Meet The Designer Behind Andrew Reynolds Shoes | Emerica’s lead designer sheds light
What happens behind the scenes of skateboarding is always very interesting to us. The guy-behind-the-guy that makes the final magic happen. Paul Kwon is one of those dudes. He is the Lead Footwear Designer and Merchandiser for Emerica, and before that paid his dues at many of the other top companies. Now he gets to work with Andrew Reynolds and others to create the footwear that makes skateboarding possible.
Sample:
M: What sort of behind the scenes work goes into designing and creating a shoe that most skateboarders don’t know about?
PK: A shit ton of communication between the sales team, marketing department and even Pierre (André Senizergues), the owner at Sole Tech. The end goal is always to generate income for the company in a sustainable manner so that the brands can thrive. In order for the brand to succeed, all three departments need to work collaboratively to reach that goal. Compromise, humility and inclusion are paramount in getting people to be emotionally invested in a brand. Creating an awesome product is only one piece of the puzzle. Understanding how that product needs to be sold, how it will perform once it’s on the shelf and how that product can tell a compelling story to a consumer takes time and experience.
I think when you are a young designer you tend to be hyper focused on the small details of creating every individual shoe. I guess what I’m trying to say is the older that I get, the more I tend to look at the actual system in which the product is produced, as opposed to just the individual shoes. Kinda like examining the whole machine rather than one small part.
The design part is easy. Creating something that satisfies all the parties involved is very difficult. There’s a more tangible, emotional element involved because it involves people and how you navigate those relationships. It’s easy to sit a desk and create something. It’s harder to convince others that the vision you have for a company could benefit them in the long run. However, the process that occurs helps edit the decisions being made which in turn, creates a more solid product and if everyone is stoked, I am stoked.
Click to MEDIUM SKATE MAG for In Design w/ Paul Kwon + Andrew Reynolds
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