Product Design paper 2 - how technology and cultural change impact designers - 3.2.3

Post WW1: Bauhaus and mas production

-Housing shortages and economic hardship demanded affordable, compact furniture

-Breuler's tubular steel furniture used industrial techniques (bending, chrome plating) and could be mass produced, with interchangeable parts and easy cleaning

-Design should serve ordinary people through industry

WW2: rationing and utility design

-Shortage of materials and labour led to government control. The Utility furniture scheme (1942) in the UK used a CC41 mark, guaranteeing quality at fixed prices

-Furniture was simple, standardised ,durable with minimal ornament and limited timber use. Utility clothing banned excess fabric and trimmings

-It demonstrated that good, plain design can be accepted by the public, and influenced post-war design

Fashion and demand for mass-produced furniture

-Flatpack, low prices, fast trends

+Affordability and choice

-Disposability, 'fast furniture' waste, low repairability

Decorative design

-Trends drive demand and perceived obsolescence

-Social media and personalistion accelerate trends

Micro-electronics

-Micro-controllers, sensors, surface mount components and wireless connectivity make products smaller, cheaper, smarter and connected

-Product mininturisation adds functionality at low cost, but has more e-waste, security and privacy issues, shorter product lives

What do smart materials do, and give examlpes

-They respond to the environment

-SMAs, thermochromic pigments, photochromic pigments

Examples of modern materials

-Carbon fibre reinfoced polymer, Kevlar, graphene, Gore-Tex

Advantages of 3D printing

Allows complex geometry, low-volume customisation, and reduced waste

Advantages of CNC machining

Increase accuracy, speed and repeatability

Advantages of CAM

CAD data drives CNC machines, which reduces human error and shortens lead times

What is the impact on designers of CAD/CAM

Faster iteration, virtual prototyping, mass customisation, collaboration across timezones

Sustainable materials and ethical production

-Designers and manufacturers have responsibilities regarding materials sources, fair wages and safe working conditions

Inclusive design

-Designs usable by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or backrgound

-Example of this is OXO good grips (They have large, cushioned handles developed for a user with arthiritis)

Products adressing social problems

-LifeStraw - water filtration

-Freeplay wind-up radio - made for areas without electricity

-Hippo water roller

Fairtrade

-Guarentees the producers a minimum price plus a premium invested in communities

-It raises consumer awareness and demand for ethical products

-Higher prices, and debate over how much benefits the poorest workers

Product life cycle - Introduction

-New product, high development costs, low sales

- The designer wants to get feedback, and fix early faults

Product life cycle - Growth

-Sales rise, competitors enter

-The designer wants to improve and expand range, reduce unit cost

Product life cycle - Maturity

-Sales peak and level off, market saturated

-The designer wants to refine and redevelop: new colours, features, updated styling, cost reduction

Product life cycle - Decline

-Sales fall due to better alternatives or changing taste

-The designer would withdraw, relaunch or replace

Product life cycle - Replacement

-New generation or technology takes over

-The designer would restart the cycle again

Examples of refinement

-The iphone has annual redesigns with improved cameras and processors

-Dyson vacuum cleaners have evolved through generations - cordless, lighter, smarter

Product life cycle - Evaluation

+Designers extend the life of products through updates

-Planned obsolescence raises ethical and environmental concerns