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
Primary Function

Secondary Function

Fitness for Purpose
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.


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

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.

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…






Planned Obsolescence
Value for Money
Running Costs and Maintenance
Environmental Concerns
Materials and Manufacturing
Processes
Safety
“The way in which someone
or something functions.”
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


1.
Create a fashion change or demand for a new style.
2.
Hold back attractive functional features then implement in future
models, making the previous range obsolete and unfashionable.
3.
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.
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.


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?
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 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 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 safety features that could protect uses.
Consumer Demands
 Social Responsibilities
 Niche Marketing
 Branding
 Product Life Cycles


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.

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.

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 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 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.

Introduction:


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:


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!
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

Factors Influencing Aesthetics

Influences of Fashion

Market Fads

Style
“The branch of philosophy dealing
with beauty and taste.”
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

Shape

Form

Proportion

Contrast

Harmony

Pattern

Texture

Material

Colour

Balance

Style

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!

Some “fashions” can develop into styles. For example, design
movements which produced fashionable artefacts such as the Bauhaus
and 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.

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!

Anthropometrics

Psychology

Physiology

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 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.

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 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 multicultural society, or indeed a specific region of the world.

Examples of Bad Product Design

Product Design: Higher Course Notes

Product Design: Higher Grade Booster
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