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What price range will your product fall into? Will it be expensive, cheap, mid range,
if so why? What materials, processes and finishes will you use, does this reflect
the cost? Does the cost reflect the quality of the product? Is the cost of your product
a result of what manufacturing processes (mass produced, batched produced, one off)
you will use to commercially produce it? What will your potential consumer expect
to get for their money?
What anthropometic considerations do you need to take into account? Use SPURC (strength,
posture, user group, reach or clearance) to identify the key criteria that you will
need to consider to design a successful product.
What percentile do you need to take into consideration? 5th, 50th or 95th percentile
range?
- Anthropometrics is the study of body measurements and statistical data concerning
the sizes and shapes of the population.
- Ergonomics is the relationship between a product and its users.
- All people fall into the 5th, 50th and 95th anthropometric percentile range.
- User group, posture, clearance, reach and strength are all important factors in anthropometrics
and ergonomics.
Before we can start the specification you need to conclude what you have
Learnt in your research, what product you are going to make, who is it aimed at, what price range it will fall into and where it will be sold.
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First identify what context you have chosen from the three original ones.
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Second analyse the outcome of your research
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Third identify the need for your project
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Forth produce a design brief that identifies what you are making and where it will eventually be sold…..
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Qualitative testing and quantitative testing
Qualitative testing and quantitative testing must be considered when selecting materials
and processes for the design and manufacture of products and when writing design
specifications. Quantitative testing are objective, measurable criteria, which can
be assessed against specific performance measurable objectives such as:
- The material must weigh no more than…..
- The material used must be light enough to….
- Related to material hardness, malleability, ductility…..
Qualitative testing will reflect the intended quality of certain defined aspects
of a material’s specification. They are a more subjective form of criteria such as
- The material must be aesthetically pleasing…
- Material used must be recyclable…
- The material must be bright…
- Consideration of market sectors.
Target
A specification is a list of goals or targets that the final design must achieve.
Specifications are an important part of designing because they provide a check list
against which you can review your ideas as you are working. They also give you something
against which to evaluate your ideas and your finished product against. It is a list
of statements that should reflect your findings from your research state some research
findings about what your design should achieve.
Although its called a Specification don’t be too specific as it can restrict your
ideas. For example don’t say:
“my pop art storage unit will have a five draws, will be a square shape, and red
and yellow.”.
This is what you should say as it will imply fewer restrictions when designing and
allow more freedom to explore creative ideas to the design task:
“after researching different design movements, the aesthetics (style) of my product
will be based on the characteristics of pop art design.”This includes bold colours,
unusual shapes, explosions and anything else that represents pop art”
SPECIFICATION
A specification is a list of goals that the final design must achieve. Specifications
are an important part of designing because they provide a check list against which
you can review your ideas as you are working. They also give you something against
which to evaluate your ideas and your finished product against. It is a list of statements
that should reflect your findings from your research state some research findings
about what your design should achieve.
Hover over the ACCESS FM criteria opposite for hints and tips……….
Analyse the key points of your research for each of the criteria listed.
- What did you learn from your product analysis
- Was form or function more important
- What do your intended users like and want your product to look like?
- What colours, styling, patterns etc., do they like
- Why and how have you made these decisions? Why will your product look like that,
what did you product analysis findings tell you?
- Can you improve upon the products you analysed?
- How big is the product GENERALLY going to be? For example: “it will be pocket size
so that it can be kept with the user at all times.”
- How big will certain parts of your product be?
- For example: “the back support of my chair will be the correct size for the average
16 year old.”
- You probably haven't carried out anthropometric research yet so you don't need to
say exactly what size it has to be.
- Will it be adjustable? Placed in an alternative location etc
IMPORTANCE
Rank each of the criteria in terms of importance. Is form more important than function.
Is the cost of the product more important that the materials. This is a model of
‘total design’ where all the factors might influence the design of a product are
given attention in terms of their ranking.
It is an analogy between a designer having to balance all the factors that will influence
a design and a circus performer balancing plates. The plates represent the factors
that the designer must keep in mind throughout the design process. Like the spinning
plates, some will require more attention than others at different times of the design
process.
The ‘total design approach’ ensures that factors such as cost, ergonomics, environment
are not given dominance over others.
End testing
End testing must be considered before a product is actually sold on the market. How
ill you measure the success of each outcome? Its important to gather potential consumers
opinions. Too often designers will say they will conduct a survey. How will you gather
evidence?
Could you use social media platforms?
Can you ask potential experts their opinions?
Can you conduct meaningful surveys?
What other methods can you use to collate useful information to improve your design?
In the specification column add the headings shown. Not all of these will be relevant for your project. You will need to decide. For example packaging is not needed for architectural projects.
Start to fill in each column starting from aesthetics and working your way down. Remember that you are designing a product for a consumer and their needs and wants.
Hover over the key words for hints and tips. Remember you need to identify the importance of each product and if it qualitative or quantitative criteria.
Qualitative testing and quantitative testing
Qualitative testing and quantitative testing must be considered when selecting materials
and processes for the design and manufacture of products and when writing design
specifications. Quantitative testing are objective, measurable criteria, which can
be assessed against specific performance measurable objectives such as:
- The material must weigh no more than…..
- The material used must be light enough to….
- Related to material hardness, malleability, ductility…..
Qualitative testing will reflect the intended quality of certain defined aspects
of a material’s specification. They are a more subjective form of criteria such as
- The material must be aesthetically pleasing…
- Material used must be recyclable…
- The material must be bright…
- Consideration of market sectors.
Target
A specification is a list of goals or targets that the final design must achieve.
Specifications are an important part of designing because they provide a check list
against which you can review your ideas as you are working. They also give you something
against which to evaluate your ideas and your finished product against. It is a list
of statements that should reflect your findings from your research state some research
findings about what your design should achieve.
Although its called a Specification don’t be too specific as it can restrict your
ideas. For example don’t say:
“my pop art storage unit will have a five draws, will be a square shape, and red
and yellow.”.
This is what you should say as it will imply fewer restrictions when designing and
allow more freedom to explore creative ideas to the design task:
“after researching different design movements, the aesthetics (style) of my product
will be based on the characteristics of pop art design.”This includes bold colours,
unusual shapes, explosions and anything else that represents pop art”
SPECIFICATION
A specification is a list of goals that the final design must achieve. Specifications
are an important part of designing because they provide a check list against which
you can review your ideas as you are working. They also give you something against
which to evaluate your ideas and your finished product against. It is a list of statements
that should reflect your findings from your research state some research findings
about what your design should achieve.
Hover over the ACCESS FM criteria opposite for hints and tips……….
Analyse the key points of your research for each of the criteria listed.
- What did you learn from your product analysis
- Was form or function more important
- What do your intended users like and want your product to look like?
- What colours, styling, patterns etc., do they like
- Why and how have you made these decisions? Why will your product look like that,
what did you product analysis findings tell you?
- Can you improve upon the products you analysed?
- How big is the product GENERALLY going to be? For example: “it will be pocket size
so that it can be kept with the user at all times.”
- How big will certain parts of your product be?
- For example: “the back support of my chair will be the correct size for the average
16 year old.”
- You probably haven't carried out anthropometric research yet so you don't need to
say exactly what size it has to be.
- Will it be adjustable? Placed in an alternative location etc
IMPORTANCE
Rank each of the criteria in terms of importance. Is form more important than function.
Is the cost of the product more important that the materials. This is a model of
‘total design’ where all the factors might influence the design of a product are
given attention in terms of their ranking.
It is an analogy between a designer having to balance all the factors that will influence
a design and a circus performer balancing plates. The plates represent the factors
that the designer must keep in mind throughout the design process. Like the spinning
plates, some will require more attention than others at different times of the design
process.
The ‘total design approach’ ensures that factors such as cost, ergonomics, environment
are not given dominance over others.
End testing
End testing must be considered before a product is actually sold on the market. How
ill you measure the success of each outcome? Its important to gather potential consumers
opinions. Too often designers will say they will conduct a survey. How will you gather
evidence?
Could you use social media platforms?
Can you ask potential experts their opinions?
Can you conduct meaningful surveys?
What other methods can you use to collate useful information to improve your design?
The design contexts were the three short written outlines - given to you from the
exam board at the very beginning. You then produced two mind-maps. Write down which
context you chose to investigate further……..