notch.
The shoes were exhibited thematically, rather than chronologically, each section being a visual feast of different styles, shapes, materials and colours, with many fascinating stories to tell. We therefore had to create a cohesive design concept, where every element – whether 2D or 3D – became fully integrated. Our 3D designs included an installation made of thousands of red shoelaces.
Our aim was to create a signature image with a forward-thinking, international attitude. The resulting graphics present a range of shoes, male and female, new and old, familiar and exotic, all held together with a sense of shared movement. The colourful tap-tapping motif then blossomed into a range of collateral products.
