The Challenge
During pregnancy, women experience significant physiological changes that affect their feet:
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30% of pregnant women report leg and foot pain in their third trimester
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Hormonal changes cause ligament loosening, leading to fallen arches and overpronation
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Weight gain and shifted center of gravity alter gait patterns
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Existing solutions focus on temporary relief rather than structural support
Design Brief: Create a familiar, user-friendly product that provides comfort, supports foot shape, and maintains natural gait during pregnancy - without requiring external assistance.
Research & Insights
Primary Research
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Interviewed 20+ pregnant women across different age groups and pregnancy stages
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Consulted with gynecologists, orthopedic doctors, and podiatrists
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Conducted user surveys on foot pain patterns and footwear preferences
Key Findings
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Arch support is critical: The medial longitudinal arch is the most important structural element for gait stability
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Pain concentration: 75% of foot problems occur in the heel and back-foot area
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User preferences: Women prioritize slip-on, flat, enclosed footwear that's easy to wear
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Market gap: Existing solutions offer either comfort OR correction, but not both in a familiar format
Secondary Research
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Analyzed biomechanical studies on plantar pressure during pregnancy
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Studied gait cycle changes and their impact on posture
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Researched sustainable materials and manufacturing processes
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Examined the footwear and insole market in India (₹10.6B industry)
Concept development
After user survey, persona building, insights of podiatrists, gynaecologists and orthopaedics, discussions with footwear industry experts and manufacturers, I dived into the ideation stage of the project.
Focus Points:
Key points derived from ideation stage :
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Additional comfort to foot (or the entire leg) muscles.
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Support and improvement of foot shape.
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May/may not be an improvement of existing product.
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A familiar solution for easy adaptation by the user-group.
Design direction:
A footwear solution that fits the individual’s foot perfectly and provides comfort to back of foot area during the last trimester of pregnancy.
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Provide comfort through custom solutions to individual's foot contours.
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Make sure the gait cycles & mobility for pregnant women isn’t changed.
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Make a product that can be used by pregnant women independently.
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Reduce material layering in footwear, encouraging recycling process
Material Exploration:
I first encountered PCL (Polycaprolactone) material in 2016 during my dad’s radiation therapy. The perforated sheet when heated (60-70°C), softened, and moulded onto the body, cooling into a stiff mask. With the remaining mask at home, I started experimenting and confirmed its reliability. Once I achieved substantial results, I started 3D modeling and printed the insole. I then optimised the form, timing and user journey with the mouldable insole.
PCL experiment (1)
PCL experiment (2)
3D printed PCL insole
I decided to build two separate products for these reasons:
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To increase customisability & sales of individual products.
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Mono-material is easier to recycle/ repurpose.
Prototyping:
Using a chip module, accelerometer, vibrating motors, PCB, copper charging coil, charging module receiver, and the Arduino processing environment, I built multiple prototypes of the footwear.
Electronics integration in working prototype
video shows the working of product with the help of LED color change
Charging pod detailed view
Please send an email if you are interested to read the entire document in detail. I will get back to you as soon as possible!