Chapter 1

• Design contexts:

  • Environment & surroundings
  • User requirements
  • Economy & market
  • Product opportunities
• User Centred Design:

  Puts the user at the centre of the design process, consider their needs and wants.
• Parts of UCD:

  • Requirement gathering
  • Requirement specification
  • Design prototypes
  • Evaluate and assess
• Unique Selling Point:

  what makes a product different to similar products on the market
• Areas of Stakeholder map:

  Core - involved with designing or making the product

  Direct - involved with or affected by the selling of the product

  Wider - somewhat affected by the product
• Parts of SWOT analysis:

  Strengths - advantages, USP

  Weaknesses - need improvement, reduced sales, issues which can be avoided, limited resources

  Opportunities - Trends, strengths harnessed , changes to market or legislation

  Threats - competitors, issues affecting sales, shifts in consumer behaviour
• Focus groups:

  small groups of people who are asked about their thoughts and ideas regarding designs, systems or other subjects

  • groups of 6-10 people
  • 1-2 hours of informal discussion
  • moderator observes to make sure everyone participates equally
• Participatory design:

  lets the user contribute their ideas and solutions in the design process
• Qualitive observations:

  deals with data that can be observed with our senses. colours, shapes, textures are all qualitative observations.

  This can be collected through interviews, card sorts or surveys
• Market research:

  gathering data on people, goods & services to determine if a product will satisfy consumer needs. Includes:

  • market trends
  • demographics
  • economic shifts
  • buying habits
  • info on competition
• Market pull: when customers demand a product

  Technology push: new tech leads to new product ideas
• Primary market research:

  • collected first hand: questionnaires, interviews, observations, focus groups, field research
  • usually conducted by a specialist
  • precise and or specific data
  • can be expensive
• Secondary market research:

  • widely available data: publications, government reports, internet
  • population trends, regional statistics
  • can quickly become out of date or incorrect
• Fashion & trend forecasting:

  gathering information from varying different industries and fields to predict future trends.
• Enterprise:

  a new and innovative business venture usually creating a new product or service.
• Entrepreneurs:

  people who sacrifice time and money to create start-up companies to provide a new product or service
• Commercial partnerships:

  when 2 companies partner together to help each other grow. Either with access to new ideas & technologies or by providing a financial boost and a foothold in pre-established market.
• Venture capitalists:

  people (with lots of money) who invest in small start-up companies who want to grow. in exchange, these people become stakeholders in the company
• Crowdfunding:

  a way of raising money by asking a large number of people for a small amount of money.

  • donations are made by people who just believe in the cause and don't expect to be paid back
  • debt means investors will receive money back + interest
  • equity means money is exchanged for shares or a stake in the business
• Exclusion:

  when the demands of the product exceed the users capabilities
• Demand factors:

  • Vision: size, shape, contrast, colour, placement of text and pictures
  • Hearing: volume, pitch, clarity and location of sounds
  • Thinking: memory, interpreting interface, attention, prior experience
  • Reach & Dexterity: forces, movements, types of grip, hands above head or below waist
  • Mobility: moving around, assisting balance and support mobility aids
• Anthropometric data:

  data based on human measurements
• Ergonomics:

  making products easier and more comfortable for humans to use
• Ergonomics without anthropometrics

  • brightness
  • volume
  • weight
  • vibration