Design Makes the World Go Round

Image Source: http://tribaltruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/toms.shoes_.jpg

“In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff later that year with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.” http://www.toms.com/our-movement/

Is design most important as an element of commerce, or are there other ways to conceive designs role? Well design has played a major role for the makers of TOMS shoes. TOMS are not only sweeping the nation,  but the globe as they set out to provide children and families with footwear to protect them from soil-based diseases. They are a symbol of unity and communicate a message to consumers that giving back is important and much needed. The mission of a designer is to engage your audience, and TOMS has created a company that forces consumers to think before they purchase. From Nike to Adidas, shoes are an example of an industrial design that we take for granted everyday. TOMS are so brilliant and simple that they have convinced shoe goers everywhere to not only contribute to helping people around the world, but to look chic and comfortable doing it.  These shoes come packaged in a drawstring bag, with an added piece of material that the shoes are made from.  The aesthetic design is both efficient and reliable. Different textures, patterns, colors, sparkles, shapes, and sizes are offered.  These shoes have such an energetic pattern and rhythm about them. The tactile qualities and repetitive nature of this shoe creates unity within variety, and something that has much more meaning that just footwear.  TOMS has taken shoes away from a mainstream production that is constantly trying to out do the other, to something so effortless that they have captured the heart and soul of consumers everywhere.  With an added bonus, for every pair of shoes that you buy, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need.  Who knew design could play such a factor in changing lives around the world. HoHohhh