Resistance 

Materials
Y11 Design Coursework

Shoe Rack
By Kevin Yeung
Design task #1 – Design & make a storage unit influenced by a design era of the last 100 years:
For my project, I would like to make a small sized shoe rack to fit about 4 to 6 pairs of shoes. My design will be able to hold shoes, sat on it when wearing shoes
like a small chair, hang shoe horns and extra shoelaces. This design interests me because it is very unique and has a lot of functions.
To be able to make all  of these functions can be quite difficult. There are lots of things to be considered. For example, is the product large enough to fit this 
amount of shoes? Can it hold a person’s weight when someone sits on it? How can the shoe rack hang shoe horns and shoelaces? Can it fit all kinds of shoes? 
What is the most appropriate materials should be used? What kind of theme (eg. colour) should the rack be?
The following is a mind map explaining the problems of making a shoe rack:

Criterion 1 – Design Project, West Island School
This mind map I created analyse the design task in more details. It can help me research and sort out the information I have.  1
 Target Market Group–Client
My shoe rack can be used by all ages and gender but mainly for families. It is suited for
home use in the porch way. Most families have modern houses and furniture therefore the
shoe rack should be in a modern style. In order to make it a modern style, the design
should be unique, the materials should have a combination of wood and metal, and the
colour should either be white, black or brown. It would also be used very frequently to put
shoes. Families like a shoe rack that does not need too much space but can hold a lot of
shoes. To make the product more unique, the shoes can be stored diagonally to one side of
the rack. This product should not contain too complicated and expensive materials so
families can afford to buy them.

Where the product will be used

Criterion 1 – Design Project, West Island School
The shoe rack  will be used in the porch way of family homes. It will fit the style of the 
door and living room. It will also only take up little space.
Average size
Modern Lifestyle

117mm
105mm
Components and standard sizes of shoes
There are many different kinds of shoes including leather shoes, sports 
shoes, baby shoes, high heel shoes, flip flops etc. which all have 
89mm different sizes. The shoe rack must be able to fit most of them.
100mm 290mm

Nose of 
Data Range Average Maximum Minimum Lining tongue quarter vamp

collar
Length (mm) 290 356 105
shoelace
Width (mm) 100 123 37 counter

quarter
Height (mm) 117 143 59
eyelet
Weight (grams) 410 503 151

Design Brief
Heel Middle sole
I will design and make a shoe rack for six pairs of shoes. My rack size will be based stitch
Outsole
on the maximum size of a men leather shoe (356x143x123mm). The shoes will be
stored diagonally. The rack will be mainly made of soft wood and some non ferrous
metals for support. 2
Product Analysis – Examples of existing products analysed through primary and secondary research
Secondary
This is a 2 tier shoe rack that holds about 6‐8 pairs of shoes. It looks very
simple and easy to use. Both sides are made of chrome plates and the rack
itself is from plastic coated non‐ferrous metal. The design looks like it is
made for a modern style because it only uses metal and the colour looks new.
It is said to be made for putting faux leather shoes. I like the style of using
chrome plates and the diagonal design of putting shoes. The striped lines of
the plastic coated metal makes the product feel more unique but I dislike it
because some shoes like high heels will go through the holes.
This is another shoe rack made from melamine MDF and metal wires. The
plastic head is vacuum formed. The style looks very modern. It is able to hold up
to 16 pairs of shoes and can be taken apart for easy shipping. I like the
melamine MDF because it looks really modern and holds the rack strongly.
Again, it is made of metal wires where high heels are difficult to fit.
This is a long shaped shoe rack which can fit 24 pairs of shoes. It is
made from polished hard wood fitted together and a flat cushion
on top. This design is quite unique because people can sit on it
while they are wearing their shoe. This shoe rack might be used in
shops or big houses because they take up a lot of space. Normal
families do not have a big space just for putting a shoe rack. Some
bigger sized shoes are harder to fit in the holes, therefore I do not
like the design of the square boxes. It is the white cushion that
makes me like the style of the rack.
In general, this is a living room furniture storage. It can store
many things including shoes. It has two columns and can store
about 8 pairs of shoes. The top part is made like a bench for
sitting. It is made of wood and bamboo materials and the style is
between modern and ancient furniture. It is suited in both types
of houses. Overall it is very easy to use. The whole rack is made
of the same material so it is easy to be recycled.
Primary
Purpose
This is a big rectangular 
sized shoe rack that can 
fit many pairs of shoes. 
The shoes are fitted in 
the two boxes. The two 
circles on top are 
decorations. The aim of  
this shoe rack is to fit in 
a stylish and colourful 
house. It does meet this 
Criterion 1 – Design Project, West Island School
aim as it is in a bright 
and attractive light blue 
colour.
Functions
The two boxes can be pulled out so the shoes will be easier to put in. Inside the
box is really wide, but there are no racks or things to support and separate
different layers of shoes. This means when putting more shoes in, you have to
stack them up neatly, or they will fall over. This makes the product harder to
use. The wheels inside the bottom of the box makes it easier to pull out.
Target Market Group
The rack is aimed for children because of its colour. It is most suitable in
children’s playhouse of workshops. Because of its size and style, not many
people will want to keep it in their modern houses.
Style
This product looks quite unique because generally it looks like a storage box not
a shoe rack. It looks to be in a colourful and bright style even it is just painted in
one colour.
Materials
All parts of the shoe rack is made of wood except for the wheel that slides the
shelf out. The colour of the wood is very dark, so it is harder to paint the light
blue colour. It is made of wood because it is more stable and sustainable for a
rack. Wood can be painted but metals can only be plastic coated.
Manufacturing
Different sizes of wood is fitted together by stapling nails. You can see this from
the tiny holes on the side of the rack. The wheels are screwed to the boxes so
holding shoes will be more stable. Since the whole rack is made of the same
materials, it can be recycled more easily. But they are nailed together which is
very difficult to take apart, so it cannot be flat packaged.
Personal View
I quite like the decoration of the two circles. They are made with two layers of
wood. I think this should be a storage box instead of a shoe rack because it is 3
big enough to fit things but needs layer for shoes.
 Continued Product Analysis – Primary
Materials
This rack is made from polyester coated steel and
polypropylene. The steel is strong and supports the
rack really well. It is plastic coated to make it more
smooth. The polypropylene is able to switch from a
shoe rack to a hat rack a lot more easily. It is also very
useful when flat packaging. The screws are very deep in
the steel and is hard to take out, but it is quite strong.
This product is capable of being manufactured in large
quantities, since it is not very complicated to produce.
This rack is most suitable to be stored either in a store
room, a garage, hanging on the wall or inside a shelf
because it would not look good in the porch way and it
does not hold many shoes.
Environment
Since this rack can be taken apart and separated, every
material can be recycled or reused. The polypropylene
can be used to make other polyurethane products. The
steel can be reused and so is the screws. This product
will not do much harm to the environment if it is sent
to the landfill.
Sideways 
hat rack
Purpose
This is an IKEA product. It can either be used
as a shoe rack or a hat rack. It has 2 tiers
and each layer can hold 3 pairs of shoes. It
is designed to achieve multiple functions
and flat packaging.
Functions
The rack can be taken apart which is easy
for flat packaging. Once taken apart, you
are able to rebuild it sideways to hang on
the wall as a hat rack. It is very simple to use
both ways but taking it apart can be very
difficult. There are screws to hold the parts
together but they are very deep inside. You
have to use a different type of screw driver
to turn it.
Client
The client of this product should be adults
or elders since children and teenagers will
not be attracted by the design. Adults might
like it plain and simple and also
multifunctional. Elders like it because it is
easy to use and clean. They also do not
need many shoes.
Aesthetics
The style of this rack is very dull and does
not look new or fashionable. The colour and
material makes it feel dirty and old. It had
been styled this way for multi‐functions and
easier use, not for fashion.
Purpose
This is a 7 layered storage rack which is made to
hold many things including magazines and books.
This can also hold shoes, each layer can either hold 2
pairs of shoes or just one shoe for display.
Functions
This storage rack needs to lean against a wall
because it cannot stand by itself and with the weight
of the shoes it is holding. It seems very easy to use.
The zigzag shape makes the product unique.
TMG
The TMG of this rack should be adults because they
Criterion 1 – Design Project, West Island School
need a lot of space for storage. You can also see
these racks in shoe shops where they display their
shoes. Although in shops, the racks might be painted
or coloured, this rack is really good for display.
Style
The zigzag style of this rack is very unique. It would
look more new and fashionable if spray painted or
coloured. Adding a logo will look really good.
Materials
The shelf is made from aluminium with two long Environmental issues
rods supporting it. At the back, there is a transparent The rod is screwed and can be
acrylic stuck to it. The idea of using aluminium is that taken out if needed to be recycled.
you can see scratches and dust on it. But it is very The acrylic is stuck to the
easy to clean. aluminium and therefore is harder
Personal View to take apart. This rack can be
The rack should be spray painted in order to reused to store other things.
look more stylish. You are able to see lots of
dust and fingerprints on it which does not look
nice. The acrylic should be screwed to the
aluminium so it will be more secure. I like the
zigzag shape and with a symbol on the side will
look better.
4
Design Criteria – stating the key requirements the product must fulfil

Essentials Desirable
Criteria Requirement Explanation Criteria Requirement Explanation

The shoe rack must be very stable and can  When someone sits on it, it will support  It should include wood, non‐ferrous metals  This will fit the style of the TMG

stand by itself them and not fall and vinyl stickers

Must not use toxic materials This will damage the environment and  The rack should be easily packaged This can save space when transporting it and 

families that uses it also help the environment

The rack must be easy to keep and  If the client cannot maintain the rack easily,  Use minimum amount of materials as  This will save the uses of materials as extra 

maintained then the rack will be useless possible  parts are useless

It must be very easy to use Families use the rack very often, it should  Can be capable of mass production It will then be easy to make and sell many of 

Criterion 1 – Design Project, West Island School
not be complicated to use the shoe racks

The rack must be very unique This will make the product stand out Can be taken apart for easier recycling When it is broken, other parts can be reused

Must be safe to use There might be children using it, so it has to  Should be sold at a profit where affordable  A suitable price can make more people use 

be safe by families the shoe racks

Each layer of the rack must support at least  The rack must be able to support shoes and  Any decorations to make the product more  Lots of adults like decorated products than 

3.1kg of weight a person unique non decorated ones

Should be easy to clean Shoes are dirty and the rack needs to be  Environmentally friendly and can be  It is always better for a product to be 

cleaned very often recycled easily environmentally friendly

The height between each layer must be at  Shoes like high heels are able to fit in Minimum energy used during  Less energy can be used which is also good 

least 170mm high manufacturing stage for the environment

Must be able to used by disabled people The client includes disabled people as well Avoid  being sent to landfill if disposed This can reduce the waste

The width should be about 300mm Shoes will be fitted in the rack with part of it  Must not do much harm to environment if  Does not harm environment if it cannot be 

sticking out for easy access sent to landfill recycled or reused again 

Should last a long period of time Families will use the rack for a long time Should look new and fashionable This will attract adults and families

Must not damage shoes  The rack instead should protect shoes There can be a small design logo This will make it unique and special 

Must be able to sit on and hang shoe horns This will make it unique with more functions The seat on the rack should be comfortable The client will like a comfortable shoe rack

It should be at least 750mm in length It will be able to fit three pairs of shoes

Must be in a modern indoor‐home style Most adults and families will like this style

Essentials: What the product must fulfil in order to make a good shoe rack

Desirable: Any desires that make the product better but they are not as important and cannot always be fulfilled.
5
The measurements of minimum length and weight is according to the data range.
 Initial Design Ideas
This rack is made of hard
wood for example meranti
and parts of it is spray
painted green to look like
bamboo. A tray made of
MDF will be slid in for
storage.
Its function is able to store
shoes in the spaces and can
be stored both sides. The
space on the left above the
This hole can also 
This is more like a display rack
These can hold  hold shoe horns 
where shoes are stored at the sides
2 shoe horns and  and laces
and does not fall out easily. It is
extra shoe laces stacked up and each layer can hold
one pair of shoes. The zigzag
3 pattern will be made of aluminium
1
because it is capable of the weight.
A block of thick meranti will be
used as the bottom stand.
The back stand which holds the
This is a very large rack and can hold up to 12 pairs of shoes. 
aluminium is made from two pieces
It is made from hard plastic boards and is very stable. Each 
of acrylic stuck together. The style of
pair of shoes can be put in a box. There are 7 boxes in total, 

Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
tray is for sitting and the this rack is quite fashionable since it
tray can store shoelaces, four on one side and three on the other. The long box can 
looks like a display rack in shops. The
shoe horns and other This rack is a bit of a traditional style but  store three pairs of shoes and can also be sat on. Three 
TMG might like the idea of it.
accessories. also suites family users. more pairs of shoes can be put on top the smaller boxes.

This rack is quite 
The size of this rack may attract many The outer layer will different from the 
family users. It is small and easy to use, be made of several 6
others with a 
but can only fit 3 pairs of shoes. It can be pieces of plastic cut slanted shape and 
stored anywhere in the house – the into shape and stuck the shoes tilted to 
4 This is a rack that  floor, on tables or inside shelves and together. A piece of one side.
hangs on the wall  wardrobes. It is very handy. meranti will be
and is very stable  shaped as a rod and The whole rack will 
5 be made of meranti 
because there are  stuck between the
lots of nails  two plastics. The with some wooden 
drilled through it.  shoes will be placed nails. It will be very 
Each nail is also a  on the rod with the environmentally 
It is made of a thick piece of soft wood like pine hook which hangs  front facing the friendly if recycled.
which looks really nice on the wall when a shoe. There are  lower side.
smoothened and finished. In a family home, it will 16 hooks in total.
not take up a lot of space. The hooks can also be
used to hang extra accessories.

This will be made of

A piece of different sizes of coloured
This is a 2 tier shoe rack with a seat 7 cardboard or plastic boards stuck
on the top. The slanted pieces that 8
plastic board together. There will be
will store 6 pairs of shoes will be will be stuck two rectangular stands at
made of hard wood like meranti, and at the back so the back to support it.
the seat will be made of pine for a the shoes
better look. This will be held This rack will hold 6
don’t fall out. There are screws drilled through the pairs of shoes and can
together with acrylic on both sides. A acrylic and into the wood to make
piece of cardboard or plastic board be sat on at the top.
them secure. There will also be nuts
will be stuck at the back so the shoes covering the screws so they look
don’t fall out. better. 6
 Review of Ideas

TMG 1 Uses a variety of materials
Key:

TMG 1 Environmentally friendly
4/5=Meets the 

Unique / Creative
Stable / Strength
requirement

Safety of rack

Total score
Ease of use

Durability
exceptionally well
2/3=Meets the 
requirement
reasonably
0/1=Does not meets the 
requirement

TMG 1

TMG 2
TMG 1

TMG 2

TMG 2
TMG 1

TMG 2

TMG 2
TMG 1

TMG 1

TMG 2

TMG 1

TMG 2
TMG2

Me
Me

Me
Me

Me
Me

Me

Me

Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
Shoe Racks

Idea 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 4 4 3 3 2 4 5 4 5 3 4 3 30 28 30

Idea 2 5 5 5 5 4 4 5 5 5 5 4 4 2 3 3 4 4 3 5 4 5 31 29 29

Idea 3 3 4 4 3 4 5 3 3 4 5 5 5 4 5 5 3 4 5 4 5 5 25 30 33

Idea 4 5 4 5 2 2 3 4 5 4 2 3 4 1 2 3 5 3 4 3 4 4 22 23 27

Idea 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5 3 3 4 5 4 5 5 5 4 5 5 3 33 31 31

Idea 8 4 3 5 5 3 5 5 3 4 3 4 5 2 3 4 3 3 3 4 4 5 26 23 31

Conclusion
I have chosen the six ideas I like the most and have reviewed them to my criteria. Two other clients and myself have also
commented and gave a score for each idea. I have used colour codes to make it clearer. Idea 7 has the most total scores and is
agreed by the two clients that it can be developed further on.

7
 Developing Ideas
Now that Idea 7 is chosen as the best idea, it
will be developed into different areas such as
design features, functions, materials,
shapes – ergonomic features, colour,
methods of manufacture – mass production
and style.
Modelling
Here I have made a similar model Stuck with 
masking tape
with the chosen idea. It is made with
acrylic, MDF and bristle board. It is
quite stable but some pieces are
slanted. There was not much trouble
making it except that I have to test Hot glue 
out all kinds of gluing techniques. gunned
Only the hot glue gun works for Sanded MDF
sticking the MDF and the acrylic
together. For the final product I will
use other screwing techniques.

Bristle board
Functions
The shoe rack must have several Black acrylic
different functions as said in the
mind map. It should be able to hold
6 pairs of shoes, can be sat on like
Not very stable, 
a chair, hang shoe horns and tilts
shoelaces, and a handle to pick up
the shoe rack easily. All functions
will be listed and shown the
manufacturing methods. At one of the sides,
the acrylic will be cut
in a shape so shoe
horns can be able to
hang off it. The
height of the acrylic
will be longer than a
normal sized shoe
There are two tiers and each Is long enough to horn so it would not
hold 3 pairs of shoes. The shoes are stored drag on the ground.
diagonally to the back. Pieces of pine will be stuck The acrylic will be
together and cut into the right shape. Holes will be laser cutted to fit the
drilled in so it will stick to the sides and the back. shape.
Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
Slanted MDF
Either acrylic or sheets of aluminium will be
used at the sides for the final product. I will
not use MDF for the layers because it does
not look very nice and attractive. Maybe
pine will be a better idea. For the back,
other types of hard plastic or metal will be
good.
On the other side of the rack, a
hole can be made where
shoelaces are able to be tied
on it. A small space is enough
because it can already hold lots
of shoelaces. This hole can be
made either by drilling it or
laser cutted.
At the back of the rack, it is
also better to have a handle
so it will be easier to carry
around. The size of the hole
should fit the fingers, and
not get stuck. This will also
be made by drilling or laser
8
cutting.

Ergonomic features:
I would like to change the original idea with
more ergonomic features because the
design now is not very unique and good in
its style, so developing it will also improve
the design features. I have drawn a few
ideas to show this and they do not have
colour yet since I will experiment with that
afterwards.
The layout of these racks are very
similar. This one has a curved The curved back will be made of a
back and looks quite good in its big piece of plywood moulded
style. Each layer is rounded off at with an even bigger piece of
the back to fit the curve and will styrofoam. The plywood will be
be quite strong and stable. about 3‐5 pieces thick so it can be
strong and stable to hold up the
rack.
The rounded off layers will slide in the
curve and will be exactly fitted in. PVA
glue will be put between them so no

Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
gaps can be seen. Maybe some
screws at the sides will help stable it
more.

This one has its top rounded in a smooth

curve and is used as the seat. The two The curve is at the bottom where
tiers is slanted backwards with a plastic it is designed to “swing” a little.
board at the back holding it. But the The layers are flat and can be
design looks more like a rubbish bin even used on both sides. The bad thing
if it is very stable. is that it is unsteady and shoes
Since the tiers are slanted backwards, each might fall off the other side.
one has to be in the exact angle. The back
board will help to stable this by screwing
them together. There will also be screws at
the sides so it will be more stronger.

Comparing the three designs to the original one, they are

surely more ergonomic. But there is one problem – all these
designs will then only be made of wood and maybe with
some screws. This does not have the combination of wood
and metal, therefore will not fit the criteria of the target The lowest tier of the rack
market group. will be needed to fit in the
bottom curve, so it should be
I decided to stick to the original idea, but also adding more rounded off so they fit
designs to make it have a better style. In order to do this, I perfectly. PVA glue or even
small biscuit joints might help. 9
will change the design of the acrylic at the sides.
Style
I am going to change the design of the acrylic at the side to create a better style. I have drawn some different designs to see which one has a good style and
fits the target market group. The first one is the original idea with 2 screws on each layer. Most of the other ones have three.

Too thin.
Easy to snap
Good place to
hang shoe horns

Big space, can Glimpse of

Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
see shoes from the layers
the sides. and shoes

Smaller surface
on the ground,
2 screws, not does not tilt as
very stable much

No sharp
2 separate corners, safe
pieces of for children
acrylic Sticks out,
very unstable

Not symmetric
in both sides
Stylish and
appealing,
Hard to stay attracts Lots of sharp
in place teenagers corners

There are a variety of styles here with some that you can see the shoes in the rack and some with different designs at the bottom. Having 3 screws in 
each layer is more stable than 2. In Most of the designs, there are lots of sharp edges and not safe for children. In the final idea, I will combine the 
good things found here and make it less dangerous. 10
Back design
These designs are the back view of my shoe rack. There are different colours and styles. Some of them are made so you can see the shoes inside from 
the back and is a good air ventilation which makes the shoes do not smell as much. These will mainly be made from big sheets of aluminium and then 
spray painted.

Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
I would rather have more simple designs than patterns and logos because they suit the target market group more. Parents in a family would like a 
simple and less brightly coloured products in their homes. 11
Full Scaled Orthographic Drawing

Here I have drawn a full 1 to 1 scale of my shoe rack. It is the front view and shows all the dimensions in millimetres. I have also made the dimensions 
on the 3D drawing. It includes a front, side and back view. The measurements on the 3D design will be a bit different from the drawing because the 
program is not very exact. These will be my final designs.

Front View

Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
12
 Final Design
I have made a 3D model on Google sketchup showing the details of the shoe rack. This includes the front view, side view and a back view. It is a 
combination of previous designs and ideas.

Front View
Side View

Criterion 2 – Design Project, West Island School
Acrylic
Plywood

Back View

Aluminium

13
Bibliography

Images

• Slide 2 – Modern lifestyle
‐ http://besthomegallery.com/interior/modern‐living‐room‐deorating‐ideas‐
on‐furniture‐and‐lighting/

• Slide 3 – First product analysis (Secondary)
‐http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/furniture‐store/unbranded‐
faux‐leather‐shoe‐rack‐2‐tier.asp

‐ Second product analysis (Secondary)
http://furniture.indiabizclub.com/catalog/600168~shoe+rack+~zhan
gjiagang

‐ Third product analysis (Secondary)
http://storagebencheser.tk/cheap‐mission‐style‐24‐pair‐shoe‐
storage‐bench‐24‐pair‐chestnut/

‐Fourth product analysis (Secondary)
http://www.renkui.com/Wooden‐Shoe‐Rack‐Y‐08‐‐p‐6573
• Slide 4 – IKEA sideways hat rack
‐ http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60152665

All images and scanned photos are compressed