PARTNERS
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.
Alright so. We’re done with the drawings. We’re finished trying to win you over with 3D renderings of products made of incredible materials, and with the soft light which gently caresses the curves of this meticulously designed shoe….WHAT A SHOE ! But now it’s time for the feelgood moment of the product where we get to reveal ourselves a little bit more. The fact you made it this far, hopefully means we succeeded in drawing you into our world a little. If you like our ideas, our stories, our products and the experiences we’ve designed for you, we think it’s simply because the story of design is a human story. It's a story of the people who buzz off one another, who complain together (in typical French fashion !), and enjoy doing the job they love, together. It’s a story of people like you and us. If you’ve been reading attentively, you’ll know all about the Fantastic 4 who worked day in, day out in Advanced Design to bring this product to you - but there are many, many others who played their own vital part in getting this project off the ground and we want to make sure they are thanked for the mark they left on it.
People who are passionate about what they do.
People who want to create things you’ll be passionate about.
I am almost moved by what I’m telling you.
It's somewhere deep inside, echoing within me.
In the middle of this scrum you’ll find engineers, designers, product managers, footwear design managers with questionable fashion tastes, seamstresses, prototypists but no one knows exactly what they do, 3D model makers, women but not enough of them unfortunately, bosses who say stuff like.. “wouldn't it be better if..?” and athletes with a story to tell, or a story to be told. You’ll also find cautious people, reckless people, quiet people. You’ll hear talk of post-workshop drinks, Monday mornings meetings, people who think “it might be even better if we only ...”. In short, in the middle of this scrum, you’ll find people. People who talk to other people, about sport.
This may sound a little stupid, but it’s important to say it : above everything else, design is a love story.
And we try our best to make this story last !
Welcome to the family, Mate !
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
THE ORIGIN STORY
Organised by the World Design Organization, The World Design Capital is an event which is held every 2 years. This event rewards cities around the world that move, innovate and strive to reinvent themselves. It is with great pride that Decathlon, as an official partner of this event, is able to present the work of the Advanced Design team, and the many others who worked together on this project to explore the future of sport.
A rich series of exhibitions can be seen at Tripostal, from October 10 to November 15, 2020, this included the SPORTSMATES DESIGN project that, we hope, you have enjoyed checking out online.
Feel free to stop by for a visit, entrance is free, and there's a whole lot of cool stuff to check out such as prototypes, larger images, and best of all the team that created all this project will have their office here, just for the occasion ! Don’t worry, they’re harmless, really !
Find out more about the other key dates and exhibitions planned as part of “design is capital”.
CREATE TOGETHER
3D Editor for applications ranging from animation to architecture, Autodesk has supported Advanced Design in its exploration of generative design, a technology based on the integration of Artificial Intelligence in the design process. This futuristic tool makes it possible to input technical characteristics and receive graphic proposals. With Autodesk it feels like the future is already here, it’s bright, it’s exciting and it truly is an exciting time to be a designer. One “Mate” who benefits greatly from these advancements is the Challenger Mate.
UP-CYCLING
La Virgule is an initiative that seeks to give a second life to our sporting goods, particularly stand-up paddle boards and tents. It uses the materials that these used products can readily provide without going through an overly complex treatment process. Converting an old inflatable kayak into a backpack? That’s exactly what they do.
Not only do they transform old sports equipment into sellable products, they also develop ideas that extended product life cycles. To get further into this subject, let the Bold Mate take you away.
Observer
Watching Agency are professionals who listen to what our users have to say. They supported us in identifying the needs of our athletes, and in defining the personas that led to the creation of the “Mates”, allowing us to establish a solid base for the UX, the scenarios and the experiences we designed.
In a way they are the scouts of the team, who cleared a path for the explorers of Advanced Design to better understand what our users want. Thanks to them our Wing Mate can take off.
Data for good
A collaborative pedestrian GPS. So yeah, it sounds a bit complicated, but it was an amazing project to work with. The goal of StreetCo is to make the city accessible to everyone. And they’re serious about that. The idea is to collect data on the streets around us in order to recommend routes adapted to people with reduced mobility, and to identify where we need to improve accessibility.
It would be great to find a way to integrate this technology into an alternative means of transportation to collect all that data.
But wait, hang on a second…
THE PARTNERS OF LOVE
STUDUÖ
An all around great CGI agency. In just a few words, they’re all about modeling and 3D rendering.
Tryptik studio
Advanced’s dinosaurs, genius-level model makers and technological explorers, who are always up for trying never-before-seen things.
Sphere virtuelle
Again with the 3D, these guys also do a top notch job. They’ll take you from sketch to volume in the blink of an eye.
Proofmakers
Do you want to better understand the user? No need to look any further, they will plunge right into the heart of the experience. Working with you is a treat every time. Thank you guys.
Agence DA
Everything is written right there in the title. A huge thank you for taking a step back to summarise and extract the essence of information-overload we'd gathered.
Mélanie Poppins
A Tipp-ex wielding perfectionist and full on grammar geek, this Parisian pirate studied philosophy, literature and journalism before ending up working for the national news on French TV. Eager for even more adventure, she left Paris armed with a few emergency jokes, a camera and her trusty camping knife. A comic author, sailor and war-reporter, she has criss-crossed her way through more than 100 different countries by herself with her eyes always glued to her GPS. Now back in France, her non-stop curiosity leads her to keep writing articles, books and to dub her daily life in English. Her profile? 100% Coffee Mate.
AMANDINE ALLIER
With her thousand ideas per second, Amandine is someone altogether different who never gives up ! Completely self-taught, she breaks the mould and that’s where her strength and creativity starts to shine.
Above all she is an idealist, and for her every project is a chance to learn from the beginning all over again - whether it's related to a sport, cosmetic or real-estate subject. She is a professional who loves to try out new methods and this is what makes her a truly accomplished designer. After spending 15 years as the creative director of an agency she decided to give freelancing a shot in order to support her clients with her user-centric thinking.
She would describe herself as a UX artistic director, who maintains the audacity of a consultant.
Ecole des mines d'Alès
They worked with us on the composition of the seaweed based polymer that is the main component of SUP board - the one the Bold Mate talks about!
Toutenpixel
Website design and web applications for professionals.
Drawing the Mates!
THESE GUYS DREW OUR MATES
Grelin
Born in 1980, Grelin discovered drawing from watching cartoons as a kid and through his father's impressive collection of comics. As a teenager he was amazed by great Japanese authors such as Otomo and Toriyama, as well as French people such as Pedrosa, Gazzotti and Janry. Grelin promised to make drawing his profession one day. After studying graphic design and advertising, he took a few years away from art, but in 2005 he decided to pick up a pencil once again. Grelin worked hard a nd became an illustrator and author of comics and manga. An all-rounder, he now works in the press, illustrating cartoons, comics and even video games. Grelin has created an exciting, refreshing and contemporary visual identity !
HOSMANE BENAHMED
Having worked as product designer for skateboarding at Decathlon for 8 years, Hosmane is passionate about fashion and art, and in particular comic books. He eagerly put his talents as an illustrator, which took years to protect, to the service of the Sportsmates project. Proof, if needed, that designers are indeed multifaceted creators.
MATTHIEU FAURE
Born in 1986 in Marseille, Matthieu is an illustrator who makes use of all kinds of media. If you want to talk directly with this artist from Marseille, you’d better turn down the volume of hip-hop coming out of his headphones first !
Doodling is his sunny office in the heart of Marseille, or outside on a terrace, he switches from a brush to a marker, from a roller to a spraycan and a sheet of paper to an iPad pro. It all depends on the project at hand !
Since graduation, he has been working as an artistic director, and spent the last number of years following the path he was destined to follow- the path of an illustrator ! In collaboration with Van Rysel, he made highly detailed storyboards and has raised the bar by introducing himself himself into the world of comics.
MONTSE GALBANY
Montse is an illustrator and graphic designer living in Granollers, a town near Barcelona in Spain. She works in digital media, and her style features soft shapes and warm colors which tell her own stories.
She is also passionate about crafts, such as ceramic, silk screening and murals. She enjoys spending her free time away from the city, walking in mountains and forests. This is the best way for her to be inspired by powerful ideas that she brings to life in her projects. Her ultimate dream would be to continue drawing forever while driving her van to travel with Marc Cubillas and her beloved dog, Mel !
Axendre
Axendre is passionate about the digital world and is a good all-rounder, he divides his time between his activity as a UX designer (for Decathlon) and creating comics. He likes to invent stories that take the reader on a journey, and offers original immersive reading experiences with the project "Eden the Second Dawn". His universe draws inspiration from many different types of anime and video games such as Evangelion, NieR, Journey, Ico …
MAXENCE HOET
Maxence Hoet is a 26 year old French designer who has been passionate about drawing since he was a child. Having worked in various European countries, he has built up a rich and varied professional experience in areas including product design, illustration, graphic design, and artistic direction. His latest projects include work for global brands and in the arts.
What the "mate" ?
Don’t waste your time doing useless Facebook surveys to find out what your favourite flower says about your personality, discover your “Mate” right here.
Thanks to your answers, we will be able to draw up a map of the “Mates” ! Ready ? Set ? Go!
