Design and prototyping of sneaker for Mr & Mrs Italy

Sammanfattning: In this report the product development process of a sneaker for the company Mr & Mrs Italy is described. The purpose is to develop a sneaker that enhances the brand and adds value to the collection. The shoe is designed for the fall/winter 2015/2016 collection. Mr & Mrs Italy have a very limited history of shoe design and has no shoe design strategy. The company have encountered several complications when developing sneakers. Past attempts did not sell, no retail buyers showed interest in the prototypes presented. The key issues to be addressed in this report are: -How to design the sneakers such that it enhances the brand and appeals to Mr & Mrs Italy customers? (formulate a shoe design strategy) -How to make a comfortable and durable sneaker? -How to manufacture a small volume at reasonable cost, which are the possible trade-offs? In order to establish a design strategy, research is conducted. The sneaker market is analysed and the brands aspired positioning is plotted using charts with existing shoes as reference. Research is also made on the brand, its history and heritage. Customers are analysed and a trend analysis is conducted. The first part of the research results in a set of look and feel requirements. To address the second key issue; How to make a comfortable and durable sneaker research is conducted on shoe construction, anatomy of the human foot, the biomechanical process of running and walking and material facts. This research is used to develop technical requirements. The objective of several technical requirements is to accommodate as many types of feet as possible. It is also important to optimize the shoe for the female foot and make it suitable for its intended use in the fall/winter season. The third key issue; How to manufacture a small volume at reasonable cost, which are the possible trade-offs? is addressed through the creation of visual material that can be used for efficient communication with the manufacturer. Concepts are developed through sketches, illustrations created in Illustrator® (Adobe Illustrator CS5 2010) and using the 3D modelling software Rhinoceros® (Rhinoceros v4 Windows n.d.). Product requirements are used to evaluate concepts during the process. The final concept is a 3D-knit shoe with detachable fur pieces and an outsole with an abstract angular shape. The third key issue is also addressed through an economic analysis. It describes the advantage of using modular design based on a product platform when manufacturing small volumes with high fixed costs. An alternative design for the outsole that is a cheaper option is presented as a plan B. Conclusions about the design process and the achieved results are drawn. The findings are then discussed and recommendations to Mr & Mrs Italy are made on how to proceed when the shoe is to be put in production.