Influence — The Story of Tinker Hatfield and Michael Jordan
A publication celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan 3, widely regarded as one of the most important trainers ever made. It looks at the struggles between Nike and Michael Jordan, and how a young shoe designer helped save one of the biggest sportswear companies from losing it all.
For this project I was tasked with creating a publication on an influential designer or product. As the 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan 3 approached, I chose to focus on the work of Tinker Hatfield. The publication looked at Tinker Hatfield’s background as an aspiring track and field star, going on to look at his early work with Nike and then finally, his work on the Jordan brand. I wanted this to be a celebration of the shoe, how it came to be and more importantly how it saved one of the biggest sportswear companies from going bankrupt.
The publication has a strong narrative, with the layout reflecting the relationship between Jordan and Hatfield. This starts out with the content and images on the pages marking each other, as a basketball player marks their opponent, to create tension. This reflects the strained partnership between Jordan and Hatfield in the early years and how Jordan was desperate to leave Nike after his contract expired. As the publication progresses, the content and layout become more harmonious, reflecting the working relationship between the two, finally ending with Jordan’s parts appearing more dominating than Hatfield’s, reflecting the difference in their egos.
Publication – 36 page, shoelace bound printed on recycled 90gsm paper