Welcome to the Boot Kidz Blog.
Design of 'The Boot Kidz'
The Boot Kidz were designed by furniture designer Karen Henry in 2005.
The original ideas for Lucy were sketched on paper. This included a red wavy design for the hair and a patterned outfitted blue dress. It was decided to make Lucy more iconic and focus on the form and rather than features. A small bend in the knee to emphasise that Lucy is a playful and fun character. The shapes and lines are important
After the design was sketched, initial miniature prototypes of the designs were made with wire and clay. Making a live prototype is important for the designer to study proportionality. Prototyping is a fun, creative activity that allows the designer to explore small changes quickly. Nothing beats the look and feel of a real-world prototype. The small model was used to create the 3D model. In this case, the wireframe model took one day to create.
3D models were made of these prototypes to further study their form and shape. Virtual 3D models of products are useful for studying how a real product is made.
The 3D modelling took a few days. A photograph of a jumping child was used as the trace image in the background of the 3D modelling software. This was to get the correct anatomical proportions and posture correct in the model. The 3D model was then created starting with modelling the boots and then the hair. The 3d boots are the most complex part of the modelling requiring NURB modelling where the 3D shape was moulded into the correct shape. The hair, legs, and dress were extruded along a 2D path.
3D renderings of Lucy jumping in the air, Joe on a skateboard, Chloe at the beach and Chloe holding an umbrella were created.
Once the small prototype and 3D model were created it was time to create a larger version. Creating anything larger in size is more expensive and time-consuming and this part took many weeks. The cement boots required the longest time to achieve the
correct consistency for the cement. There are many ways to mix cement and the correct rubberiness (look and feel) was important in the design. The bubble-gum look on the steel was important, being more of a smooth shiny texture and to reflect the light in a certain artistic way.
The design is being continuously improved and the product is evolving.
The Boot will be in a window display near to you! Enjoy.