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Vans Customs Checkerfy Tool

Overview
One of the challenges with creative tools is that they often favor people who already feel creative. We wanted to remove that barrier and unlock everyone's creativity.

Vans’ checkerboard pattern is one of the most iconic visual assets in the brand’s history. We saw an opportunity to turn that brand equity into a generative tool that made creativity accessible to everyone.

Checkerfy allowed users to upload any image and automatically transform it into a checkerboard-based bitmap artwork that could be printed directly onto their custom shoes.

The goal was simple:
Give every user the ability to create something uniquely theirs, even if they didn’t consider themselves an artist.

My Role
I led the concept and experience design for Checkerfy as an extension of the broader Vans Customs platform. This included defining the interaction model, visual output logic, and integration into the core customization workflow. I partnered closely with engineering and external development partners to ensure the tool was performant, intuitive, and scalable.

The Approach
We focused on three principles:

• Lower the creative barrier to entry
• Leverage brand DNA as a generative framework
• Embed the tool seamlessly into the existing customization system

Users could upload an image, adjust scale and placement, and instantly see their transformed artwork applied in real time within the 3D customizer.

Because it was built within the modular Customs platform, Checkerfy became one of many creative tools we could introduce over time without rebuilding the core system.

Impact
• Increased experimentation and time spent within the customization flow
• Expanded participation from users who might not otherwise upload original artwork
• Strengthened the connection between Vans’ heritage and modern digital creation