Four prototype solutions were developed to address the "How Might We" question. The first prototype was a pointe shoe discovery box, designed to include all the necessary items for a beginner dancer starting pointe work. The second prototype featured box support stickers intended to enhance the durability and longevity of the pointe shoes. The third prototype was a pointe shoe side adjuster, designed to eliminate excess material around the heel and reduce pressure on the toes. The final prototype consisted of heat responsive and shock-absorbing toe pads, which was ultimately selected as the preferred solution.
LOFI PROTOTYPE RANKING
These prototypes were presented to the same six users and ranked (on a scale of 1-5) by how likely they would be to use them. The toe pads were the most likely to be used so this became the sole design choice for the final prototype.
The responsive toe pads consistently received the rank of first or second. Many users liked the idea of more durable and customizable toe pads as they all wear toe pads in their pointe shoes.