Jason Mayden
Jason Mayden is the Co-Founder and CEO of Super Heroic. Mayden had previously worked at Nike for 13 years. He founded Super Heroic to help his son who was struggling with his weight. Super Heroic was founded to encourage kids to go outside and play. Jason Mayden was chosen for his dedication and drive to solve the source of what he felt was a problem.
Super Heroic is an ongoing project turned business in which Mayden uses user centered design. They design an experience and shoes that encourage children to go out and play. Super Heroic is marketed towards children ages 4–11 and their parents.
Before the designing process, Mayden researched how kids played and how they're feet were growing. What was discovered is that when children are pretending to be someone else, they tend to hold themselves to a higher standard. This is dubbed the Batman Effect. Mayden used this to develop the idea of making children feel like super heroes to encourage them to play.
The person I interviewed, Mar Birsch, stated that when they think of children's shoes, they think that the shoes “are colorful, heavily gendered, and have no laces.” Super Heroic fits two out of the three generalized assuptions. They stray away from gendering their shoes to keep their target market open. Super Heroic is a brand that markets toward parents and all children between the ages 4–11. When asked to review the experience of opening their shoes, Mar believed, “This is a great way to encourage children to play, I only wish they made shoes for adults!” While wearing these shoes, kids can be kids.
User centered design added a great deal to the impact that Mayden’s company has on the world and children. Without his clear goal and researched based design the shoes would just be something else kids can wear on their feet. He did not just bring another pair of shoes to the table, he brought an experience. The idea of being a superhero, complete with a cape and sound effects, excites kids and encourages them to play.
Many people can make a design, but not everyone makes a design for a cause. By itself, the shoes are wonderful and inventive, when the whole experience and cause is added, it adds a level of depth to the project. Practicing user centered design when making projects makes them more relateable, relevant, and memorable.
Cited Sources
Kai, Maiysha, “It Must Be the Shoes: Super Heroic Can Bring the Hero Out of Every Kid.” last modified April 11, 2018. https://theglowup.theroot.com/it-must-be-the-shoes-super-heroic-can-bring-the-hero-o-1825172865
“Jason Mayden: building stronger kids through Super Heroic,” designbetter.co. last modified April 20, 2018, https://www.designbetter.co/conversations/jason-mayden
“CONQUER THE DAY WITH PLAY.,” Super Heroic, accessed September 24, 2018. https://superheroic.com
Harris, Jarrel, “Jason Mayden Q&A: The Story of a ‘Super Heroic’ Sneaker with a Cause,” last modified March 7, 2018. https://www.si.com/nba/2018/03/07/jason-mayden-jordan-brand-super-heroic-magic-johnson-phil-knight
“Super Heroic’s TMBLR v1 “Galactix” Are for the Super Kids,” nicekicks.com. last modified April 11, 2018, http://www.nicekicks.com/super-heroics-tmblr-v1-galactix-are-for-the-super-kids/
Mar Birsch, interview by Kiersten Sprague, September 23, 2018.