FN-002-002 - Cataloging a Collaboration

Today I finished a display I’ve been working on for my Grateful Dead + Nike SB Dunk collaboration.

The project combines plywood, 3D printed components, and a vinyl decal cut on my Cricut Maker 3. While the construction came together fairly quickly, I spent much longer trying to find the right visual direction.

Something about it never felt finished.

Then, late last night, an idea hit me.

Instead of treating the display like a simple stand, I started thinking about it as if it belonged in a museum or archival collection. That shift completely changed the project. Adding a vinyl decal featuring both the Grateful Dead and Nike logos transformed the display from something that merely held a shoe into something that documented it.

The display became less about presentation and more about context.

I think that’s what I enjoy most about projects like this. Sometimes the final design isn’t found while modeling parts or assembling materials - it’s found by changing the story you’re trying to tell.

In this case, the story became one of preservation rather than display, and everything else fell into place.