Nike A'One Launch A'ja Wilson Retail Experience

Project Overview

To support the launch of A'ja Wilson's first signature Nike basketball shoe, UrbanFX was contracted to fabricate two custom retail installations for the campaign: a large storefront window display and the sculptural centerpiece that showcased the shoe within the retail environment.

Working from design models supplied by Nike's creative team, our responsibility was to transform highly conceptual forms into production-ready structures without compromising the visual language or intent of the original design.

Every decision had to balance aesthetics, manufacturability, structural integrity, fabrication efficiency, and an aggressive production schedule.

My Contribution

My role began with the original STEP models provided by the design team. While visually complete, the geometry required significant engineering before it could be manufactured. I evaluated both display concepts and modified their geometry where necessary to make fabrication possible while preserving the overall appearance and design intent.

The storefront display presented the greatest challenge, incorporating 1.25-inch diameter tubing with bend radii that exceeded the practical limits of CNC tube bending and fabrication. Each proposed modification required careful analysis and presentation through design review meetings, where I explained the manufacturing constraints, justified the engineering changes, and worked with the design team to reach approved solutions.

Once the designs were finalized, I developed the manufacturing data required for production — generating the R/T/P programs used on the CNC tube bender, designing custom fixtures and welding jigs for repeatable assembly, and developing fabrication methods that ensured the bent components matched the CAD geometry throughout production.

The project required far more than CAD modeling alone. Every part demanded an understanding of tube bending, material behavior, weld sequencing, coping, fixture design, tolerance management, and assembly strategy. My responsibility was to bridge the gap between digital design and physical manufacturing — ensuring that what was ultimately built remained faithful to the original concept while being practical to fabricate at production quality.