Cultivator Studio + Shop
Introduction
Cultivator is a two-sided marketplace that empowers creatives to design, market, and sell custom sneakers directly to their loyal audience of followers. My team and I partnered with our client to iteratively prototype and test this unique offering in-market with real customers, and then brought it to life as a fully functioning e-commerce platform that was later acquired by Nike.
Year
2017 – 2019
Client
Cultivator × Nike
Company
Supply
Role
Creative Director, Designer, Illustrator
Cultivator Studio + Shop
Introduction
Cultivator is a two-sided marketplace that empowers creatives to design, market, and sell custom sneakers directly to their loyal audience of followers. My team and I partnered with our client to iteratively prototype and test this unique offering in-market with real customers, and then brought it to life as a fully functioning e-commerce platform that was later acquired by Nike.
Year
2017 – 2019
Client
Cultivator × Nike
Company
Supply
Role
Creative Director, Designer, Illustrator
Cultivator Studio + Shop
Cultivator is a two-sided marketplace that empowers creatives to design, market, and sell custom sneakers directly to their loyal audience of followers. My team and I partnered with our client to iteratively prototype and test this unique offering in-market with real customers, and then brought it to life as a fully functioning e-commerce platform that was later acquired by Nike.
Year
2017 – 2019
Client
Cultivator × Nike
Company
Supply
Role
Creative Director, Designer, Illustrator
Context
In 2017, a startup within Nike’s Innovation Accelerator approached Supply with a vision: to empower creatives to design and sell unique sneakers to their social followers, powered by Nike’s sneaker customization service, NikeID. They needed a partner to help them prototype the concept, validate it in-market, and iteratively refine the platform based on user insights. The goal was to build a scalable solution while demonstrating its viability to Nike leadership on a quarterly basis.
Context
In 2017, a startup within Nike’s Innovation Accelerator approached Supply with a vision: to empower creatives to design and sell unique sneakers to their social followers, powered by Nike’s sneaker customization service, NikeID. They needed a partner to help them prototype the concept, validate it in-market, and iteratively refine the platform based on user insights. The goal was to build a scalable solution while demonstrating its viability to Nike leadership on a quarterly basis.
In 2017, a startup within Nike’s Innovation Accelerator approached Supply with a vision: to empower creatives to design and sell unique sneakers to their social followers, powered by Nike’s sneaker customization service, NikeID. They needed a partner to help them prototype the concept, validate it in-market, and iteratively refine the platform based on user insights. The goal was to build a scalable solution while demonstrating its viability to Nike leadership on a quarterly basis.
Build. Test. Refine. Repeat.
Build. Test. Refine. Repeat.
Build. Test. Refine. Repeat.
Challenge
Building the platform would require a careful balance of long-term vision and adaptability. Over two and a half years, we would need to roll out more than a dozen product campaigns, each one a live experiment. We didn’t pretend to have all the answers, using every launch to challenge assumptions, capture real-world feedback, and continuously refine the experience.
The platform matured in three distinct phases, each one adding new functionality and pushing us to rethink what came before.
Challenge
Building the platform would require a careful balance of long-term vision and adaptability. Over two and a half years, we would need to roll out more than a dozen product campaigns, each one a live experiment. We didn’t pretend to have all the answers, using every launch to challenge assumptions, capture real-world feedback, and continuously refine the experience.
The platform matured in three distinct phases, each one adding new functionality and pushing us to rethink what came before.
Building the platform would require a careful balance of long-term vision and adaptability. Over two and a half years, we would need to roll out more than a dozen product campaigns, each one a live experiment. We didn’t pretend to have all the answers, using every launch to challenge assumptions, capture real-world feedback, and continuously refine the experience.
The platform matured in three distinct phases, each one adding new functionality and pushing us to rethink what came before.
2017
2017
2017
2018
2018
2018
2019
2019
2019
2017
Sneaker-Lab was a low-risk proving ground that gave us the insights we needed to shift from prototyping to platform-building. Early drops were deliberately scrappy, powered by manual workflows and off-the-shelf tools like Squarespace. This let us move fast, test ideas in the wild, and gather real user feedback without sinking development time into unproven assumptions.
2017
Sneaker-Lab was a low-risk proving ground that gave us the insights we needed to shift from prototyping to platform-building. Early drops were deliberately scrappy, powered by manual workflows and off-the-shelf tools like Squarespace. This let us move fast, test ideas in the wild, and gather real user feedback without sinking development time into unproven assumptions.
Sneaker-Lab was a low-risk proving ground that gave us the insights we needed to shift from prototyping to platform-building. Early drops were deliberately scrappy, powered by manual workflows and off-the-shelf tools like Squarespace. This let us move fast, test ideas in the wild, and gather real user feedback without sinking development time into unproven assumptions.
The brand followed suit — raw, experimental, and intentionally rough around the edges, with a street-meets-schematic aesthetic that matched the spirit of rapid exploration.
The brand followed suit — raw, experimental, and intentionally rough around the edges, with a street-meets-schematic aesthetic that matched the spirit of rapid exploration.
The brand followed suit — raw, experimental, and intentionally rough around the edges, with a street-meets-schematic aesthetic that matched the spirit of rapid exploration.
Hand-building each drop.
Each drop gave Creators a platform to tell a story or champion a cause through custom sneaker designs that resonated with their online audience. In the early days, these releases were deeply hands-on, with our operations team partnering closely with every Creator to help them design their sneakers and gather the assets we needed to bring each pop-up marketplace to life. It was a labor-intensive process, but one that gave us ample visibility to what Creators needed most.
Hand-building each drop.
Each drop gave Creators a platform to tell a story or champion a cause through custom sneaker designs that resonated with their online audience. In the early days, these releases were deeply hands-on, with our operations team partnering closely with every Creator to help them design their sneakers and gather the assets we needed to bring each pop-up marketplace to life. It was a labor-intensive process, but one that gave us ample visibility to what Creators needed most.
Hand-building each drop.
Each drop gave Creators a platform to tell a story or champion a cause through custom sneaker designs that resonated with their online audience. In the early days, these releases were deeply hands-on, with our operations team partnering closely with every Creator to help them design their sneakers and gather the assets we needed to bring each pop-up marketplace to life. It was a labor-intensive process, but one that gave us ample visibility to what Creators needed most.
Building a new toolkit for creators.
Insights from those early drops directly informed the technical and UX requirements for our first builder — a key turning point that put Creators in the driver’s seat. What had been a manual, behind-the-scenes process was now self-serve, giving Creators full control over designing their sneakers and crafting assets for their drops.
Building a new toolkit for creators.
Insights from those early drops directly informed the technical and UX requirements for our first builder — a key turning point that put Creators in the driver’s seat. What had been a manual, behind-the-scenes process was now self-serve, giving Creators full control over designing their sneakers and crafting assets for their drops.
Building a new toolkit for creators.
Insights from those early drops directly informed the technical and UX requirements for our first builder — a key turning point that put Creators in the driver’s seat. What had been a manual, behind-the-scenes process was now self-serve, giving Creators full control over designing their sneakers and crafting assets for their drops.
2018
In 2018, we relaunched Sneaker-Lab as Cultivator, a fully realized two-sided marketplace. At its core was a responsive web app, Creator Studio, where Creators could design their sneakers. Those designs flowed seamlessly into the Shop, a consumer-facing e-commerce platform built to showcase and sell their work.
2018
In 2018, we relaunched Sneaker-Lab as Cultivator, a fully realized two-sided marketplace. At its core was a responsive web app, Creator Studio, where Creators could design their sneakers. Those designs flowed seamlessly into the Shop, a consumer-facing e-commerce platform built to showcase and sell their work.
In 2018, we relaunched Sneaker-Lab as Cultivator, a fully realized two-sided marketplace. At its core was a responsive web app, Creator Studio, where Creators could design their sneakers. Those designs flowed seamlessly into the Shop, a consumer-facing e-commerce platform built to showcase and sell their work.
A vibrant exchange of human stories, expressed through sneakers.
A vibrant exchange of human stories, expressed through sneakers.
A vibrant exchange of human stories, expressed through sneakers.
A story-driven shopping experience doesn’t go far without its Creators. Over the course of this project we produced multiple rounds of marketing campaigns designed to attract new participants, hype upcoming drops, amplify FOMO as the beginning (and end) of drops drew near, and celebrate our Creator's stories.
A story-driven shopping experience doesn’t go far without its Creators. Over the course of this project we produced multiple rounds of marketing campaigns designed to attract new participants, hype upcoming drops, amplify FOMO as the beginning (and end) of drops drew near, and celebrate our Creator's stories.
A story-driven shopping experience doesn’t go far without its Creators. Over the course of this project we produced multiple rounds of marketing campaigns designed to attract new participants, hype upcoming drops, amplify FOMO as the beginning (and end) of drops drew near, and celebrate our Creator's stories.
Improved tools for storytelling.
Cultivator’s Creator Studio built on the foundation of Sneaker-lab, this time with a mobile-friendly experience to better support our mobile-centric Creators. The platform enabled seamless sneaker design and storefront customization, with each drop followed by feedback sessions to identify and address pain points. We also introduced better guidance and guardrails to ensure Creators completed all the necessary steps needed to be included in an upcoming campaign.
Improved tools for storytelling.
Cultivator’s Creator Studio built on the foundation of Sneaker-lab, this time with a mobile-friendly experience to better support our mobile-centric Creators. The platform enabled seamless sneaker design and storefront customization, with each drop followed by feedback sessions to identify and address pain points. We also introduced better guidance and guardrails to ensure Creators completed all the necessary steps needed to be included in an upcoming campaign.
Improved tools for storytelling.
Cultivator’s Creator Studio built on the foundation of Sneaker-lab, this time with a mobile-friendly experience to better support our mobile-centric Creators. The platform enabled seamless sneaker design and storefront customization, with each drop followed by feedback sessions to identify and address pain points. We also introduced better guidance and guardrails to ensure Creators completed all the necessary steps needed to be included in an upcoming campaign.
Selecting a sneaker silhouette for customization.
Selecting a sneaker silhouette for customization.
Selecting a sneaker silhouette for customization.
Customizing the presentation for a freshly-designed sneaker.
Customizing the presentation for a freshly-designed sneaker.
Customizing the presentation for a freshly-designed sneaker.
Editing the color bars for your sneaker collage.
Editing the color bars for your sneaker collage.
Editing the color bars for your sneaker collage.
Adding an inspiration image for your sneaker collage.
Adding an inspiration image for your sneaker collage.
Adding an inspiration image for your sneaker collage.
A story-driven shopping experience.
Cultivator’s custom-built Shop finally freed us from the limits of Squarespace, giving us a marketplace designed specifically for our vision. Consumers could discover Creators, explore their stories, and purchase sneakers inspired by them — all in one place. Like Studio, the Shop evolved with every drop as we experimented with themes, curated collections, and Creator spotlights to bring the full Cultivator experience to life.
A story-driven shopping experience.
Cultivator’s custom-built Shop finally freed us from the limits of Squarespace, giving us a marketplace designed specifically for our vision. Consumers could discover Creators, explore their stories, and purchase sneakers inspired by them — all in one place. Like Studio, the Shop evolved with every drop as we experimented with themes, curated collections, and Creator spotlights to bring the full Cultivator experience to life.
A story-driven shopping experience.
Cultivator’s custom-built Shop finally freed us from the limits of Squarespace, giving us a marketplace designed specifically for our vision. Consumers could discover Creators, explore their stories, and purchase sneakers inspired by them — all in one place. Like Studio, the Shop evolved with every drop as we experimented with themes, curated collections, and Creator spotlights to bring the full Cultivator experience to life.
Built from the ground up.
We developed a comprehensive design system to shape the entire Cultivator experience, collaborating closely with our dev team to ensure every detail was brought to life with precision. The system was built as a flexible canvas — giving Creators the freedom to express themselves through copy, color, and imagery, while maintaining a clean, structured foundation rooted in familiar e-comm patterns.
Built from the ground up.
We developed a comprehensive design system to shape the entire Cultivator experience, collaborating closely with our dev team to ensure every detail was brought to life with precision. The system was built as a flexible canvas — giving Creators the freedom to express themselves through copy, color, and imagery, while maintaining a clean, structured foundation rooted in familiar e-comm patterns.
Built from the ground up.
We developed a comprehensive design system to shape the entire Cultivator experience, collaborating closely with our dev team to ensure every detail was brought to life with precision. The system was built as a flexible canvas — giving Creators the freedom to express themselves through copy, color, and imagery, while maintaining a clean, structured foundation rooted in familiar e-comm patterns.
2019
In 2019 Nike officially acquired Cultivator, rebranding it as Nike By You Workshop. I worked closely with the internal product team to manage this transition, blending the best parts of the Cultivator experience with the crisp minimalism of Nike’s brand and e-commerce standards. The output of this effort was a platform that successfully transcended its scrappy beginnings, growing into an experience worthy of the swoosh.
2019
In 2019 Nike officially acquired Cultivator, rebranding it as Nike By You Workshop. I worked closely with the internal product team to manage this transition, blending the best parts of the Cultivator experience with the crisp minimalism of Nike’s brand and e-commerce standards. The output of this effort was a platform that successfully transcended its scrappy beginnings, growing into an experience worthy of the swoosh.
In 2019 Nike officially acquired Cultivator, rebranding it as Nike By You Workshop. I worked closely with the internal product team to manage this transition, blending the best parts of the Cultivator experience with the crisp minimalism of Nike’s brand and e-commerce standards. The output of this effort was a platform that successfully transcended its scrappy beginnings, growing into an experience worthy of the swoosh.
Sneakers, stories, and a successful acquisition by the swoosh.
Sneakers, stories, and a successful acquisition by the swoosh.
Sneakers, stories, and a successful acquisition by the swoosh.
Outcome
Over two and a half years, we built a refined two-sided marketplace that brought the voices of over 100 Creators to life through a dozen-plus campaigns. The results: 3,000+ orders fulfilled, nearly $3.8M in revenue generated, and an acquisition by Nike that marked a successful close to a bold experiment in Creator-led commerce.
Outcome
Over two and a half years, we built a refined two-sided marketplace that brought the voices of over 100 Creators to life through a dozen-plus campaigns. The results: 3,000+ orders fulfilled, nearly $3.8M in revenue generated, and an acquisition by Nike that marked a successful close to a bold experiment in Creator-led commerce.
Over two and a half years, we built a refined two-sided marketplace that brought the voices of over 100 Creators to life through a dozen-plus campaigns. The results: 3,000+ orders fulfilled, nearly $3.8M in revenue generated, and an acquisition by Nike that marked a successful close to a bold experiment in Creator-led commerce.