ResistanceMaterials

Y11DesignCoursework

ShoeRack
ByKevinYeung

Design task #1 Design & make a storage unit influenced by a design era of the last 100 years:
For my project, I would like to make a small sized shoe rack to fit about 4 to 6 pairs of shoes. My design will be able to hold shoes, sat on it when wearing shoes
like a small chair, hang shoe horns and extra shoelaces. This design interests me because it is very unique and has a lot of functions.
Tobeabletomakeallofthesefunctionscanbequitedifficult.Therearelotsofthingstobeconsidered.Forexample,is theproductlargeenoughtofitthis
amountofshoes?Canitholdapersonsweightwhensomeonesitsonit?Howcantheshoerackhangshoehornsandshoelaces?Can itfitallkindsofshoes?
Whatisthemostappropriatematerialsshouldbeused?Whatkindoftheme(eg.colour)shouldtherackbe?
Thefollowingisamindmapexplainingtheproblemsofmakingashoerack:

Criterion1 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

ThismindmapIcreatedanalysethedesigntaskinmoredetails.ItcanhelpmeresearchandsortouttheinformationIhave.

TargetMarketGroupClient
My shoe rack can be used by all ages and gender but mainly for families. It is suited for
home use in the porch way. Most families have modern houses and furniture therefore the
shoe rack should be in a modern style. In order to make it a modern style, the design
should be unique, the materials should have a combination of wood and metal, and the
colour should either be white, black or brown. It would also be used very frequently to put
shoes. Families like a shoe rack that does not need too much space but can hold a lot of
shoes. To make the product more unique, the shoes can be stored diagonally to one side of
the rack. This product should not contain too complicated and expensive materials so
families can afford to buy them.

Averagesize
ModernLifestyle
117mm

105mm

Componentsandstandardsizesofshoes
Therearemanydifferentkindsofshoesincludingleathershoes,sports
shoes,babyshoes,highheelshoes,flipflopsetc.whichallhave
differentsizes.Theshoerackmustbeabletofitmostofthem.

89mm
100mm

290mm

DataRange

Average

Maximum

Minimum

Length(mm)

290

356

105

Width(mm)

100

123

37

Height(mm)

117

143

59

Weight(grams)

410

503

151

DesignBrief
I will design and make a shoe rack for six pairs of shoes. My rack size will be based
on the maximum size of a men leather shoe (356x143x123mm). The shoes will be
stored diagonally. The rack will be mainly made of soft wood and some non ferrous
metals for support.

Lining

Noseof
quarter

tongue

Criterion1 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

Wheretheproductwillbeused
Theshoerackwillbeusedintheporchwayoffamilyhomes.Itwillfitthestyleofthe
doorandlivingroom.Itwillalsoonlytakeuplittlespace.

vamp

collar
shoelace

counter
quarter

eyelet

Heel

Middlesole
stitch

Outsole

ProductAnalysis Examplesofexistingproductsanalysedthroughprimaryandsecondaryresearch
Secondary

Primary

This is a 2 tier shoe rack that holds about 68 pairs of shoes. It looks very
simple and easy to use. Both sides are made of chrome plates and the rack
itself is from plastic coated nonferrous metal. The design looks like it is
made for a modern style because it only uses metal and the colour looks new.
It is said to be made for putting faux leather shoes. I like the style of using
chrome plates and the diagonal design of putting shoes. The striped lines of
the plastic coated metal makes the product feel more unique but I dislike it
because some shoes like high heels will go through the holes.

This is a long shaped shoe rack which can fit 24 pairs of shoes. It is
made from polished hard wood fitted together and a flat cushion
on top. This design is quite unique because people can sit on it
while they are wearing their shoe. This shoe rack might be used in
shops or big houses because they take up a lot of space. Normal
families do not have a big space just for putting a shoe rack. Some
bigger sized shoes are harder to fit in the holes, therefore I do not
like the design of the square boxes. It is the white cushion that
makes me like the style of the rack.

In general, this is a living room furniture storage. It can store

many things including shoes. It has two columns and can store
about 8 pairs of shoes. The top part is made like a bench for
sitting. It is made of wood and bamboo materials and the style is
between modern and ancient furniture. It is suited in both types
of houses. Overall it is very easy to use. The whole rack is made
of the same material so it is easy to be recycled.

Target Market Group

The rack is aimed for children because of its colour. It is most suitable in
childrens playhouse of workshops. Because of its size and style, not many
people will want to keep it in their modern houses.
Style
This product looks quite unique because generally it looks like a storage box not
a shoe rack. It looks to be in a colourful and bright style even it is just painted in
one colour.

Criterion1 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

This is another shoe rack made from melamine MDF and metal wires. The
plastic head is vacuum formed. The style looks very modern. It is able to hold up
to 16 pairs of shoes and can be taken apart for easy shipping. I like the
melamine MDF because it looks really modern and holds the rack strongly.
Again, it is made of metal wires where high heels are difficult to fit.

Purpose
Thisisabigrectangular
sizedshoerackthatcan
fitmanypairsofshoes.
Theshoesarefittedin
thetwoboxes.Thetwo
circlesontopare
decorations.Theaimof
thisshoerackistofitin
astylishandcolourful
house.Itdoesmeetthis
aimasitisinabright
andattractivelightblue
colour.
Functions
The two boxes can be pulled out so the shoes will be easier to put in. Inside the
box is really wide, but there are no racks or things to support and separate
different layers of shoes. This means when putting more shoes in, you have to
stack them up neatly, or they will fall over. This makes the product harder to
use. The wheels inside the bottom of the box makes it easier to pull out.

Materials
All parts of the shoe rack is made of wood except for the wheel that slides the
shelf out. The colour of the wood is very dark, so it is harder to paint the light
blue colour. It is made of wood because it is more stable and sustainable for a
rack. Wood can be painted but metals can only be plastic coated.
Manufacturing
Different sizes of wood is fitted together by stapling nails. You can see this from
the tiny holes on the side of the rack. The wheels are screwed to the boxes so
holding shoes will be more stable. Since the whole rack is made of the same
materials, it can be recycled more easily. But they are nailed together which is
very difficult to take apart, so it cannot be flat packaged.
Personal View
I quite like the decoration of the two circles. They are made with two layers of
wood. I think this should be a storage box instead of a shoe rack because it is
big enough to fit things but needs layer for shoes.

ContinuedProductAnalysis Primary
Purpose
This is an IKEA product. It can either be used
as a shoe rack or a hat rack. It has 2 tiers
and each layer can hold 3 pairs of shoes. It
is designed to achieve multiple functions
and flat packaging.

Environment
Since this rack can be taken apart and separated, every
material can be recycled or reused. The polypropylene
can be used to make other polyurethane products. The
steel can be reused and so is the screws. This product
will not do much harm to the environment if it is sent
to the landfill.

Client
The client of this product should be adults
or elders since children and teenagers will
not be attracted by the design. Adults might
like it plain and simple and also
multifunctional. Elders like it because it is
easy to use and clean. They also do not
need many shoes.
Aesthetics
The style of this rack is very dull and does
not look new or fashionable. The colour and
material makes it feel dirty and old. It had
been styled this way for multifunctions and
easier use, not for fashion.

Functions
This storage rack needs to lean against a wall
because it cannot stand by itself and with the weight
of the shoes it is holding. It seems very easy to use.
The zigzag shape makes the product unique.
TMG
The TMG of this rack should be adults because they
need a lot of space for storage. You can also see
these racks in shoe shops where they display their
shoes. Although in shops, the racks might be painted
or coloured, this rack is really good for display.
Style
The zigzag style of this rack is very unique. It would
look more new and fashionable if spray painted or
coloured. Adding a logo will look really good.
Materials
The shelf is made from aluminium with two long
rods supporting it. At the back, there is a transparent
acrylic stuck to it. The idea of using aluminium is that
you can see scratches and dust on it. But it is very
easy to clean.
Personal View
The rack should be spray painted in order to
look more stylish. You are able to see lots of
dust and fingerprints on it which does not look
nice. The acrylic should be screwed to the
aluminium so it will be more secure. I like the
zigzag shape and with a symbol on the side will
look better.

Environmental issues
The rod is screwed and can be
taken out if needed to be recycled.
The acrylic is stuck to the
aluminium and therefore is harder
to take apart. This rack can be
reused to store other things.

Criterion1 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

Materials
This rack is made from polyester coated steel and
polypropylene. The steel is strong and supports the
rack really well. It is plastic coated to make it more
smooth. The polypropylene is able to switch from a
shoe rack to a hat rack a lot more easily. It is also very
useful when flat packaging. The screws are very deep in
the steel and is hard to take out, but it is quite strong.
This product is capable of being manufactured in large
quantities, since it is not very complicated to produce.
This rack is most suitable to be stored either in a store
room, a garage, hanging on the wall or inside a shelf
because it would not look good in the porch way and it
does not hold many shoes.

Functions
The rack can be taken apart which is easy
for flat packaging. Once taken apart, you
are able to rebuild it sideways to hang on
the wall as a hat rack. It is very simple to use
both ways but taking it apart can be very
difficult. There are screws to hold the parts
together but they are very deep inside. You
have to use a different type of screw driver
to turn it.

Purpose
This is a 7 layered storage rack which is made to
hold many things including magazines and books.
This can also hold shoes, each layer can either hold 2
pairs of shoes or just one shoe for display.

Sideways
hatrack

Design Criteria stating the key requirements the product must fulfil
Essentials
CriteriaRequirement

Desirable
Explanation

CriteriaRequirement

Explanation

Whensomeonesitsonit,itwillsupport
themandnotfall

Itshouldincludewood,nonferrousmetals
andvinylstickers

ThiswillfitthestyleoftheTMG

Mustnotusetoxicmaterials

Thiswilldamagetheenvironmentand
familiesthatusesit

Therackshouldbeeasilypackaged

Thiscansavespacewhentransportingitand
alsohelptheenvironment

Therackmustbeeasytokeepand
maintained

Iftheclientcannotmaintaintherackeasily,
thentherackwillbeuseless

Useminimumamountofmaterialsas
possible

Thiswillsavetheusesofmaterialsasextra
partsareuseless

Itmustbeveryeasytouse

Familiesusetherackveryoften,itshould
notbecomplicatedtouse

Canbecapableofmassproduction

Itwillthenbeeasytomakeandsellmanyof
theshoeracks

Therackmustbeveryunique

Thiswillmaketheproductstandout

Canbetakenapartforeasierrecycling

Whenitisbroken,otherpartscanbereused

Mustbesafetouse

Theremightbechildrenusingit,soithasto
besafe

Shouldbesoldataprofitwhereaffordable
byfamilies

Asuitablepricecanmakemorepeopleuse
theshoeracks

Eachlayeroftherackmustsupportatleast
3.1kgofweight

Therackmustbeabletosupportshoesand
aperson

Anydecorationstomaketheproduct more
unique

Lotsofadultslikedecoratedproductsthan
nondecoratedones

Shouldbeeasytoclean

Shoesaredirtyandtherackneedstobe
cleanedveryoften

Environmentallyfriendlyandcanbe
recycledeasily

Itisalwaysbetterforaproducttobe
environmentallyfriendly

Theheightbetweeneachlayermustbeat
least170mmhigh

Shoeslikehighheelsareabletofitin

Minimumenergyusedduring
manufacturingstage

Lessenergycanbeusedwhichisalsogood
fortheenvironment

Mustbeabletousedbydisabledpeople

Theclientincludesdisabledpeopleaswell

Avoidbeingsenttolandfillifdisposed

Thiscanreducethewaste

Thewidthshouldbeabout300mm

Shoeswillbefittedintherackwithpartofit
stickingoutforeasyaccess

Mustnotdomuchharmtoenvironmentif
senttolandfill

Doesnotharmenvironmentifitcannotbe
recycledorreusedagain

Shouldlastalongperiodoftime

Familieswillusetherackforalongtime

Shouldlooknewandfashionable

Thiswillattractadultsandfamilies

Mustnotdamageshoes

Therackinsteadshouldprotectshoes

Therecanbeasmalldesignlogo

Thiswillmakeituniqueandspecial

Mustbeabletositonandhangshoehorns

Thiswillmakeituniquewithmorefunctions

Theseatontherackshouldbecomfortable

Theclientwilllikeacomfortableshoerack

Itshouldbeatleast750mminlength

Itwillbeabletofitthreepairsofshoes

Mustbeinamodernindoorhomestyle

Mostadultsandfamilieswilllikethisstyle

Criterion1 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

Theshoerackmustbeverystableandcan
standbyitself

Essentials:Whattheproductmust fulfil inordertomakeagoodshoerack

Desirable:Anydesiresthatmaketheproductbetterbuttheyarenotasimportantandcannotalwaysbefulfilled.
Themeasurementsofminimumlengthandweightisaccordingtothedatarange.

InitialDesignIdeas

It is made of a thick piece of soft wood like pine

which looks really nice on the wall when
smoothened and finished. In a family home, it will
not take up a lot of space. The hooks can also be
used to hang extra accessories.

This is a 2 tier shoe rack with a seat

on the top. The slanted pieces that
will store 6 pairs of shoes will be
made of hard wood like meranti, and
the seat will be made of pine for a
better look.
This will be held
together with acrylic on both sides. A
piece of cardboard or plastic board
will be stuck at the back so the shoes
dont fall out.

Thisisarackthat
hangsonthewall
andisverystable
becausethereare
lotsofnails
drilledthroughit.
Eachnailisalsoa
hookwhichhangs
ashoe.Thereare
16hooksintotal.

Thisholecanalso
holdshoehorns
andlaces

Thisisaverylargerackandcanholdupto12pairsofshoes.
Itismadefromhardplasticboardsandisverystable.Each
pairofshoescanbeputinabox.Thereare7boxesintotal,
fourononesideandthreeontheother.Thelongboxcan
storethreepairsofshoesandcanalsobesaton.Three
morepairsofshoescanbeputontopthesmallerboxes.
The size of this rack may attract many
family users. It is small and easy to use,
but can only fit 3 pairs of shoes. It can be
stored anywhere in the house the
floor, on tables or inside shelves and
wardrobes. It is very handy.
5

A piece of
cardboard or
plastic board
will be stuck
at the back so
the
shoes
dont fall out.

The outer layer will

be made of several
pieces of plastic cut
into shape and stuck
together. A piece of
meranti
will
be
shaped as a rod and
stuck between the
two plastics. The
shoes will be placed
on the rod with the
front facing the
lower side.

This is more like a display rack

where shoes are stored at the sides
and does not fall out easily. It is
stacked up and each layer can hold
one pair of shoes. The zigzag
pattern will be made of aluminium
because it is capable of the weight.
A block of thick meranti will be
used as the bottom stand.
The back stand which holds the
aluminium is made from two pieces
of acrylic stuck together. The style of
this rack is quite fashionable since it
looks like a display rack in shops. The
TMG might like the idea of it.
Thisrackisquite
differentfromthe
otherswitha
slantedshapeand
theshoestiltedto
oneside.

Thewholerackwill
bemadeofmeranti
withsomewooden
nails.Itwillbevery
environmentally
friendlyifrecycled.

There are screws drilled through the

acrylic and into the wood to make
them secure. There will also be nuts
covering the screws so they look
better.

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

This rack is made of hard

wood for example meranti
and parts of it is spray
1
painted green to look like
bamboo. A tray made of
MDF will be slid in for
storage.
Its function is able to store
shoes in the spaces and can
be stored both sides. The
space on the left above the
tray is for sitting and the
tray can store shoelaces,
shoe horns and other Thisrackisabitofatraditionalstylebut
alsosuitesfamilyusers.
accessories.

Thesecanhold
shoehornsand
extrashoelaces

This will be made of

different sizes of coloured
plastic
boards
stuck
together. There will be
two rectangular stands at
the back to support it.
This rack will hold 6
pairs of shoes and can
be sat on at the top.

Me

TMG1

TMG2

Me

TMG1

TMG2

Me

TMG1

TMG2

Me

TMG1 Usesavarietyofmaterials

TMG2

Me

TMG1

TMG2

Me

TMG1 Environmentallyfriendly

TMG2

Me

TMG1

TMG2

30

28

30

Idea2

31

29

29

Idea3

25

30

33

Idea4

22

23

27

Idea7

33

31

31

Idea8

26

23

31

Safetyofrack

Easeofuse

Stable/Strength

Totalscore

TMG2

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

ShoeRacks

Durability

TMG1

Idea1

Key:
4/5=Meetsthe
requirement
exceptionallywell
2/3=Meetsthe
requirement
reasonably
0/1=Doesnotmeetsthe
requirement

Unique/Creative

Me

ReviewofIdeas

Conclusion
I have chosen the six ideas I like the most and have reviewed them to my criteria. Two other clients and myself have also
commented and gave a score for each idea. I have used colour codes to make it clearer. Idea 7 has the most total scores and is
agreed by the two clients that it can be developed further on.

DevelopingIdeas
Now that Idea 7 is chosen as the best idea, it
will be developed into different areas such as
design features, functions, materials,
shapes ergonomic features, colour,
methods of manufacture mass production
and style.

Stuckwith
maskingtape

Hotglue
gunned
SandedMDF

Bristleboard

Functions
The shoe rack must have several
different functions as said in the
mind map. It should be able to hold
6 pairs of shoes, can be sat on like
a chair, hang shoe horns and
shoelaces, and a handle to pick up
the shoe rack easily. All functions
will be listed and shown the
manufacturing methods.

There are two tiers and each Is long enough to

hold 3 pairs of shoes. The shoes are stored
diagonally to the back. Pieces of pine will be stuck
together and cut into the right shape. Holes will be
drilled in so it will stick to the sides and the back.

Blackacrylic

Notverystable,
tilts

At one of the sides,

the acrylic will be cut
in a shape so shoe
horns can be able to
hang off it. The
height of the acrylic
will be longer than a
normal sized shoe
horn so it would not
drag on the ground.
The acrylic will be
laser cutted to fit the
shape.

SlantedMDF

Either acrylic or sheets of aluminium will be

used at the sides for the final product. I will
not use MDF for the layers because it does
not look very nice and attractive. Maybe
pine will be a better idea. For the back,
other types of hard plastic or metal will be
good.

On the other side of the rack, a

hole can be made where
shoelaces are able to be tied
on it. A small space is enough
because it can already hold lots
of shoelaces. This hole can be
made either by drilling it or
laser cutted.
At the back of the rack, it is
also better to have a handle
so it will be easier to carry
around. The size of the hole
should fit the fingers, and
not get stuck. This will also
be made by drilling or laser
cutting.

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

Modelling
Here I have made a similar model
with the chosen idea. It is made with
acrylic, MDF and bristle board. It is
quite stable but some pieces are
slanted. There was not much trouble
making it except that I have to test
out all kinds of gluing techniques.
Only the hot glue gun works for
sticking the MDF and the acrylic
together. For the final product I will
use other screwing techniques.

Ergonomicfeatures:
I would like to change the original idea with
more ergonomic features because the
design now is not very unique and good in
its style, so developing it will also improve
the design features. I have drawn a few
ideas to show this and they do not have
colour yet since I will experiment with that
afterwards.

The layout of these racks are very

similar. This one has a curved
back and looks quite good in its
style. Each layer is rounded off at
the back to fit the curve and will
be quite strong and stable.

The curved back will be made of a

big piece of plywood moulded
with an even bigger piece of
styrofoam. The plywood will be
about 35 pieces thick so it can be
strong and stable to hold up the
rack.

This one has its top rounded in a smooth

curve and is used as the seat. The two
tiers is slanted backwards with a plastic
board at the back holding it. But the
design looks more like a rubbish bin even
if it is very stable.
Since the tiers are slanted backwards, each
one has to be in the exact angle. The back
board will help to stable this by screwing
them together. There will also be screws at
the sides so it will be more stronger.
Comparing the three designs to the original one, they are
surely more ergonomic. But there is one problem all these
designs will then only be made of wood and maybe with
some screws. This does not have the combination of wood
and metal, therefore will not fit the criteria of the target
market group.
I decided to stick to the original idea, but also adding more
designs to make it have a better style. In order to do this, I
will change the design of the acrylic at the sides.

The curve is at the bottom where

it is designed to swing a little.
The layers are flat and can be
used on both sides. The bad thing
is that it is unsteady and shoes
might fall off the other side.

The lowest tier of the rack

will be needed to fit in the
bottom curve, so it should be
rounded off so they fit
perfectly. PVA glue or even
small biscuit joints might help.

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

The rounded off layers will slide in the

curve and will be exactly fitted in. PVA
glue will be put between them so no
gaps can be seen. Maybe some
screws at the sides will help stable it
more.

Style
I am going to change the design of the acrylic at the side to create a better style. I have drawn some different designs to see which one has a good style and
fits the target market group. The first one is the original idea with 2 screws on each layer. Most of the other ones have three.

Too thin.
Easy to snap

Good place to
hang shoe horns

2 screws, not
very stable

2 separate
pieces of
acrylic
Not symmetric
in both sides

Hard to stay
in place

Glimpse of
the layers
and shoes
Smaller surface
on the ground,
does not tilt as
much

No sharp
corners, safe
for children
Sticks out,
very unstable

Stylish and
appealing,
attracts
teenagers

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

Big space, can

see shoes from
the sides.

Lots of sharp
corners

Thereareavarietyofstylesherewithsomethatyoucanseetheshoesintherackandsomewithdifferentdesignsatthebottom.Having3screwsin
eachlayerismorestablethan2.InMostofthedesigns,therearelotsofsharpedgesandnotsafeforchildren.Inthefinalidea,Iwillcombinethe
goodthingsfoundhereandmakeitlessdangerous.

10

Backdesign
Thesedesignsarethebackviewofmyshoerack.Therearedifferentcoloursandstyles.Someofthemaremadesoyoucansee theshoesinsidefrom
thebackandisagoodairventilationwhichmakestheshoesdonotsmellasmuch.Thesewillmainlybemadefrombigsheetsofaluminiumandthen
spraypainted.

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

Iwouldratherhavemoresimpledesignsthanpatternsandlogosbecausetheysuitthetargetmarketgroupmore.Parentsinafamilywouldlikea
simpleandlessbrightlycolouredproductsintheirhomes.

11

FullScaledOrthographicDrawing
HereIhavedrawnafull1to1scaleofmyshoerack.Itisthefrontviewandshowsallthedimensionsinmillimetres.Ihavealsomadethedimensions
onthe3Ddrawing.Itincludesafront,sideandbackview.Themeasurementsonthe3Ddesignwillbeabitdifferentfromthedrawingbecausethe
programisnotveryexact.Thesewillbemyfinaldesigns.
FrontView

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

12

FinalDesign
Ihavemadea3DmodelonGooglesketchupshowingthedetailsoftheshoerack.Thisincludesthefrontview,sideviewanda backview.Itisa
combinationofpreviousdesignsandideas.
FrontView

SideView

Criterion2 DesignProject,WestIslandSchool

Acrylic
Plywood

BackView

Aluminium

13

Bibliography
Images
Slide2 Modernlifestyle
http://besthomegallery.com/interior/modernlivingroomdeoratingideas
onfurnitureandlighting/
Slide3 Firstproductanalysis(Secondary)
http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/furniturestore/unbranded
fauxleathershoerack2tier.asp
Secondproductanalysis(Secondary)
http://furniture.indiabizclub.com/catalog/600168~shoe+rack+~zhan
gjiagang
Thirdproductanalysis(Secondary)
http://storagebencheser.tk/cheapmissionstyle24pairshoe
storagebench24pairchestnut/
Fourthproductanalysis(Secondary)
http://www.renkui.com/WoodenShoeRackY08p6573
Slide4 IKEAsidewayshatrack
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60152665

Allimagesandscannedphotosarecompressed