Footwear Accessibility Kit at Open Style Lab
Helping future Artemis Astronauts navigate the lunar surface with ease.
Open Style Lab (OSL), a Smithsonian award-wining non-profit dedicated to making fashion accessible, identified a critical gap in the market: footwear. For many people with disabilities, the choice is between functional, medical-looking shoes or stylish shoes that are painful and difficult to put on
As a 2025 Design Fellow, I led the entire design process, from defining oppurtunity, iterating on design sketches, to manufacturing a high-fi implementable solution for the frustrating process of donning and doffing (putting on and taking off shoes).
Our work resulted in three final solutions, specifically Buckle Up, a luxury-inspired, modular system that transforms existing shoes, restoring autonomy and self-expression for users.
Year
Jan 2022 - Sep 2022
Skills
human
world
ello
world
4 Designers
3 Coders
Team
Design & Outreach
Role
Research
Journey Maps
Positioning Shoe
Preparation
Donning Shoe
Bulky Extra-Vehicular Activity Suit Limits Dexterity
Bulky spacesuit gloves make buttons impossible, requiring a completely hands-free system for astronauts to operate.
Harsh Lunar Lighting Conditions
Moon’s blinding glare and shadows require an interface that stays easy to read while revealing dangers in the terrain.
Unfamiliar & Hazardous Terrain
Moon's repetitive landscape makes it easy to get lost, requiring a system that provides constant, safe navigation.
High Cognitive Load
Astronauts are juggling intense mental workloads with limited time, the system design must reduce their mental strain.
Compromized Situational Awareness
Looking down at wrist-displays result in blind spots, compromising astronaut's awareness of their surroundings.
Time-Sensitive & Critical Mission Tasks
Geological sampling are time-sensitive, multi-step tasks, requiring completion free of error & direct MCC guidance.
Fragmented Data Streams
Key info like EVA task instructions or suit vitals are spread across separate displays, requiring a unified interface for all mission data.
Mission Control Center Latency
Communication delays hinder real-time help from MCC, astronauts may need to handle all situations autonomously.
Search & Rescue Emergencies (LSAR)
In an emergency, there is no system to automatically broadcast an astronaut's location, currently relies on MCC verbal communication.
Cognitive Overload & Mission Demands
Physical & Environmental Conditions
Astronaut Autonomy & Critical Information
Overview
Pain Points
In 2018, Dona's life completely changed after a major spinal fusion surgery.
She woke up with permanent "BLT" restrictions—no Bending, Lifting, or Twisting.
This common post-surgical reality made what used to be a simple task like putting on shoes, now — an exhausting, painful ordeal.
"Waking up after my surgery was a total nightmare
I couldn't move, and worst of all, I couldn't bend over to put my shoes on."
Preview
Overview
Meet Dona
I'm Alex :)
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Overview
Context
Open Style Lab's research contemporary footwear industry designs for a narrow definition of an "able" body, leaving millions of disabelled individuals behind. Existing "adaptive" footwear is often clinical, unattractive, and requires buying entirely new, expensive shoes. This forces a trade-off between personal style and physical well-being.
participants reported defaulting to trainers, not out of preference, but as the only viable option for comfort and support.
78%
struggled to find suitable shoes for social or professional occasions, limiting their social and economic participation.
67%
are completely dissatisfied with the adaptable designs currently available on the market.