D&T - Keywords

Invention

The process of creating something that has never been made or never existed before.

Marketing

The process used by a company to promote and sell its products to consumers.

Persona

Often created as a means of representing users or stakeholders. A persona is similar to a user profile. Information about users or stakeholders is used to create a collective persona, a ‘typical’ person, with their views, attitudes, preferences, lifestyle, skills, and so on.

Primary Research

The personal collection of research and information. It is carried out through methods such as visits and observations, interviews, testing, and surveys.

Secondary Research

The collection, collation, and editing of readily available information. Such research utilises sources such as published details, company literature and existing test data.

Stakeholders

Anyone with an interest in the product. The stakeholders of a product are all those who may come into contact with it, have some sort of interest or ‘stake’ in it, or are affected by it in some way. By communicating with your stakeholders, you can ensure that they fully understand what you are doing, understand the benefits of your product and support you in making key decisions.

Branding

The process of creating a product identity and name, logo, or design that makes a product identifiable to consumers.

Crowdfunding

An online method of raising finance by asking a large number of people each for a small amount of money.

Enterprise

Another name for a business. This refers to the initiative of an individual or organisation and their willingness to take risks to develop new projects and ventures.

Feasibility Analysis

Considering how possible and realistic it is to proceed with a project, e.g. to manufacture a product.

Focus Group

An organised discussion led by a moderator where people are asked about their views and experiences of a product, brand, or service.

Innovative

New Ideas (innovation). The development of an idea which is new, different, and ambitious. The design can be risky and introduce aesthetics or functionality that hasn't been seen before Innovation comes from pushing beyond the expected.

Iterative Design

A continual and cyclical design development process to refine and perfect the product. Ongoing testing of models and prototypes, incorporating improvements and processing torwares and optimum solution for all stakeholders.

Participatory Design

Design which actively involves all stakeholders and users in the design process.

Project Management

The act of defining, initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and completing the work of a team to meet a specific target. It is the planning and control of everything involved in delivering an end result to meet the stakeholder requirements; getting the job done.

Qualitative Observations

Explained in words. The users of the senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing) observe results and explain how we feel.

Quantitative Observations

Explained in numbers. Made with instruments such as rulers, scales and balances, graduated cylinders, timers, beakers, and thermometers. These results are measurable.

SWOT

An acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A SWOT analysis can be carried out on any subject (for example, a product, person, business, industry, or place).

Anthropometrics

The study of the sizes of the human body. (anthropo is a prefix from Anthropos which means human in greek; metric should help you remember measurement.)

Culture

The ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular group of people or society.

Ergonomics

The interaction between person and product. The study of the interaction between people and products, and the application of theory, principles, data, and methods to the design of products to ensure maximum stability and efficiency.

Inclusive Design

Designing products that are accessible to (can be understood and used by) everyone without making changes or adaptations.

Percentile

A means of representing anthropometric data statistically indicating the sizes of the human body of a specific percentage of people.

Throwaway society

The collective mindset of consumers to dispose of products before they have reached the end of their life, simply to purchase updated or more fashionable versions.

Usability of a product

Involves thinking about different ways in which people interact with the product and how easy it is to understand and use.

User experience design (UX)

The process of enhancing user satisfaction with a product by improving the usability, accessibility and pleasure provided in the interaction with the product.

User interface design or user interface engineering

the design of user interfaces for machines and software, such as computers, home appliances, mobile devices, and other electronic devices, with the focus on usability and the user experience.

Anthropometrics

The study of the sizes of the human body. (Anthropo is a prefix from anthropos which means human in greek; metric should help you remember measurement.)

Batch Production

Involves the production of a specified quantity of a product. Batches can be repeated as many times as required. This type of production is flexible and is often used to produce batches of similar products with only a small change to the tooling.

Bespoke

The term used to describe a product that has been made specifically for an individual customer.

Branding

The process of creating a product identity and name, logo, or design that makes a product easily identifiable to consumers.

Ergonomics

The relationship between product and user. The study of the interaction between people and products, and the application of theory, principles, data and methods to the design of products to ensure maximum usability and efficiency.

Ethical Design

Considering the impact of a product and whether it is morally correct to produce it.

Human Factors

The study of how humans behave physically and psychologically in relation to particular products.

Inbound Marketing

The methods a designer or company uses to establish whether there is a need or gap in the market for a proposed idea.

Inclusive Design

Designing products that are accessible to (can be understood and used by) everyone without making changes or adaptations.

Initial Concept

The first design in response to a brief.

Manal System

A product is assembled and constructed by hand or the machinery is controlled or manipulated by a human operator.

Marketing

The process used by a company to promote and sell its products to consumers.

Marketing Mix

The best blend of marketing methods, dependent on the type of product and specific target market.

Material Property

How well the material performs (often definite). For example, the density or strength of a material.

Outbound Marketing

How the customer ‘finds’ the product. For example, through a search engine.

Penetration Pricing

This is when a company sets a low price for its prodigy to attempt to gain market share. The primary objective of penetration pricing is to gain many customers and then use various marketing strategies to retain them.

Percentile

A means of representing anthropometric data statistically, indicating the sizes of the human body of a specific percentage of people.

Price Skimming

Where a company sets its prices high when launching a product to quickly recover expenditures for a product production and advertising the key objective of a price skimming strategy is to achieve a profit quickly.

Primary Research

The personal collection of research and information. It is carried out through methods such as visits and observations, interviews, testing, and surveys.

Product Disassembly

The action of taking apart a prodigy to examine and review the materials and manufacturing processes that have been used.

Product Lifestyle

The marketing lifecycle from the launch through to decline of a product (not to be confused with lifecycle assessment).

Secondary Research

The collection, collation, and editing of readily available information. Such research utilises sources such as published details, company literature and existing test data.

Standardised Components

Parts that are usually produced in high volumes to the same specification and quality. Bolts, screws, and fasteners are common examples.

Technical and Practical Function

How a product functions and works.

Throwaway Society

The collective mindset of consumers to dispose of products before they have reached the end of their life, simply to purchase updated or more fashionable versions.

Trend Forecasters

People employed to predict the mood, behavior, and buying habits of the consumer.

User Diversity

Considering the different forms and conditions of a target market.

Additive Fabrication

The Process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer.

Emerging Technologies

New technologies that are currently being developed, or will be developed within the next five to ten years.

Evolution of Products

Developments to improve or vary an existing product, or the formulation of an entirely new product that arises from identified customer demand.

Innovative

The development of an idea which is new, different, and ambitious. The design can be risky and introduce aesthetics or function that hasn’t been seen before. Innovation comes from pushing beyond the expected.

Iterative Design

A continual and cyclical design development process to refine and perfect the product. Ongoing testing of models and prototypes, incorporating improvements and processing towards an optimum solution for all stakeholders.

Culture

The ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular group of people or society.

Enterprise

another name for a business. This refers to the initiative of an individual or organisation and their willingness to take risks to develop projects and ventures.

Fast Fashion

A term used to explain that designs move from catwalk to highstreet stores quickly to capture current fashion trends.

Iconic Design

A design that is ‘ground breaking’ and sets new standards in its field.

Invention

The process of creating something that has never been made or never existed before.

Patents

Granted by the government to protect designs and inventions, providing strong protection against copying of the technical and functional aspects of an invention.

Market Penetration

The activity of increasing the market share of an existing product, or promoting a new prodigy, through various marketing and advertising strategies.

Pricing Strategy

The method companies use to price their products. This is usually dependent on production, labour, and advertising expenses. It also includes a certain percentage so they can make a profit.

Opinion Followers

This is the majority of the public, who are consumers searching for information or guidance from sources such as the media.

Opinion Leaders

Consumers that exert considerable influence; the decisions of others are influenced by those of the opinion leaders.

Penetration Pricing

This is when a company sets a low price for its product to attempt to gain market share. The primary objective of penetration pricing is to gain many customers and then use arous marketing strategies to retain them.

Price Skimming

This is where a company sets its prices high when launching a product to quickly recover expenditures for product production and advertising. The key objective of a price skimming strategy is to achieve a profit quickly.

Product Lifestyle

The marketing lifestyle from the launch through the decline of a product (not to be confused with life cycle assessment).

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

A form of internet marketing that utilises social networking websites as a marketing tool.

Unique Selling Point (USP)

A factor that differentiates a product from that of its competitors.

Biopolymers

Polymers in which all carbon is derived from renewable feedstocks, including corn, potatoes, rice, and wood cellulose.

Deforestation

The removal of a forest or trees or stand of trees where the land is not used for forests, but for urban use or farming. The most concentrated deforestation is in the rainforest.

Ecological Footprint

The impact we have on the environment and natural resources.

Fast Fashion

A term used to explain that designs move from catwalk to highstreet stores quickly to capture current fashion trends.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The internet of physical devices, buildings, and other items embedded with electronics and software that allow objects to collect and exchange data. Cars, lights, and refrigerators, and more appliances can all be connected to the IoT.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

An assessment of all stages of a product’s life from raw material to disposal.

Mechanical Properties

Characteristics that indicate the behavior of a material under pressure (force), such as brittleness, flexibility, ductility, toughness, and tensile strength. Mechanical properties determine the range of usefulness of a material.

Natural Material

Any product or physical matter that comes from plants, animals, or the ground.

Social Footprint

The impact we have on other people.

Social Impact

How the use of a material or manufacturing method could impact on people’s lives and the community.

Synthetic Material

A material made from chemicals.

Design for Disassembly

A strategy that considers the future need to disassemble a product for it to be repaired, refurbished, or recycled.

Ethical Trade

This is about having confidence that the products and services we buy have not been made at the expense of workers in global supply chains. It concompasses a breadth of international labour rights such as working hours, health and safety, freedom of association, and wages.

Fairtrade

This is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

Globalisation

The process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected as a result of increased trade and cultural exchange.

Lead Time

Total time required for item manufacture.

Marketability

The potential of a prodigy or service to be successful in the real world. A product's innovative features. Its pricing, branding, and packaging are some of the aspects that give it commercial potential and value. Identifying a potential unique selling proposition (USP) is a good starting point.

Optimisation

A means of identifying the best choices from design alternatives in terms of optimum use of materials, manufacturability or ease of assembly, quality, performance, size, weight, design features, sustainability and so on.

Upcycling

Taking an item that is no longer needed or wanted and giving it a new title as something that is either useful or creative.

Bias

A personal conjecture or inclination against a concept or approach.

Copyright

A set of exclusive rights or protection given to creators of original ideas, information, or other intellectual works.

Design Rights

The rights of the creator of a design or designs. Design rights so not, however, give protection for any of the 2D aspects of the design for example patterns.

Intellectual Property (IP)

All kinds of intangible (not physical) types of property that people can own, for example, the creative outcomes from the mind such as design ideas, written materials, artistic, and musical composition.

Logistics

The careful organisation of a complicated activity so that it happens in a successful and effective way.

Patents

Granted by the government to protect designs and inventions, providing strong protection against copying of the technical and functional aspects of an invention.

Registered Design

GIves ownership rights for the appearance of a product, protecting both the shape and the pattern or decoration.