Making the daily ritual of changing shoes dignified and effortless.
Duration
2022 (2 weeks) solo revisit
2021 (2 months) original group project
Skills
Sketchup, Vray, Adobe Illustrator
2022 (2 weeks) solo revisit
2021 (2 months) original group project
Skills
Sketchup, Vray, Adobe Illustrator
In many Taiwanese homes, shoes come off at the door, a small daily ritual repeated countless times. But for older adults, changing shoes asks a lot of the body: bending or squatting to reach the shoes, lifting each leg to put them on, and pushing back up to stand afterward. What most people do without thinking becomes a daily strain.
Based on a real family in Taiwan, the system was built around the grandparents' daily struggles — bending down, lifting a leg, and standing back up, and reimagines the genkan as a space that supports the person, not just stores the shoes. It integrates a place to sit, grips at the right height, a fold-down assist step, and easy-reach ventilated storage into one warm, built-in system.
Based on a real family in Taiwan, the system was built around the grandparents' daily struggles — bending down, lifting a leg, and standing back up, and reimagines the genkan as a space that supports the person, not just stores the shoes. It integrates a place to sit, grips at the right height, a fold-down assist step, and easy-reach ventilated storage into one warm, built-in system.
At the heart of the system is a button-controlled lifting platform. Instead of bending down to floor level, the user brings the shoes up to them:
The platform does the bending for you, and the S-shaped armrest gives a stable grip for sitting and standing — directly answering the three problems older users face: reaching down, lifting the legs, and getting back up.
- Select and summon. Pick out a pair of shoes and press the control button — the platform emerges from the base.
- Step on. Carefully step onto the platform.
- Sit and lift. Sit down, press the button, and the platform rises to a comfortable height.
- Change shoes. With everything raised to reach, change shoes without bending or straining.
- Lower. Press the button to bring the platform back down.
- Stand. Use the special seat and the S-shaped armrest for support to rise easily.
- Reset. Step off carefully and press the button to tuck the platform away.
The platform does the bending for you, and the S-shaped armrest gives a stable grip for sitting and standing — directly answering the three problems older users face: reaching down, lifting the legs, and getting back up.
S-shaped banisters
Curved grab rails support users who prefer to stand while changing shoes. The "S" shape keeps the hand from sliding off, designed for those with reduced grip strength.
Lifting platform
A button-controlled platform rises to bring shoes up to the user, so there's no need to bend down to floor level.
Special seat
A supportive seat helps users push up to standing, reducing strain on the knees.
Recessed controls The platform's control buttons are set into the surface to prevent accidental presses.
Ventilated shoe cabinets
Semi-hollowed cabinet doors let shoes breathe, preventing moisture, mold, and odor.
Soft-close hardware
Cabinet doors and the pull-out rack are fitted with soft-close mechanisms, so nothing slams or catches fingers.
Curved grab rails support users who prefer to stand while changing shoes. The "S" shape keeps the hand from sliding off, designed for those with reduced grip strength.
Lifting platform
A button-controlled platform rises to bring shoes up to the user, so there's no need to bend down to floor level.
Special seat
A supportive seat helps users push up to standing, reducing strain on the knees.
Recessed controls The platform's control buttons are set into the surface to prevent accidental presses.
Ventilated shoe cabinets
Semi-hollowed cabinet doors let shoes breathe, preventing moisture, mold, and odor.
Soft-close hardware
Cabinet doors and the pull-out rack are fitted with soft-close mechanisms, so nothing slams or catches fingers.
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:
- Bending down to pick up shoes is hard on the back and knees.
- Lifting a leg to put on socks and shoes is unstable and tiring.
- 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:
- Bring the shoes up, not the body down — remove the need to bend or squat.
- Provide stable support — something to hold onto while lifting the legs and standing.
- Design the whole ritual — treat changing shoes as a sequence to support end to end, not just storage to house.