October Exam

• There are two types of brief:

  1. open brief
  2. closed brief
• An open brief provides general guidelines and offers the opportunity for a wide range of possible outcomes
• A closed brief is more specific and detailed in its requirements. This gives the client greater control of the process but can limit the range of possible outcomes
• A primary source is factual and comes from an original first hand account, such as the results of a questionnaire
• A secondary source interprets primary information, for examples an analysis of the results of a questionnaire
• information can be required for many reasons:

  • evaluate existing products
  • analyse a design brief
  • refine a design proposal
  • evaluate a design proposal
• There are multiple methods of gathering information

  • questionnaires
  • user trips
  • user trials
  • test rigs
  • use of secondary information
  • comparison to other products
• a user trip finds out how well a pre-existing product works
• Things that should be considered while doing a user trip:

  1. how its recorded - it can be photographed by an observer or but the person carrying out the trial
  2. the conditions - it can be done at different times in the day or under different conditions
• in a user trial a 'real user' tests a product in a relatively controlled environment where they are given a set of tasks t o complete
• User trials are normally used to evaluate existing products but are often used on pre-production prototypes to identify any issues
• Test rigs are often used to perform physical tests of products
• Test rigs are often used on test prototypes as they can repeat many actions over a short period of time to simulate extended use of a

  product
• Secondary information can be gathered from a range of sources such as;

  • books, magazines and newspapers
  • tv and radio
  • the internet
• information can be gathered by comparing to similar products
• different ways of idea generation are;

  1. brainstorming
  2. boards
  3. morphological analysis
  4. analogy
  5. SCAMPER
• Brainstorming is done in a group as this creates more ideas than an individual and is an opportunity for a group of people to share their ideas
• brainstorming can be productive and at a fast pace
• an advantage of brainstorming is that group members will think differently and see the topic from a different perspective which can generate more ideas
• the brainstorming process is as follows:

  • Problem is defined
  • Quantity not quality
  • Free thinking through word association
  • Combine, expand or improve previous ideas
  • Evaluate ideas at a later stage
  • Select ideas that have merit
• disadvantages of brainstorming include;

  • Chain reaction thinking can encourage different lines of thinking being channelled into a limited number of ideas.
  • One person may suggest an idea that the others latch on to
  • A wider range of ideas may not be explored because of this
• There are different types of boards;

  • lifestyle
  • mood
  • theme
• mood boards are a range of visual images that are used to create a certain atmosphere which reflects a chosen mood
• Mood boards can be created by the designer, the client or the consumer
• Lifestyle boards are full of snapshots that will appeal to a certain target audience
• a theme board is when a specific them is explored and researched and images are gathered that match the theme
• morphological analysis is a structured way of creating ideas
• analogy can be used to used to apply existing knowledge to a new context
• analogy can result in technology from one product being used for another product - this is called technology transfer
• SCAMPER stands for;

  • Substitute
  • Combine
  • Adapt
  • Modify
  • Put to another use
  • Eliminate
  • Reverse
• a technical specification describes what the product does after it has been designed
• Purpose of Technical Specification;

  • provides specific technical detail required to manufacture product

  • produced after the product is designed and tested to provide specific technical information
• Type of information that should be included in a technical specification;

  1. materials
  2. processes to be used
  3. assembly methods
  4. production costs
  5. dimensions
  6. weight
  7. maintenance cycles
  8. performance
  9. power supply
  10. comply with safety standards
• a product design specification describes the requirements of the solution. This is for products that have not yet been designed
• PDS stands for product design specification
• a product specification defines specific parameters, provides direction to the design process and is used to evaluate changes in decisions
• type of information that should be included in a product design specification;

  1. number to be produced
  2. target market
  3. cost
  4. impact on environment
  5. dimensions
  6. information relating to design factors
  7. environment it'll be used in
• Marketing specification provides specific detail required to advertise, market and sell the product. They're produced prior to launching a products advertising and marketing plan
• type of information used in marketing specifications;

  1. intended market size in terms of volume
  2. target market/consumer
  3. retail price
  4. any unique selling points (USPs)
  5. market sectors
  6. method advertising
  7. advertising budgets
• Types of models include;

  • Sketch models
  • block models
  • Prototypes
  • Scale models
  • working models
  • 3D Computer models
  • Rapid prototyping