Summary
Summary A2 DESIGN TECHNOLOGY: PRODUCT DESIGN REVISION
- Institution
- WJEC
This covers A2 only topics for this course with addition of in depth case studies of particular people for those long answer questions!
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Product design A2 things we need to know….HUMAN RESPONSIBILITIES
- understanding of social, moral, ethical and legal responsibilities
- candidate must explore environmental and consumer factors
- all of which could effect the final nature of the product
1: service to the customer, including legal requirements availability of resources
• Offer product support- this is the service provided by retailers of various products usually
electronics, which provides the end user with a resource for information regarding the product
and help if the product malfunctions
- Bose is an example of a brand known for their good product support they have an extensive
trouble shooting, manuals and set up guide that are all avail to you on the website
- apple offer free “genius sessions” where the consumer of the digital device can book 15 minute
trouble shooting appointments for trouble shooting, hardware issues and also interface advice-
- branding has changed as a result of digital media creating real-time conversations about
companies’ activities and new ways for information to reach consumers
• Customer services-it is the service provided before, during and after a product has been
bought
- Builds reputation, the line between products and services is blurring, and customer service has
become part of the product itself.
- Apple again is well known for excellent customer service that goes above and beyond, each
employee is given a quota of free products they are allowed to give away and trained to treat each
customer as an individual and show there passion though language- when in comparison to car
phone warehouse its a completely different customer service experience = customers are willing to
pay more for a better service
• Understanding the effect of legislations/regulations- for many products society has laws
and standards that the designer must meet.
- These help protect the user, by specifying the products that meet the standards.
- the laws allow the consumer to get their money back is the product is faulty or if products do not
perform in the way the manufacturer has claimed
- A law is a formal rule adopted by Parliament and enforced by the government
- A standard is a guideline which is widely accepted. Standards do not necessarily have the force
of the law
• The Trade Descriptions Act 1968
- makes it an office for a trade to make false or misleading statements about goods or services
- it carries penalties and is enforced by Trading Standards
- It makes it an offence for a trader to; apply a false trade description, supply or offer any goods to
which a false trade description has been applied making false statements about the provision of
nay services, facilities or accommodation
• Customer Rights-was designed to protect customers when buying goods or services
- the Consumer Protection Act 1987
- it protects the public by; prohibiting the manufacture and supply of unsafe goods, making the
manufacturer or seller of a defective product responsible for damage it causes, allowing local
councils to seize unsafe goods and suspend the sale of suspected unsafe goods, prohibiting
misleading price indications
2: how to find information on the regulatory and legislative framework related to product
design
• Health and safety legislation
- The Health and Safety work act was introduced in 1974
,- its places a duty on all the employees “to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health,
safety and welfare of all their employees at work”
• BSI
- In the UK the standards are regulated by the British Standards Institution
- Products which meet these standards can be marked with the KiteMark.
• ISO
- Make sure your products and services meet customers' needs with this family of standards
- develop and publish international standards
- composed of preventatives from all over the world
- make big changes in global standards like measurements shifting from old to metric
- works in 162 different countries
- non-government organisation
- Aids in the creation of products and services that are safe, reliable and of good quality.
- increase productivity while minimising errors and waste
- standards act as a safe guard for the end-users
• COSHH
- stands for … Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
- provides practical advice and Guidance on the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations 2002
- required by the law that you carry out COSHH assessments
3: standard risk assessment procedures in product design; this is the identification in the list
involved to the consumer when using a product and the making risks
- the whole point of risk assessments in reducing the risk
- Risk assessments are when you take a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause
harm to people. Then the assessor needs to weigh up whether you have taken enough
precautions or should do more to prevent harm to human beings.
- essentially risk assessments are in place to make sure that no-one get hurt or becomes ill during
use and manufacture
- There are two fields of risk assessment
1. risks involved with the product being used
2. risks involved when manufacturing the product
RISK ASSESSMENTS ARE CARRIED OUT IN 5 STEPS…
1: look for hazards (machinery to tools)
2: decide who may be harmed by the hazard (the user, workers, public)
3: evaluate the risks and decide wether the precaution are adequate or wether more should be put in place
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
4: Record your findings (write down any hazards or conclusions (must notify employees)
5: review your assessment and revise it if necessary. (every time there is a change in the product or
manufacture you have to carry to a new risk assessment)
- All manufacturing processes are hazardous: pillar drill, saw, bandsaw, vice/clamp, drill
- Risks: eyes, hair, baggy clothing, electric shock, trapped fingers (MUST WEAR CORRECT SAFTEY
EQUIPMENT)
4: The values:
- technical: may use state of the art technology, if not available they may need to invent or innovate
- economic: the measure of the benefit that is provided by a good or a service
- aesthetics: way the product looks, the value of the product based on appearance
- social: non-finical and more about the well being of socials and individuals and how you change their
experiences
, - environmental: the effect your product has on the environment during making, using and disposing
- moral: morals are a guide you to know whats wrong and whats right commonly referred to as principles
- ethics: to behave ethically you are consistent with whats wrong and whats right
Environmental challenges
Planning for product disposal.
Using suitable materials within the product.
Raising disposal awareness with consumers.
Local legislation.
Moral issues.
Technological challenges
Use of new materials.
Low emissions
Lean manufacturing systems.
New inventions and new technological concepts i.e. Solar PV development
• Customer needs: are essential features which have been included within the design in order for the
product to work successfully
- e.g. the cyclone technology that differentiated the product from its
competitors.
- consider the different needs of a child (bold colours, big component, safe materials, no hinges etc) vs an
adult or elderly (big buttons, easy to use etc)
• Customer wants: the supplementary features which are included as enhancing features
- e.g. aesthetic detailing in terms of the colour coding of parts of the
Dyson cleaners
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Maslow stated in his theory of “motivational needs” that people are inspired
to achieve different needs, some needs are higher that others. Our basic need is physical survival and
this will be the first thing that motivates our behaviour. Once that level is fulfilled we move on.
- we are all humans we all have certain needs
Physiological Needs – The most basic needs of all are those that are needed to sustain us as individuals
and as a species. They include food, drink, shelter, breathing, sex, comfort and sleep.
Safety Needs – The next level of needs to be met are those that offer us some guarantee of being able
to satisfy our physiological needs in the long-term. These include fiscal and personal security, health,
protection from the elements, etc.
Social (or Love and Belonging) Needs – The human animal is a social one and there is a deep-seated
requirement for company in life. Social needs include friends, lovers, intimacy, families, communities,
relationships and a sense of belonging.
Esteem Needs – Basic social needs become more complex for people and there is a need for our efforts
to be recognized by others. Esteem needs may be fulfilled by social status, achievements, mastery,
prestige, etc.
Self-Actualized Needs – The final, top layer of the hierarchy, is associated with our ability to grow as an
individual. These needs include peace, contentment, self-growth, maximum experiences, etc.
- the most basic needs must be fulfilled before higher levels can be met
- consumers are more likely to buy products that meet out needs rather than our wants
- if you want your product to be accepted you may need to be influenced to do so
- the design hierarchy is similar to Maslow’s hierarchy as it is essential for a design to meet the lowest need
on the pyramid before progressing to meet further need
Functionality – for a design to meet any need it must work and it must meet the basic needs of the user.
However, if this is all it does; it may well be seen as having little value if any to the user in the short to
long-term.
Reliability – the next step is for your design to function in a reliable manner and present a consistent
experience. This may increase the user’s perception of the value of your product from a purely functional
one but it does not add large amounts of value either.
Usability – then a design should be simple to use and relatively forgiving of user error. When you meet
this need the product is likely to be considered of middling value by the user.
Proficiency – a design which helps a user to do more or achieve more is one which is likely to be desired
as a high-level of value and fulfil user needs more effectively.
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