This project began with one family in Taiwan. I measured their entrance and spoke with them about how they used the space, focusing on the grandparents, for whom changing shoes had become difficult. Three problems came up again and again: the difficulty of bending down to pick up shoes, the challenge of lifting a leg to put socks and shoes on, and the struggle of standing back up after sitting. The friction wasn't in any single step — it was that the entryway was built to store shoes, but offered nothing to support the person changing them.

Problems

For older adults, changing shoes at the entryway is a daily strain. Based on one family in Taiwan, three recurring difficulties stood out:

1. Bending down to pick up shoes is hard on the back and knees.
2. Lifting a leg to put on socks and shoes is unstable and tiring.
3. Standing back up after sitting to change shoes is a struggle.

Opportunities

The typical entryway is built to store shoes, but offers nothing to support the person changing them. That gap is the opportunity:

1. Bring the shoes up, not the body down — remove the need to bend or squat.
2. Provide stable support — something to hold onto while lifting the legs and standing.
3. Design the whole ritual — treat changing shoes as a sequence to support end to end, not just storage to house.