Design & Manufacture

Design & Manufacture Factors that Influence Design

function • Primary Function • Secondary Function • Fitness for Purpose

function • A Function is an action that a design “must perform”. • A Function is typically expressed in positively worded noun-verb phrase. • A designer focuses all of his creative energy to satisfy a function.

Primary function • The primary function of any product is to satisfy the design brief. • In order to satisfy the brief a concise analysis must be performed in order to extract and identify the primary function. • The main function of any product is its function: • Clock - To display the time • Scissors - To cut materials • Electric Kettle - To boil water

secondary function • Functional: A functional secondary function can be an added product feature, providing the user with an alternative use and incentive for acquiring the product. • CD-R(W) Drive with DVD-ROM capability. • Mobile phone with Camera/ Radio /MP3 player. • Subtle: A subtle secondary function can be a feature that is not directly associated with the standard function of the product. • Aesthetic enhancement of the surrounding environment. • The integration of new technology into society.

Fitness for purpose • How well does the product do its job? In other words we need to know how fit the product is for the purpose for which it was designed. Key Questions: • What must the product do? • Where must the product be used? • Who will be using the product? • Why are they using the product? • Think about an electric iron compared to a travel iron. Both have a purpose but are set to fulfil different conditions. Use the key questions to identify the differences…

performance • Planned Obsolescence • Value for Money • Running Costs and Maintenance • Environmental Concerns • Materials and Manufacturing Processes • Safety

performance “The way in which someone or something functions.”

Planned obsolescence Planned obsolescence is a strategy employed to cause products to be perceived as obsolete before they actually need to be replaced. • Three Approaches to Implementing Planned Obsolescence • Create a fashion change or demand for a new style. • Hold back attractive functional features then implement in future models, making the previous range obsolete and unfashionable. • Produce products that will break, wear, tear or rot before they should. • Planned obsolescence is a complicated factor. Companies must create a balance so that consumers remain loyal customers who value their products, but also open and prepare the market for future sales in reasonable time periods.

Value for money In order for a product to be successful, it must be priced appropriately. Depending on which area of the market the product will be aimed at, will determine the price. For example: • EXPENSIVE: Designer - Should involve the use expensive materials and high quality manufacturing costs, combined with original design. • CHEAP: Economy – Will likely involve simple mass production techniques, cheap materials and have a poor quality finish. Gauging whether a product is good value for money is often best accomplished through research into the product and other similar products available.

Running costs and maintenance • Will additional investments be required to keep the product running? If so, will these costs inhibit the success of the product? • Plasma TV- plasma refills • Hoover - hoover bags • Can the product be maintained by the owner or will it require specialist servicing? • Does the product use standard components or require specialist components? If specialist - are these components readily available and what are the costs?

Environmental concerns Every new product will have some kind of impact on the environment be it through: • the products manufacture • the products use • product packaging and advertising • the end of the products life Designers have a responsibility to try to produce long lasting, ecological products which use recycled or biodegradable materials. Alternatively designers should produce products that will last long periods of time to ensure there is no need to replace the product, thus no waste is created.

Materials and manufacturing processes • Materials and manufacturing processes must be identified and used appropriately. This will come from close analysis of the brief and specification. • MATERIALS: • Material Qualities (Strength / Durability / Weight) • Environmental Issues • MANUFACTURING PROCESSES: • Number Required (Mass / Batch / One Off) • Product Assembly • Material Being Used

safety • Safety is vital to the success of any product. • Today products are much safer than they were many years ago and this is partly the result of consumer group pressure as the improved testing and quality control by manufacturers. • Products today are designed to meet the safety standards of the following bodies: • British Standards Institution (BSI) • International Standards Organisation (ISO) • Abuse of products can always result in dangerous situations, however, it is the designers responsibility to prepare for these outcomes and do their best to implement any safetyfeatures that could protect uses.

market • Consumer Demands • Social Responsibilities • Niche Marketing • Branding • Product Life Cycles

market • The course of commercial activity by which the exchange of commodities is accomplished. • An opportunity for selling. • The available supply of or potential demand for specified goods or services. • The area of economic activity in which buyers and sellers come together and the forces of supply and demand affect prices.

Consumer demands • Consumers are now much more aware of “good design” than ever before. They expect products to function well, look good and remain competitive in a market where they are often spoilt for choice. • In the age of communication it is very easy for people to be informed about products either through the media or other users online. • To some extent, consumers are told what is good design without having to run the risks of trying products for themselves.

Social responsibilities • Designers have environmental responsibilities, so they should try to minimise the effects their products will have on the environment with regards to waste, pollution and the ability to recycle. • Safety is a major factor when designing products such as power tools. Designers have a responsibility to safe guard society from such products inflicting injury through misuse. • Design is problem solving not problem creating.

Niche marketing • Niche marketing is when designers identify a specific area in the market they intend to design for, for example a luxury version of a hairdryer or an economy car. • With technological opportunity a new section of the market can be created. This section will be incomparable to anything similar; the introduction of a new product with no competitors. • Niche markets provide companies with power over competitors and help to create a good name for the company – just think of Sony or Apple and how it pioneered Walkman’s, MP3 players,computer game hardware etc.

branding • Branding allows products to be easily identified through some kind of logo or symbol. • Company credentials can be carried with the branding so consumers know the quality of the goods they are buying. • Closely linked with fashion, branding can help consumers to select one product over another due to the association attached to the brand.

Product life cycles • Introduction: • Expensive stage for companies as they must design and produce the products, ship them out, then advertise and promote with very limited financial returns – if any! • Growth: • The product becomes established in the market place and the sales outlets increase. Profits are realised as sales increase. Other competitors may enter the market resulting in price cuts. • Maturity: • As the market becomes saturated, sales will begin to drop. Companies should be preparing to launch a new product a this stage. • Decline: • Sales plummet and the product may be withdrawn, either to make way for the new product or if it is seen to damage the companies name!

Product life cycles

aesthetics • Factors Influencing Aesthetics • Influences of Fashion • Market Fads • Style

aesthetics “The branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste.”

Factors influencing aesthetics Why we find certain products attractive and other not so attractive can be very difficult to define. The following factors allow us to explain why we find objects attractive, and thus use them when designing. • Line • Form • Contrast • Pattern • Material • Balance • Shape • Proportion • Harmony • Texture • Colour • Style

Influences of fashion • Fashion is something that is current. It is something that has been accepted as being popular by a group of consumers and will remain so for a period of time. • It typically starts with a small number of consumers taking an interest in a product that sets them apart and makes them feel different. Celebrities set a lot of fashion and are ultimately copied!

style • Some “fashions” can develop into styles. For example, design movements which produced fashionable artefacts such as the Bauhausand Art Deco. • An easy way to differentiate between fashion and style is as follows: • Although clothing can go through many fashion changes, styles of clothing can still be classified as formal, casual or sporting.

Market fads • Fads are mainly of interest to manufacturers and designers. • They are created to produce high sales and satisfy certain consumer groups, such as young people, with products which provide no real benefit to the user, such as yo-yo’s or electronic pets!

ergonomics • Anthropometrics • Psychology • Physiology

ergonomics • The applied science of equipment design, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. • Also called biotechnology, human engineering, human factors engineering. • Design factors, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by minimizing operator fatigue and discomfort: The ergonomics of the new office were felt to be optimal.

anthropometrics • Anthropometrics is the branch of ergonomics which deals with the measurement of the physical characteristics of humans. • We can use anthropometric data to help us design products suited for as wide a range of people as possible. We can also design for specific age, gender and percentile groups.

Psychology • Colour: • Colour meanings have been passed down through cultural representations and beliefs, however, certain cultures “association” with colours clash. This should be taken into account as the product will be used in a multi-cultural society. • Texture: • Textures can be used in the following three form: • FUNCTIONALLY: Texture can improve grip on surface textures, especially plastics. • AESTHETICALLY: Textures can enhance or reduce the aesthetic appeal of a product. Smooth equals modern sleek and fast, whereas rough sometimes looks unfinished and unattractive. • INTELLECTUALLY: Textures can guide users to controls or be used to sub-divide parts of products, particularly on layouts of control.

Physiology • Physiology is the study of physical capabilities and how living things work. • Within design this is often split into three main fields of study: body strength, fatigue and reaction times. • Across different gender, age and racial groups these factors all vary, so this must be taken into consideration when designing for a multi-cultural society, or indeed a specific region of the world.

Links to further reading • Examples of Bad Product Design • Product Design: Higher Course Notes • Product Design: Higher Grade Booster

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Design & Manufacture