Product Design & Development PDF

Product Design & development Design Issues  Function The function of a product simply means what the product does, what it was designed for. Most products have a primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary function. The primary function of a car is to transport people, the second...

Product Design & development Design Issues  Function The function of a product simply means what the product does, what it was designed for. Most products have a primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary function. The primary function of a car is to transport people, the secondary function may be to transport messages and belongings and the tertiary function may be to promote a lifestyle or style that the consumer may wish to promote about themselves. Functional considerations for a car may be- How many people can it transport? How much cargo can it carry? Can it pull a trailer? Does it promote an image?  Fitness For Purpose Fitness for purpose is not to be confused with Function. A products ability to perform well is going to differ in different situations. A kettle to be used for camping which is smaller, can be stored and carried easily and that is made from conductive materials would be of less use at home, because the environment and way in which it is used is different. And vice versa.  Performance Materials When evaluating the use of a material it is important to make reference to the properties that are relevant to the product or situation where it is being used, not necessarily all of the properties of the material. Unless they are in any way detrimental to the use, manufacture, durability or maintenance of the product. For example mild steel was a good choice of material for the forth railway bridge because it is incredibly strong, non-flammable, relatively cheap, easy to fabricate with and readily available however it does need to be painted continuously. Which creates a high maintenance cost. The fact that mild steel conducts electricity was irrelevant in this particular case and therefore not mentioned.  Manufacture The manufacture of a product has a direct effect on its durability, strength, maintenance and final cost and is therefore an important factor to be considered when evaluating and analysing a product. Flat packed furniture is not as strong as traditionally made furniture but it is much cheaper as it is easier to transport and it is not built by a paid worker. Maintenance All products need some degree of maintenance in order to keep them functioning properly, which entails the cost materials and labour. High maintenance products cost more to run than low maintenance products. A car needs serviced regularly (tyres, oil, coolant, air filter, oil filter, sparkplugs, grease, light bulbs, battery, wipers, timing, skilled labour, etc.) and costs more money to maintain than a coffee table (polished by owner occasionally).  Durability The amount of acceptable force and wear and tear that a product can take will affect its life span. Durability is dictated by the materials, assembly methods and type and quality of finish which are used to manufacture the product. Life-span is affected by the volume of use that a product endures and the environment in which it is used. Many modern products are made obsolete before they have ended their useful life. Running Costs Some products entail running costs through their use and nature. Cars need petrol, oil, MOT’s, servicing, road tax and insurance to be paid for constantly. Whereas less mechanical and more static products (coffee table) have little or no running costs.  Environment Environment is to be considered in two ways The materials which the product is made from, uses or the by-products that it produces must not harm the natural environment around it. Green design must be considered, the use of non- replenishable materials or polluting by-products should be avoided. The environment in which the product is to be used will have a bearing on the materials, manufacture, overall dimensions and protection needed for the user for that particular situation.  Planned Obsolescence Products are not designed to last for ever, if this were the case companies would go out of business and we would all be using low tech products which have a style which has long gone out of fashion. For this reason products are designed to last for a certain amount of time before they break down, this is called ‘planned obsolescence.’ Products also become obsolete when they are replaced with more technologically advanced or more functional versions or when their style goes out of fashion. Value for money This is concerned with balancing how much a product cost to buy and how much it costs to run against the use that the user gets from it and how that usage improves their quality of life.  Market User The way in which a product is designed, particularly with reference to function, ergonomics and aesthetics is dependent on who it is for – or the ‘Target Market’ that it is being aimed at. It is important to make reference to age, gender, style, likes and dislikes and physical ability of the particular market segment that you are designing for. Consumer Demands The behaviour (life style and past times) of the target market that you are designing for is going to influence the design and even the need for a product. There would be no need to develop a DVD player if people at the time are not watching films in the comfort of their own homes, or don’t have the expendable income to spend on such a luxury.  Social Expectations – The level of quality, durability, service and value for money that we expect from the products that we buy. A products performance and cost is dictated by what we expect from such a product as consumers. We also dictate what products or services we need from the marketplace. Niche Marketing – Products are not aimed at everybody, but at a particular section of the market. The entire market is broken into segments called niches. There are four market niches.- Geographic – where you live in relation to country, city, rural/urban. Demographic – Age, sex, income, education, race. Psychographic – Lifestyle, social class, hobbies. Behaviouristic – Purchase frequency, usage, brand loyalty. These smaller segments can be broken down further to give a clearer picture of who you are trying to aim the product at, this is ‘Niche Marketing.’  Branding We are all familiar with certain brands and have come to expect a certain level of product or service from them. This works to companies’ advantage as they don’t need to advertise what we should expect from them. Different people will be drawn to the strengths of different brands. New Products / Development in Technology The advent of new technology can develop the opportunity for a new product or the development of an older or established product. The development of the laser was used to develop CD, MD and DVD players which are a development from their predecessors, which have become obsolete. The production of the transistor and the microchip made new products such as the calculator and the micro computer possible and miniaturised most electronic and household goods. Sometimes it is possible to transfer technology to an existing product in order to improve it. Microwave technology was transferred to the phone industry to make mobile phones possible. However microwaves cook food.  Ergonomics Ergonomics is the study of how the human body relates to its environment with relation to the shape, size, movement, weight and operation. Ergonomic considerations can be broken down into 3 classifications – Anthropometric. Physiological. Psychological. A well designed product should be – The correct size and weight. Easy to use. Obvious how to use.  Aesthetics Aesthetics is concerned with the human senses – sight, touch, taste, smell and sound. There are many aesthetic considerations which designers use to encourage us to buy their product by making it appeal to our senses – Look Colour Line Shape Form Proportion Contrast Style Texture Feel Symmetry Balance Style – Style is a combination of the factors above which can be associated with a particular time or group of people. There are many different recognised styles which come in and out of fashion at different times.  Economics Safety – If a product harms the user through its proper use the liability lies with the company which sold it and in turn the designers who created it. Before a product can be sold it must be deemed fit for use by the relevant safety organisation. There are different European and British bodies to be satisfied. Different products have individual safety specifications, which are available to buy in booklets and are constantly updated. Costs – There are two main types of cost that we must consider-. Fixed costs – the cost that the manufacturer can control, like the cost of labour. Variable costs – ones which the manufacturer cant control, like transport costs and the price of ‘of the shelf’ components.  Value for Money This factor features again under economics for very obvious reasons, the other factors here influence the initial cost or price of the product. Intellectual Property Rights If you design a product which uses someone else’s idea which they have trademark, copyright, patent, etc. on, you must pay them for having used their ‘intellectual property’ in your design. This will directly influence the cost of your product. PRODUCTION SYSTEMS The use of production systems, such as line production, mass production, etc. will bring down the costs of producing and item and therefor maximise the companies profit margins.