Week 4: Designing My Own Hiking Mandals

Introduction

During a week of significant events, I chose to focus on a personal project: designing my own hiking mandals and creating a sales page to sell them.

The Problem
I have a fascination with unique hiking mandals, and instead of curbing this obsession, I decided to monetize it by designing my own.

The Experiment
The challenge was to create a design I would genuinely want to wear and present it on a product page as if it were ready for sale.

The Process
Here’s how I tackled it:

1. Reference the Greats
   I looked to shoe designers I admire and analyzed their work to inform my design.

2. Ask ChatGPT to Define the Style
   ChatGPT helped break down the attributes of Functional Outdoor Minimalism, providing a strong foundation for my design.

3. Brief ChatGPT to Design the Shoe
   I tasked ChatGPT with designing a shoe that fit the brief, resulting in creative ideas.

4. The Iteration Struggle
   Despite multiple attempts, ChatGPT struggled with certain design aspects, highlighting the challenges of AI in detailed visual design.

5. Product Page Design
   ChatGPT excelled at writing the product page, though integrating all elements proved difficult.

The Outcome
While I don’t have a finished product, I’ve gained valuable insights into design and AI’s capabilities.

Key Takeaway
AI is excellent for ideation and summarization but not yet ready to replace designers for detailed visual work.

What’s Next?

• Continue refining the design with Figma AI.
• Explore other tools to bring the design to life.