Spikes Shoe Proposal: A Design Thinking Approach for Spikes Shoe

This report presents a proposal for a new product, the "Spikes Shoe," designed to address the footwear needs of soldiers, army personnel, hikers, and the police. The report utilizes the Design Thinking process, including empathizing with the target audience, defining the problem, ideating potential solutions, prototyping the shoe, and testing the product. The design incorporates layers of synthetic rubber, sealant, an alloy of aluminum or steel, and a leather insole to provide protection and durability. The marketing strategy includes penetration pricing, promotional commissions, and e-commerce integration. Recommendations are provided for further product validation and refinement, and the report concludes that the Spikes Shoe offers a viable solution to existing footwear challenges. The report also includes the marketing mix of the product, which includes pricing, promotion, e-commerce, and selling strategies for the product.

Running head: SPIKES SHOE
SPIKES SHOE
Name of the Student
Name of the Organization
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................2
Discussion......................................................................................................................3
The Design Thinking Process....................................................................................3
Recommendations........................................................................................................10
Conclusion....................................................................................................................10
Reference......................................................................................................................12
Bibliography.................................................................................................................13
Appendices...................................................................................................................15

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Introduction
The following is particularly a proposal for a full new idea of the product that will be
solving all the several requirements of the customer. Having faced almost about a decade of a
number of delays in properly meeting a huge crying requirement of all the soldiers, army,
battalions, the department of police and also all the hikers, it has really become very much
essential to acquire much more reliable as well as much better quality footwear for replacing
all of the vintage PT shoes. The progress towards reaching such a point that a special kind of
shoe may be designed may be slow, despite the basic fact that the troops of army are utilising
canvas shoes which have very thin soles that may be often causing or rather risking a number
of injuries. It has been seen that physical training is really a very much essential aspect of the
training of the military and the types of shoes being worn by all the soldiers will be causing a
stress upon the body that will be undue. Therefore, it will really be very much beneficial that
all the canvas shoes must be replaced with much more improved footwear of sports. Hence,
as an ultimate solution, the “spikes shoe” has been proposed and finally introduced focussing
upon all the soldiers, armies, hikers and the department of police as well.
The main objective here is to help a lot in performing several activities of all the
armies, soldiers as well as the hikers with an ease as well as comfort. Both the product as well
as the service will be designed by utilising the Design Thinking Process which will be
discussed in detail in an elaborative way. Finally a number of recommendations have been
provided for much further actions which have been needed for implementing the specific
concept of the product of the “Spikes Shoes”.

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Discussion
The Design Thinking Process
The procedure of design thinking is considered to be basically a method utilised by all
the several designers for both ideating as well as developing a particular product, service or
rather a combination of both of them which will be really very much essential as well as
useful for tackling a number of problems which are designed in an ill manner or rather
unknown. The specific method will be describing a procedure which will be human centred
comprising of five different steps.
Design Thinking
Fig 1: Design Thinking process
Source: (Johansson‐Sköldberg et al., 2013)
Empathize
Although there are a number of several kinds of canvas shoes or rather PT shoes
available within the country New Zealand, there is not such kind of specific party who will be

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addressing all the several problems of the army, soldiers, hikers and the department of police
of performing all of their activities with an ease and comfort. While it may not at all be a
weapon which will be deadly, it has been well known that footwear is always one of the most
essential aspects of the uniform of the soldiers and the army. Therefore a specific requirement
of custom designing the particular solution for addressing this specific problem has been seen
to have aroused.
Define
A large number of several canvas shoes are seen to be available competing with each
other for capturing a large share within the market. It has been now imagined that there must
be a replacement of the footwear which has become outdated. It must be replaced with a
much more modern version. Hence, it is really very much important to introduce a new kinds
of sports shoe which will be having much more longer life cycle and will be preventing from
several kinds of injuries. With all the several problem faced by all the soldiers and the army,
there can be seen a special opportunity for promoting a kind of special shoe depicting a much
more feasible option.
Development of Persona
One single fictional character or rather Persona has been utilised based upon the
specific research mainly for the purpose identifying all the several kinds of users that may be
utilising this particular service and the product and also for achieving the actual goal of the
creation of a very good experience of the product which is specifically the spikes shoe for the
groups which has been targeted.

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Fig 2: Persona
Source: (Li et al., 2016)
Ideate
Looking into all the several drawbacks which may be present in all the pre-existing
shoes it has become very much essential for introducing a full new kind of shoe which will be
helping all the targeted audience to a huge extent. The main or rather the actual aim of the
introduction of the “Spikes Shoe” is to bring out a proper solution for all the several
drawbacks present in the pre-existing kinds of shoes of the army, battalion and the hikers.
This will be helping a lot in reaching an easiness to all the several sporting activities of all the
targeted audience who will be able to perform all the various kinds of works in a hassle free
manner. Basically “Spikes Shoe” is basically a kind of special type of shoe which will
possess a number of different kinds of features which have been totally absent in all the pre-
existing ones. It will be comprising all of essentials focused upon the targeted audience,

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keeping into mind all of earlier problems faced by all of them while performing a number of
activities.
“Spikes Shoe” is not just a shoe of possessing all the same kinds of features as the
pore-existing one which will be utilised by the army, battalion and the hikers. It possess all of
its own qualities which will be very much unique apart from the earlier ones which will be
actually making it special from all other shoes. In a detailed way, “Spikes Shoe” will be
involving all the essential features which are actually thought to be very much important and
helpful for the targeted people in his/ her daily life.
The shoe will be made up of the synthetic rubber, foam and it will be the lower or the
bottom layer. The next or the second layer will be sealant which will be always be helping a
lot in healing or rather preventing the particular shoe from any kind of damage. This will be
preventing from any kind of damage whenever any nail or rather any piece of bamboo which
will be stuck within the shoe. The piece of the nails or rather some other things can be
removed from the shoe very much easily. This will be done in a rapid manner by the specific
kind of fluid which will be present within the sealand of the shoe. This special kind of fluid
will be acting as well as filling the space properly. There will also be the presence of either an
alloy of aluminium or rather a steel in the third layer. This will be very much helpful in
preventing all the battalions while climbing or rather any kind of sudden falling of rock
within an area which will be prone of rock falling. This will be helping a lot in protecting
their feet from directly getting any kind of damage. The last layer and the covering outside
will be made up of leather which will be forming the insole and it will be movable as well as
hugely protective. It is also to be noted that there will also be the presence of either a nail or
rather a bamboo remover.

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Whist the development of the specific concept of a useful model must be taken into
consideration.
The Product Onion Model
It has been known that Philip Kotler has been an economist who has introduced a
special kind of model which will be helping a lot in recognising all the several needs of the
customers comprising of five levels which ranges from all the core requirements to the
emotional requirements. This will be also be depicting that the products exist for satisfying
all the varied needs of the customers.
Onion Model
Fig 3: (Gryncewicz et al., 2016)
Core benefit: This will be most fundamental requirement that the targeted audience
will be satisfying. Performing activities with ease and comfort will be satisfied here utilising
the “Spikes Shoe”.

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Generic Product: It will be comprising of all the kinds of features which will be
important for the product to function. Synthetic rubber, aluminium alloy and leather are the
generic product here.
Expected product: Involves all the attributes which the buyers expect to possess
whenever purchasing any kind of product. The army, battalion and the hikers who are the
target group of “Spikes Shoe” will be expecting this shoe to be a comfortable and easily
assessable one.
Augmented Product: This will be the extra kinds of features and benefits which
differs from all the other kinds of shoes. Sealant, nail and the bamboo remover will be
contributing to “Spikes Shoe”.
Potential Product: Involves all the decisions which will be long termed for retaining
the loyal base of the customer and the special kind of shoe will be continuing that function.
Prototype
In order for testing the product a group of 10 hikers and 10 battalion will be selected
and “Spikes Shoe” will be given for a testing. The feedback of them will be helping a lot in
making all the several improvements in the product which will be the final one.

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Fig 4: Proposed Shoe
As mentioned the plan of “Spikes Shoe” which will be long termed is to actually
acquire a customer base which will be loyal. The above picture is the proposed structure of
the Spikes Shoe.
Test
Considering all the prototypes, the solution which will be best is properly identified
and the product which will be completed has to be well tested. The mix of marketing will be
actually taken as a specific kind of tools for proper understanding of a much better strategy of
marketing.
Marketing Mix
It can be identified as a mixture of some kinds of activities which can be utilised for
delivering the strategy of marketing.

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Pricing: Penetration Testing has to offered first wherever all the several kinds of
products are sold at a much lower price for achieving the share within the market.
Promoting: Commissions are provided at about 10% to the operator of the tour at the
specific region of Nelson, Abel Tasman and motueka if they will be buying the shoes with
the help of all the several referrals. If purchase is seen to be done for the entire family then
will be a 20% off and if referred a friend then about 10% off will be offered.
E-commerce: Help from e-commerce involving the Facebook page, Shopify at first
and Trade me.
Selling: Selling must be done all over New Zealand and outside for a specific solution
for shoes against all the kinds of spikes for the battalions.
Recommendations
It can be recommended that for proper validation as well as refinement of the product
a frequent feedback from all the focussed audience must be considered to be very much
essential and this will be helping a lot in sustaining the success with much better involvement
of the targeted people. Very much quick response upon the Facebook from all the people will
be helping a lot as well.
Conclusion
“Spikes Shoe” will be giving a solution to all the several kinds of problems which are
seen to be faced by all the targeted audience in the earlier times. The concept has been
developed for promoting within the specific country New Zealand and will also be expanded
to all other areas outside it in a long run. As per the discussion “Spikes Shoe” has been
developed by considering all the actual requirements and the problems of the targeted
audience all is wanted is finding a product which will be able to meet all the required features

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and solve all of several problems of them. As discussed within the proposal, the situation has
been assessed and a special kind of opportunity has been explored. For defining the problem
and for identifying the actual needs of the customers, one single persona has been depicted.
Then the prototype of the product has been properly depicted which will be then going to the
phase of testing of the process of design thinking. This is the result of the concept “Spikes
Shoe” which is very much creative and also some recommendations have been provided for
adding more value to the product.

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Reference
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Li, J., Galley, M., Brockett, C., Spithourakis, G. P., Gao, J., & Dolan, B. (2016). A persona-
based neural conversation model. arXiv preprint arXiv:1603.06155.

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Appendices