DT

• Fitness for purpose - If a product is going to be successful, it must be fit for purpose.

  The following should be considered:

  1. Price
  2. Performance
  3. Aesthetic Appeal
  4. Reliability (is there a history of products not working properly? Is the product more reliable than others on the market?)
• Visible attributes of Products - Features that has initial impact for the customer - Aesthetic Qualities
• Visible attributes of a product:

  • Shape
  • Colour
  • Form
  • Texture
  • Using
  • Function
  • Styling
  • Fashion
• Visible attributes help a customer make a decision if they will buy the product by its appearance
• User interface - Visible features on how the customer will use the product
• Above the line features - visible attributes of the product, what the customer can see and what they look for
• Below the line features - features than the customer need no knowledge of to use the product effectively, how the product works and what makes it successful
• Design specifications are used as guidelines for the designer to make sure that the product will be successful
• Primary Specification - essential features a product must have to function properly
• Secondary Specification - desirable features - nice to have but not essential for the product to function properly.
• Quantitative specification - specification points that can be measures
• Qualitative specification - personal opinion (target market, aesthetics, shape) more difficult to measure - QUALITIES
• Specification as a design tool, on going evaluation, final evalution
• Customer needs - something which we cannot do without (essential features) safety requirements etc
• Customer wants - something that we would like and have asked for (target market research?)
• Market Research - provide the product designer with up to date responses from the market place as to therr perceived needs.
• Market trends - fashion, styling, economic consideration, technological trends, environmental or Eco trends, lifestyle - which have an impact on the sales of a product
• Niche Market - A specific group of people that would be interested in a particular product.
• Unique selling points - what makes it different from similar products on the market
• Incremental changes in products - Slight changes that have occurred in products due to customer feedback or development in technology and thus improved the function of a product.
• Technology push - The invention of new technologies driving the design of new products.
• Market pull - When market's needs drive the invention of new products, technology can be used to satisfy these needs.
• Research techniques - primary or secondary
• Primary research is researchthat you do yourself

  • Telephone
  • Questionnaires
  • Visit people
  • Test materials yourself
• Secondary research is research someone else has done

  • Internet
  • Books/magazines
• Qualitative test - aesthetics, personal taste, difficult to measure
• Quantitative Testing - Can be measured. how strong is material? Can it support weight? Test material underwater, compare costs,
• Final evaluation can be against the specification, testing the product or customer opinion/feedback
• On going Evaluation is when you evaluate designs as you develop them to see if ideas answer the specification
• Anthropometrics - the science of collecting statistical data about body measurements
• Ergonomics - the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of the interactions among human and other elements of a system
• A designer uses anthropometric data to make sure that their product was ergonomically designed (comfortable to sit/hold/grip etc)
• Anodising - electrical process of giving aluminium a decorative coloured coating e.g. coloured coating on ipod
• Galvanising (protection) - Mild steel dipped in hot molten zinc for a coating. Mild steel rusts but zinc doesn't.

  Good protection against rust and corrosion

  Used for farm trailers, gates etc.
• Varnish/teak oil/wax (protection)

  Garden Bench - against weather

  Coffee table - hot cup, water resistant

  Enhancing the grain makes the product look better
• Powder coating (protection and aesthetics) - electrically charged plastic powder that sticks to the metal. Then the metal is laced in a kiln so that the plastic coating cures and sticks to the metal.
• Plastic coating (protection and aesthetics) - Mild steel heated and dipped in polythene powder. Gives good protection and is available in different colours so it will look good. Grops on pliers, plate racks etc.
• Paint (protection and aesthetics) - Hammering paint on gates. Car body sprayed with cellulose based paint
• Self finishing - no finish needs to be applied to these materials

  E.g. acrylic (colour is in the plastic pigment) stainless steel (kitchen sinks and saucepans don't require finishes)
• Mass production - manufacturing in large quantities, usually 24/7. Geared to making large quantities of similar types if products e.g. dinks cans, disposable razors ...