VIRTUE Athletic
2018-2021
design • develop • launch • grow
a brand & product reflecting the core values
of modern, functional training & fitness
But why?
Do we really need another fitness brand?
yeah, we kinda do
The functional fitness movement, led by CrossFit, changed the ways we view & achieve lifelong fitness. Run fast. Lift heavy. Breathe hard. No frills. No fancy machines. Just honest, intense work than can be done by anyone - athletes and non-athletes alike.
But while the movements & implements of fitness evolved, the shoes remained largely stuck in the past. No shoe or brand truly reflected the simplicty, utility, and accessibility of the functional fitness movement.
Our definition of fitness evolved, but our footwear didn’t. It was time to change that . . .
VIRTUE was born
to do with footwear what we had already done with fitness - to do more with less.
the first steps
*Oh yes. There will be shoe puns.The first step to creating a unique product & brand that truly reflect the back-to-basics approach of modern, functional fitness? Gather & analyze market trends, user experience testimonials, and both objective & subjective data in order to form the deep knowledge necessary to create a unified, informed strategy.
Research
Personal experience & experimentation
Community interviews
Targeted surveys
Market index
Strategic roadmapping
Product needs & expectations
Brand voice & identity
Go-to-market & growth business plans
So . . . how do you do that?
With a decade-plus of experience in footwear, design, and brand building.
design & development
With the strategic roadmap in hand, it was on to creating the product itself, the brand to support it, and a business model that could make this whole venture more than simply a cool logo & few cute renderings.
Product
Old-school solutions to modern problems
Less is more aesthetic & construction
Simplicity = Accessibility
Brand
From the community, for the community
Resonance with athletes of all ability levels
Let’s have some fun!
Business
Realistic development goals, budgets, and timelines
Perfectly suited for crowdfunding
Post-funding playbook
product direction & management • upper design • midsole/outsole design • color design • line planning • last design & development • sample testing & revisions • international product development & commercializtion • 3D CAD modeling & testing• product
brand direction & management • creative direction • icon & wordmark design • brand naming • brand voice & copywriting • web design • visual style guide • social media design, production, and management • advertising design, production, and management • photography & videography• brand
VIRTUE Athletic & THE 01
functional • fitness • footwear
Modern shape
Ballistic nylon upper
Molded toe & heel reinforcements
comfortable • durable
stable • powerful
Dual-density midsole
“Squat Wedge” heel
Raised & angled forefoot geometry
Grip on any surface
Lateral & medial rope guards
All day comfort
versatile • adaptable
40% lighter than a Reebok Nano 8
30% less expensive than a Nike Metcon 6
Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.
minimal • afforable
On November 22, 2019 - barely one year removed from the first thumbnail sketch of THE 01 - VIRTUE Athletic was officially funded on Kickstarter, raising nearly $75,000 between Kickstarter & additional pre-orders.
crowdfunding campaign
Much like the product & brand, the success of the crowdfunding campaign hinged on thorough planning, careful consideration of budgets & resources, comprehensive research-based strategies, and multiple contingency plans for when things go right & for when they inevitably go wrong.
grassroots & influencer marketing • earned media • paid advertising • launch video design & production • campaign design & production• marketing & advertising
watch on Youtube• launch video
Success! . . .
. . . Now what?
post-launch logistics
With the successful launch under my belt, now I needed to actually produce 1000+ pairs of shoes & get them in the hands of all the customers willing to take a chance on VIRTUE and THE 01.
Product development & commercialization needed to be finalized. Packaging designs needed to be tested for shipping durability & functionality. I had to navigate both the figurative & the very real waters of overseas production, domestic logistics, and international fulfillment.
And…oh yeah…All the while we were in a f&@king pandemic.
That’s great . . .
. . . But how do you keep it going?
planning for the future
By the fall of 2020, with all pre-orders fulfilled, VIRTUE needed to transition out of launch mode & into operations as a proper e-commerce brand. This included rebuilding virtuathletic.com into a fully functioning D2C storefront, resulting in sell-through of the remaining inventory in only six weeks.
While THE 01 had proven itself as a viable first step, it was never intended to be both VIRTUE’s first & only product, and - incorporating feedback from THE 01’s first users - designs began for its follow up, THE 02, and the investment strategy needed to make it a reality.
product direction & management • upper design • midsole/outsole design • 3D CAD modeling & testing• THE 02
financial modeling • pitch deck design & presentation• investment & collaboration
takeaways
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Every problem is a design problem
The iterative, creative, targeted approach of the design process isn’t just helpful but crucial to success in every step in building products, brands, experiences, and business. Design’s usefulness goes far beyond aesthetics.
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But some have no easy answers
Even the soundest process can lead to difficult decisions, but it’s important to remember they’re not the end of the road. Just like a thumbnail sketch, they’re only a step along the way to something larger.
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Learning is doing
You’re never going to have all the information. You’re never going to know everything. But until you jump in and actually start creating, questioning, and problem-solving you’ll never know what you don’t know.