This is an introductory studio course for students interested in shoe design. The course presents an overview of the fundamentals of creative shoe design, focusing on key historical and contemporary methods, materials, and processes. The course builds on students’ personal design philosophies, applied through design research methods and tools used in realizing studio projects, such as drawing on the last. Students will analyze and discuss their shoe design process and its outcomes in the context of their identified market through a systems approach. For example, students will assess their designs for environmental and social impacts within the context of global commerce and manufacture. Students will engage in a number of shoe design projects, underpinned by thorough systems/contextual and concept research. Iterative prototyping and user testing will further drive the shoe design process. Students will complete the course with portfolio-quality 2-D record of process and designed outcomes.

This is an introductory studio course for students interested in shoe design. The course presents an overview of the fundamentals of creative shoe design, focusing on key historical and contemporary methods, materials, and processes. The course builds on students’ personal design philosophies, applied through design research methods and tools used in realizing studio projects, such as drawing on the last. Students will analyze and discuss their shoe design process and its outcomes in the context of their identified market through a systems approach. For example, students will assess their designs for environmental and social impacts within the context of global commerce and manufacture. Students will engage in a number of shoe design projects, underpinned by thorough systems/contextual and concept research. Iterative prototyping and user testing will further drive the shoe design process. Students will complete the course with portfolio-quality 2-D record of process and designed outcomes.