Welcome to my honors project OSAAT. This is the culmination of 12 months of work in my honors year at RMIT University. The project began with a desire to reduce the confusion associated with buying footwear at a retail level. With numerous choices and a dictionary’s worth of technical jargon being used by salespeople, I wanted to simplify that by creating custom-fitting shoes.
This evolved into having “drop-in” custom orthotics integrated into the shoe’s midsole. However, to get the custom orthotic, the decision was made to utilize the expertise of local podiatrists to create it but house it within the form factor of the OSAAT midsole.
Discussions with said podiatrist also led to the idea of a web-based platform. This would lead to a more direct line of communication between the user, their chosen podiatrist or physio, and OSAAT, allowing for better clarity for the users and adaptability for the company, including a reduction in time to fix problems that may arise with the shoes.
The branding for the project revolves around the word OSAAT. This is an acronym for One Step At A Time which embodies the approach to activity this project is taking. It also means “You can” in Finnish which further plays into the message. This project aims to bridge that gap by creating accessible custom footwear. It is the intention of the project to offer a footwear solution that can be used for high-intensity activity such as running as well as having court capabilities all while not forfeiting the aesthetic appeal that would allow it to be worn in a casual or professional environment. Thus, ensuring that whoever is wearing these shoes will have the perfect shoe for them always on foot.
THE ONE STEP AT A DESIGN PROCESS
The design of this shoe was broken into 2 halves, the first half was about coming up with a brief and defining the problem you are looking to solve. The second half of the subject was about honing in on the idea and polishing it to a point of presentation. This meant having posters, prototypes, and research to reinforce the project thesis.
THE ONE STEP AT A USER JOURNEY
The user journey when using the OSAAT system consists of 4 major checkpioints, Fit, Make, Explore and Feedback. Within these 4 stages the user goes from seeing a associated podiatrist to get their orthotic fitted right through to having the shoes delivered to their door.
Fit
The process begins with the user visiting an OSAAT-associated medical professional, where a 3D scan of the foot is taken. The medical professional completes the appropriate orthotic design process before being sent to an offsite manufacturer. This would then be inserted into a midsole built to withstand the pressures of all daily life and the use in multiple sports.
Make
The user’s orthotic is then custom CNC’d using a multi-foam density construction, the 3D scan is then used to determine the correct length and width for the shoe. The User is then able to pick colors and the shoes are delivered to the user’s house. The upper plays a large part in this as it is naturally shaped, accommodating more foot shapes and types than a traditional straight last.
Explore
Once the User has the shoes and the Connect App they are encouraged to participate in social sports and activity in their local area. This activity level would be recommended by the client’s chosen medical professional who then monitored the app to ensure physical capabilities were met and re-injury would not occur.
Feedback
The integral part of the system the feedback form allows clients to reconnect the User with their medical practitioner of choice. Providing live feedback on how well the system is being utilized. If the feedback was bad the podiatrist could retest the orthotic and present a new solution for the customer and the cycle starts again. Otherwise, the orthotic would be monitored by monthly check-ins by the medical professional.
