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01 / INDIGENOUS MARATHON FOUNDATION

MAKE YOUR MARK

Art direction, AI and a personal mark for every runner.

2026 WEBBY AWARDS
Honoree
Best Responsible AI Implementation

02 / Overview

Every runner has a story.
Every mark should be their own.

A generative art system for the Indigenous Marathon Foundation, created at SLIK in collaboration with Indigenous artist Tyrown Waigana. Bringing runner data, graphic artwork and athlete photography into one personalised series.

Client
Indigenous Marathon Foundation
Agency
SLIK
Role
Senior Art Director
Disciplines
Art Direction
Creative Technology
Visual Systems

THE CHALLENGE

Celebrate each runner’s individuality within a shared story of resilience, representation and community. The artwork needed to feel personal, while holding together as a recognisable series.

THE IDEA

Use marathon data and the artist’s graphic language to inform a distinctive mark for each runner. Combine those patterns with athlete imagery, runner information and a shared campaign frame.

MY ROLE

I led the art direction, AI-assisted Illustrator and code workflow, pattern generation, card design and production. I used AI as a creative and coding partner, with human selection and refinement shaping the finished work.

03 / The system

Data in.
Individuality out.

Two inputs shaped the exploration: marathon data and an established graphic language. AI assisted the workflow; creative decisions, curation and craft brought the outputs into a consistent design system.

Working process diagram showing marathon data and the artist’s graphic elements feeding an AI-assisted pattern generator.
Runner data + graphic language → AI-assisted exploration → human curation. Swipe across to explore the diagram.
  1. 01 / INPUTS

    Start with the runner.

    Marathon data and the project’s graphic elements provide the starting point.

    Runner data
    Location, elevation and distance.
    Graphic language
    Tyrown Waigana’s graphic elements.
  2. 02 / EXPLORATION

    Build the workflow.

    An AI-assisted Illustrator and code process explores pattern variations.

  3. 03 / CURATION

    Make creative choices.

    Select and refine the patterns for balance, clarity and a consistent visual language.

    Pattern variations considered during curation.
  4. 04 / APPLICATION

    Bring it together.

    Combine the artwork, athlete imagery and campaign graphics in a modular card.

    Explore the card construction ↓

The pattern language

Different marks.
Shared DNA.

Colour, rhythm and graphic detail shift between compositions. The circular format connects the series while allowing each artwork to have its own expression.

Nine circular pattern compositions in red, yellow, green and blue, showing variations within a shared graphic language.
A selection of the pattern variations developed for the project.

04 / Card anatomy

One framework.
A personal finish.

A consistent layered structure brings the elements together. Each pattern is part of the composition, with the athlete and their identity remaining the focus.

The finished card brings every layer together.
Kiet Cook, from the athlete series.
Exploded view of Buddy Franklin’s card separating the base, circular pattern, runner information, campaign frame and athlete photograph.
The original layered card construction. Swipe across to inspect the artwork.
  1. 01

    Base card

    A consistent surface gives every card the same format.

  2. 02

    Pattern artwork

    A selected circular composition brings an individual mark into the card.

  3. 03

    Runner information

    The runner’s name and run details make it personal.

  4. 04

    Campaign frame

    The shared Make Your Mark frame holds the series together.

  5. 05

    Athlete photograph

    The runner stays in the foreground.

  6. 06

    Personalised card

    Artwork, runner details and photography come together in the finished card.

View the original layer diagram
Buddy Franklin’s exploded card construction, showing the base, pattern, runner information, frame and photograph.
Open the full-size diagram ↗

05 / The series

Individual by design.
United as a system.

Nine Indigenous Marathon Foundation athlete cards, each combining a runner’s photograph with an individual circular pattern and shared Make Your Mark frame.

A selection of finished athlete artworks. Swipe across to explore the series.

06 / Outcome & credits

A new way to
make your mark.

A human-led design system brought individual expression into a cohesive family of digital artworks. AI supported the process; the runners, artist’s visual language and creative craft shaped its identity.

Selected project credits

Client
Indigenous Marathon Foundation
Agency
SLIK
Indigenous Artist
Tyrown Waigana
Senior Art Director
Randle Juan