3.3: Physical Modelling

physical model

a 3 dimensional, tangible representation of a design or system

What can physical models provide important info about?

1. Ergonomics and fit: how design will fit to user’s body

2. Relationships between the internal and external structure: e.g how electrical components can influence button placements

3. Aesthetic considerations: form, shape, texture…

scale models

a model that is either a smaller or larger physical copy of an object

where are scale models used?

Scaled down: architecture buildings- to communicate form of building/ visualise it to make changes

Scaled up: screws, mechanisms- to understand how parts lock/fit together

aesthetic models

a model developed to look and feel like the final product

can be used to evaluate properties of a material;

1. weight and balance: using materials in similar weight/density to see how heavy it is

2. texture and surface qualities: paint finishes/textures shows how surface reflects light

3. ergonomic testing, evaluating visual appeal: see and feel how real product will be, allows production engineers to collect data to assess the feasibility for matching manufacturing systems

Why do car companies choose clay car models over only CAD models?

• Expensive but cheaper than creating real steel thing

• Allows designers to see how product looks and reflects light, allows them to easily manipulate the form and make small changes

• Visually helpful

mockups

a scale or full-size representation of a product used to gain feedback from users

• can be functional- usually a prototype

prototypes

a sample or model built to test a CONCEPT or a PROCESS

• Can be developed at a range of fidelity and for different contexts

• Tests if an idea will work, or refining it

• Usually created towards end stages of design process

What is the difference between a mockup and a prototype?

A mockup is a high-fidelity render of the design, focusing on form and aesthetics- showcasing what the finished product will look like WHEREAS a prototype is an early model of the finished product that focuses on the functionality of it, or of a particular concept.

fidelity of prototypes

the degree to which a prototype is exactly like the final product

Why are prototypes used?

• to gain feedback from the user (qualitative data)

• to gain results + a better understanding of the product’s functionality to make small changes (qualitative data)

instrumented model

prototypes that are equipped with the ability to take measurements to provide accurate quantitative feedback for analysis

what can instrumented models be used for?

• crash test dummies can be used to examine how well the car contains features that protect the passengers in a car crash + what needs to be added

• instrumented model of a keyboard can record user’s actions and provide data on how often keys are used and the number of errors a user makes

Advantages of physical modelling

• explore and test new ideas

• easily understandable

• communication (with user, engineers)

• tangible (easily to visualise)

• user testing (gain qualitative data)

• some models (instrumented) provide accurate quantitative feedback for analysis

Disadvantages of physical modelling

• designers can mistakenly assume that the model accurately represents the reality of the design context

• time consuming (e.g crash test dummies can take 5+ months to make)

• expensive

• materials (may not be able to use same material- can impact results)

• environmental cost (may create waste that impacts environment)

• skill (high level of skill required to make them)