The resulting identity establishes AVA as a fictional world where footwear and aerospace meet through a shared language that extends consistently across every touchpoint, from packaging and social media to merchandise, creating a cohesive identity that feels considered, functional and rooted in the same spirit of exploration established by Mission 01.
To reinforce the tension between past and future, a series of collages was developed to bring the worlds of space exploration and footwear together. Each composition combines two contrasting images, merging the shoe with an aircraft or spacecraft to create a direct visual connection between the two. These images suggest that movement, technology and exploration are connected to the object itself, blurring boundaries between show and machine.
2022
BRANDING
NASA, TERENCE BURKE & THE DK PHOTOGRAPHY
YEAR:
TYPE:
PHOTOGRAPHY:
AVA
AVA is a fictional project that started with a series of typographic experiments. These explorations eventually developed into the identity of a fictional collaboration between Apex Motion Lab, a footwear design lab, and the Orbital Exploration Bureau, a space agency.
The project imagines Mission 01, AVA’s first experimental release: a limited-edition shoe that combines the precision of aerospace design with the simplicity and functionality of contemporary footwear.
AVA brings together ideas of exploration, movement and innovation, using space exploration as the starting point for a contemporary footwear concept. The shoe, packaging and supporting merchandise were all developed as part of the same visual system, creating a complete identity for the launch of Mission 01.
Space exploration is a central reference throughout AVA’s visual language. The identity draws from the imagery, language and visual culture associated with space travel, using recognisable phrases and quotates in new contexts across different applications.
The imagery comes from publicly available NASA archives, giving the fictional project a connection to the real history of space exploration. Combined with a monochromatic palette, the images create a visual language that feels familiar and futuristic, while keeping the overall identity precise and understated.
The name AVA combines “Aviation” with “Eva”, bringing together ideas of flight, innovation and creation within a name that feels both human and forward-looking. The logo started as a typographic study exploring connection and symmetry, which led to a wordmark with a distinct spatial quality.
The wordmark was developed on a custom geometric grid, allowing it to be mirrored while maintaining the same visual structure in both directions. This principle of symmetry became an integral part of the identity, reinforcing the ideas of precision and interconnectedness at the core of the project.
The visual language of AVA is deliberately sober, direct and minimal, creating a juxtaposition between the futuristic and the utilitarian. The result is an identity that feels contemporary while remaining deeply connected to the visual culture of space exploration.
