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4EP- Engineering a Shoe Portfolio

Last updated over 3 years ago
23 questions
Background Information

2022 Shoe Design Challenge

Challenge Requirements and Description

You and your friends are being entrepreneurial and trying to break into the vibrant shoe culture in the Northwest. Your company is an emerging competitor to local shoe companies and your are trying to get a bigger foothold into the market. After hiring a market research team, the market research report revealed that while it is hard to break into the market in popular shoe types (basketball, cross-trainer, etc.) there are several untapped profitable markets. These markets include: minimalist running shoe, dance shoe, extreme hiking shoes (for smoke jumpers), and medical professional shoes (for emergency medical technicians, EMTs). Your goal is to create a design mockup for your chosen shoe that details your design with justification of your design decisions.
0.5
Your company name: _______

Brainstorm

Divergent thinking: start by creating an initial design for each market

With your team, draw a preliminary sketch on paper or a whiteboard for each type of shoe and take a photo.

Shoe types:
1- minimalist running shoe
2- dance shoe
3- hiking shoe for smoke jumpers
4- emergency medical technician shoe
0.5

Use the "Image" button (circled below) to add a photo of your sketch.

Design Considerations

There are a lot of choices that have to be made when designing a shoe, we will focus on the following five things.

1. Cushioning- to soften the effect of an impact on.

2. Stability- not likely to tip or overturn.

3. Mass- amount of matter in something.

4. Traction- the grip.

5. Style- distinctive appearance.
0.5
Watch the video and answer the question below.
Cushioning _______ the impact force when the foot lands on the _______ .
0.5

Select the shoe that has the least stability based on the definition.

0.5

A flip-flop will have more mass than Air Force Ones.


0.5

What type of athlete might be most concerned about traction?

0.5

Why might we include style as a consideration in our design process?

Client Profiles

Client Profiles

To better understand potential clients we paid for existing market research on the needs of minimalist runners, dancers, smokejumpers, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
1

Minimalist Runners
Read the profile below. Identify the four parts of the text that represent the priority considerations for the shoe design.

Meet Andrea, she is a 25-year-old runner and is looking to change her running style. There is a trend of runners using minimalist running shoes, which means running as close to barefoot as possible. She is looking into running on hiking trails and wants something that will protect her feet from the wear and tear of the trail, but flexible enough that she can contort her foot to rocks and roots that she might experience along the way. She wants minimal interference with the natural movement of her foot, and her biggest concern is that she doesn’t slip on the trail. When asked about the perfect shoe she said, “I’d love to be able to put the shoe on and have it fit like a work glove. Strong enough to prevent me from getting splinters and cuts, but flexible enough for me to get a feel for the ground.”
1

Dancers
Read the profile below. Identify the four parts of the text that represent the priority considerations for the shoe design.

Henrik is a semi-professional dancer who goes out swing dancing every weekend. He is looking for an all-around dancing shoe. It is important for him to have a sole that only slightly grips the floor, to allow him to slide when he wants to. He prefers a lightweight shoe that also provides a lot of support. Henrik said, “I am out on the dance floor for hours and constantly am pushing off my feet, so I want some cushioning. It is fun to be able to slide and pick up my partner, so it needs to slide but be sturdy.”
1

Smoke Jumpers
Read the profile below. Identify the four parts of the text that represent the priority considerations for the shoe design.

Jean is a smokejumper for the United States Forest Service and is based out of Redmond, Oregon. Smokejumpers are most often sent to remote wildfires that are difficult to reach by road or hiking. They try to reach the blaze quickly after it starts so as to prevent the fire from getting too large. Jean is looking for a shoe that is supportive and protective to prevent injury when landing and while on the ground. Specifically, Jean needs ankle support to prevent injury on impact with the ground. Jean said, “When we hike out of a location, we often are carrying up to 120 lbs of gear. That being said, I’d like a shoe that has excellent traction and has enough padding to reduce the wear and tear on my feet.”
1

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
Read the profile below. Identify the four parts of the text that represent the priority considerations for the shoe design.

Chris is an EMT and is looking for the perfect shoe. They says that the job can be hard on your feet, and it is a lot easier to get through a shift with the right shoes. As an EMT, they are jumping out of ambulances, carrying people over uneven surfaces, and often has to stand for extended periods of time. Also, it is important that they can be cleaned easily; being an EMT is a messy job, and you don’t want to have to throw away your shoes after a bad call. “My shoe needs to be electric resistant and prevent chemicals and body fluids from getting on my feet,” Chris said. They also added, “I have to do a bit of everything in my shoes so I want shoes that are not too heavy while still having good traction and support and plenty of cushioning.”

Design Priority Table

We need to rate the different aspects of the shoe design by importance to the client. Our five considerations are:

We are going to rate the considerations using a scale of 1 to 4, with a cap of 14 points per design.
1
1= ______________________ 2= ______________________ 3= ______________________ 5= ______________________
Other Answer Choices:
Somewhat Important
Significant
Top Priority
Not Important
1
Complete the design priority table for each shoe design. Make sure the total points do not exceed _______ units.

Engineering Problem Statement

1

Type the problem statement here:

Refined Design for Client with Rationale

Refined Design for Client with Rationale

2

Summary of Client Needs
In complete sentences, summarize what your client is looking for in a shoe. Besure to include cushioning, stability, mass, traction, and style.

0.5

Revised Design

Using the information you have learned from the client profile and what they want (or don't want) in a shoe, revise the design for that client's shoe to show changes that reflect the design priorities.

Add an image of the Refined Design below.

1

Rationale for Design Refinement:
Why did you make the design choices you did? Using complete sentences, describe 2 reasons for your final design.

Market Research and Manufacturer's Specifications of Product

Market Research on Constraints for Clients

Below are the data collected for client preferences on different design parameters.

Manufacturer's Specifications of Product

0.5
According to the data, as cushioning is added, the stability __________.
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According to the data, as cushioning is added, the impact force __________.
Final Design Recommendations for Shoe
1

Final Design Recommendations for Shoe with Rationale

Follow this link to copy a slide template for communicating your final design.

Paste a screenshot of Slide 1 below.

1

Paste a screenshot of the design and sole design from Slide 2 below.

2

Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses of Final Design

Evaluation of Strengths of Design Recommendations
Using complete sentences, reflect on your final shoe design. Identify at least 2 strengths in your design. What about your design best meets the needs of your client?

1

Evaluation of Weaknesses of Design Recommendations
Using complete sentences, reflect on your final shoe design. Identify at least one area of weakness in your design. What about your design needs further improvement?