DT ALevel Notes
This document consists of notes based on the Design and Technology (Product Design)
OCR Specification. It includes words to use in exam questions and examples researched
1. Identifying Requirements
- Stakeholder Requirements Investigation :
SWOT Analysis
ACCESS FM
5 Ws
Focus groups
UCD
- Market Research :
Feasibility analysis : how possible and realistic it is to proceed with a project
Small scale launch of a product : is there a demand for the product
Fashion/Trend forecasting : what will be popular in upcoming seasons
- Enterprise :
Entrepreneurship - people who drive the designing, launching and running of a new
business or service.
They can be aided in funding through :
Commercial partnerships - between companies (experts, manufacturing)
Venture capitalists and Crowdfunding - stakeholders who invest in companies or new
initiatives. Dragon’s Den is an example of Venture capitalists. Kickstarter and
Crowdfunder allow companies to find potential investors (crowdfunding example)
- Aesthetic considerations :
Intuitive design - conventional and instinctive ay we expect design function
E.g. Taps and valves turn anticlockwise to increase output
Car foot pedals are in the same position and pelican crossing lights are same colour
Affordance - describes the way a product suggests that it would work . Dieter Rams
designs for Braun inspired Apple minimalist design which is simple and easily
translates its functionality.
Throwaway society : collective mindset of consumers to dispose of products rather
than repair them.
2. Learning from existing products and practice
- Research
Social media - click rates and keywords can be analysed, Passive approach (reviews
and hauls etc) , Active approach (adverts and forums , celebrities to endorse
products)
Customer service analysis - helps identify problems to be improved
Product disassembly - gives understanding of factors such as cost, construction,
material choice manufacturing process
This research way give rise to thoughts on warranties, care instructions etc
,- Trends
Victorian architecture, art nouveau styling, art deco styling, pop art etc
Marketing - used to influence target markets into making them want to feel like they
‘need’ the product
A logo, name and tagline such as Nike’s ‘Just DO IT’ allows for easy detection of
identity from consumers and it differentiates from other available products and allows
for the products to be sold at a premium price. Memberships and branding can
influence other people to buy the same product. For example, Pret Coffee Cups have
their logo so other people want to buy pret drinks etc.
Penetration pricing - artificially low price set to gain market share
Price skimming - high price due to high demand
Psychological pricing - 1.99 rather than £2 etc
Predatory pricing - undercutting competitors
Product lifecycle - Introduction → Growth → Maturity → Decline
To increase sales in the decline : price reduction , increasing usage (software
update) , product redesign (Fiat 500) , Change of colour or branding (Apple ipod
added more coloured ipods (was originally only white) and cases etc).
- New and Emerging technology
Additive printing - joining materials from 3D model data
Examples of ET : AI , Biometrics, VR, Drones, Materials (graphene)
Patent - gives rights to technical and functional aspects of a product or invention
- Ethical considerations
Fair treatment for farmers and craft workers in developing countries - FairTrade
Foundation - negotiated fair prices and secured sustainable work
Refugee housing - Ikea Foundation - flat-pack ‘better shelter’ housing
Ecological and social footprint - impact on social , cultural and ethical issues and
impact on environment and natural resources
Ikea is seeking to minimise materials and energy usage by using fully loaded
electrical vehicles for distribution, lightweight honeycomb structure products which
uses less material , hollow table legs
Returnable milk bottle deliveries and old shipping containers for offices and storage
- Historical design movements
Arts and crafts movement - Industrial revolution - natural forms and beauty of timber -
grain of oak clearly displayed , e.g. Richard Norman Shaw
Art deco movement - End of WWI - Bold colours, black and chrome ,geometric
shapes , e.g. Eileen Gray
Bauhaus movement - post WWI idealism - form follows function - modernism
Memphis - Milan based rebel against functionality of modernism - Pop art & children
toys - bold, bright and colourful
- Design Thinking
Sustainable design, Inclusive design, Form follows function etc. should all be
considered when designing products.
, 3. Implications of wider issues
- LCA :
Acquisition of raw material → Transporting materials → Processing materials →
Manufacturing → Using the product → Disposal or recycling
Metals → mining from earth's crust → destruction of environment and waste and
unwanted rock → energy used if high → CO and CO2 can be released during
extraction → Al extraction uses electrolysis → Silver chemical leaching and smelting
→ Gold is found in rock that releases acid-generating sulphides
Timber → Deforestation, soil erosion, flooding and landslides and loss of habitat →
50% of hardwoods in Asia are endangered → Commercial production of softwoods is
more sustainable due to speed of growth → FSC ensures timber is harvested in a
responsible manner → Douglas fir is used for building,panelling and furniture →
Bamboo has rapid growth and can be harvested every 5 years → man made boards
can be made from lower grade timber of waste wood
Cotton → 12% is sustainable → intensive farming uses large volumes of water and
significant local social impact
Leather → from cows (50% from china) → tanning of leather produces toxins and
causes pollution → durable , long lasting and biodegradable
Polymers → crude oil extraction is expensive and has negative implications on the
environment and reserves are diminishing → natural fibres can be sourced from
starch and cellulose etc (biopolymers - corn , potatoes etc, biodegradable)
To reduce environmental impact in manufacture : minimise parts, using standard
parts, standardising design features, reducing number of processes, modular parts or
assemblies, creating efficient joining methods, minimising re-orientation
Improved accuracy can be implemented by having : multifunctional parts, multi-use
parts, symmetrical parts, standardised fittings
Instead of fasteners use snap fits, tabs, parts made in single moulding
Design for disassembly - use fewer parts, fewer fastenings, standard components,
avoiding glue and disassembly instructions
- Buying trends:
Customers are influenced by things such as : connectivity between devices,
subscription services, renting products, online purchasing, customer reviews
IoT - Linking automated systems together to allow integration of a variety of products
and services
VR - Wearing and experiencing products before purchasing
Robots - drones, driverless delivery and automated warehouses
AI - shopping assistants and helpers to provide informative assistance
- Environmental incentives and directives:
Paris Agreement on climate change - In 2016, to limit global temperature rise to no
more than 2oC above pre-industrial levels.
EU Renewable energy directive - UK to generate 15% of its energy from renewable
sources by 2020. Done via things such as Biofuels, renewable energy, managing
recycling, air zones
Ethical trade initiative - promotes respect for workers rights across the globe, aid
disadvantaged workers by promoting sustainable and fair working practices and raise
