The brief: Design a product for Alpkit that is sustainable, inclusive,
accessible, and promotes the benefits of the outdoors to a new generation of consumers.
accessible, and promotes the benefits of the outdoors to a new generation of consumers.
I identified an issue with footcare while outdoors in that people often leave it too late to take action in treating or preventing injuries. This is due to the time users have to spend in accessing and applying their aid products, therefore making accessibility easier and quicker will encourage users to take action sooner and make the process take less time.
My solution to this issue was to locate the aid products closer to the area of interest -on top of the shoe. As well as improving accessibility it also makes users more aware if they have their aid products on a more obscure part of their body, especially their foot because they will have to put on footwear when partaking in outdoor activities reminding them if they have their products.
After sketching up some initial design ideas for designs, I showcased them as an Alpkit product using branding as well as in situ views of the product on their website to give the product context in the brand.
I started prototyping and focused on the features not the aesthetics to start with. This ensures that I am creating a functional product, which is fundamental to the design of an effective product.
After discovering that the side loop feature wasn't effective to attach the pouch to the shoe I had to experiment with alternate options that would enable a secure attachment with all shoe types.
My next solution was to have central tabs on the underside of the pouch and the laces would feed through at multiple points. This would make the user spend more time attaching the product to their shoe making it a more permanent accessory.
I then partnered this with a thin flap that slides between the laces and the tongue of the shoe, this stabilises the pouch and stops it moving from side to side. However, I then realised that the pressure on the flap is enough in itself to hold the pouch in place, this is due to the pressure between the laces and tongue once the foot is inserted into the shoe so I can get rid of the intricate lace-tab attachment making the product easier to use.
I continued to develop the thin flap design and shape of the pouch to be more ergonomically practical while also looking better on the shoe. I then came to a final size and shape, using them to make the final prototype which had additions of a TPU material and vinyl branding to give it the Alpkit aesthetic.
To show the features of the product and how it is used I created a video to show the full user journey