Depth first, then breadth

The challenge

Paddy farmers spend long hours working in wet, muddy fields while wearing conventional rubber or PVC footwear. Terra Feet explores a more breathable and lightweight alternative designed specifically for these working conditions.

My role

I researched different types of wool and their properties, explored suitable materials for the shoe, developed the design, built prototypes, tested them with farmers, collected their feedback, and refined the design through multiple iterations.

What I built

A farmer's shoe using felted wool for the upper and a lightweight polyurethane sole, inspired by ballet shoes and sports shoes — combining the close fit and flexibility of ballet footwear with the functional structure and movement of sports footwear. The sole has channels designed to reduce suction when the shoe is lifted from muddy soil.

Process

1. Researched different types of wool and compared their properties
2. Selected the most suitable wool based on the research
3. Studied ballet and sports footwear for fit, flexibility, and movement
4. Developed initial shoe and sole designs
5. Built the first prototype and tested it with farmers
6. Collected direct feedback and refined the design across further prototypes
7. Finalized the Terra Feet prototype

Outcome

The project progressed from material research to prototyping and iterative testing with farmers. Feedback directly informed each design iteration and the final prototype.

What I learned

Effective product design requires combining research with real-world feedback — research helped me identify suitable materials and reference designs, while testing with farmers showed how the product actually needed to perform.

The challenge

During the pandemic, I realized the importance of urgent care access when physical visits to a doctor weren't feasible.

My role

With this problem in mind, I came up with a prototype application called Medi-Connect.

What I built

Using code.org — a platform I'd been exposed to early on — and other tools like Thunkable, I built an application that acts as a medium to help patients find the right doctors and book consultations online.

Process and tools

I created a SQL database of doctors with their details and connected it to a frontend UI built in CSS and code.org.

Outcome

The prototype was well received by my schoolteachers. I rolled it out within my society, contacting five doctors known to my parents in the vicinity to help with urgent needs — and used their feedback to understand what a full-fledged, scalable version would need.

What I learned

Timely healthcare matters, and technology can meaningfully help solve current challenges in care delivery.