Design Vocabulary Review

A review of key vocabulary terms related to design, their definitions, and significance.

Maintenance

How easily a product can be repaired or have parts replaced.

Disposal

How a product is dealt with at the end of its life, considering recycling and environmental impact.

Moral Issues

Ethical concerns about how and where a product is made, including working conditions and child labour.

Environmental Issues

How a product affects the environment through its materials and disposal.

Disassembly

Designing a product to be taken apart easily for repair or recycling.

Global Manufacture

Designing products in one country while manufacturing them in another, often for cost benefits.

Costs

Total expense of materials, labour, and manufacturing processes influencing retail price.

Quality of Design

How well the idea meets user needs and offers good performance.

Quality of Manufacture

Accuracy, finish, durability, and consistency in production of the product.

Fitness for Purpose

How well a product meets key criteria such as price, performance, and aesthetics.

Price

The amount a product is sold for in the target market.

Performance

How well a product functions compared to alternatives.

Aesthetic Appeal

How attractive the product looks, including color and finish.

Reliability

How long the product works without breaking down.

Above the Line

Visible features of a product such as shape and color.

Below the Line

Hidden features such as internal components and materials.

Iterative Design

A cyclic process of designing, prototyping, and refining ideas.

Discover

The phase where designers explore the problem and research user needs.

Define

The stage where designers make sense of research to create a design brief.

Develop

The stage of generating, modeling, and testing ideas.

Delivery

Finalizing the design and preparing it for manufacture.

Design Specification

A list of requirements the product must meet.

Performance Criteria

Measurable points used to judge if the design meets specifications.

Primary Specification

Essential features a product must have to function.

Secondary Specification

Desirable features that improve the product but are not essential.

Quantitative

Specification points that can be measured, like weight and size.

Qualitative

Specification points based on opinion or appearance.

Concept Sketches

Early rough drawings used to explore initial ideas.

Annotation

Notes added to sketches explaining materials and features.

Thumbnail Sketches

Small sketches used to explore many ideas quickly.

Research Activity

Any task that gathers information to support design decisions.

Refinement

Improving a design based on testing and feedback.

2D Sketches

Drawings showing height and width only.

3D Sketches

Drawings showing height, width, and depth to communicate form.

Freehand Sketching

Informal drawing without tools to explore ideas.

Presentation Drawings

High-quality, detailed drawings to show clients final product appearance.

CAD Modelling

Using software to create 2D or 3D models of a design.

Detail Design

Final drawings showing materials and construction details.

Prototyping

Creating models to test ideas and refine designs.

Primary Research

Collecting new information first-hand.

Secondary Research

Using existing information for analysis.

Opinion Groups

Small groups discussing a product to gather feedback.

Reverse Engineering

Taking apart a product to understand its design.