2.3 Technology and cultural changes

Flashcards covering technology, cultural changes, socio-economics, microelectronics, and social issues in product design history and practice.

Define socio-economics in the context of product design.

It provides an understanding of how society and the economy interact to recognize opportunities for the successful development and marketing of products.

What are the years of the Bauhaus design school?

$$1919-32$$

What was the fundamental belief of the Bauhaus designers?

They believed in uniting art and industrial design through a revolutionary approach that encouraged experimentation and dispensed with barriers between different crafts.

Why was metal tubing adopted as a replacement for wood in furniture design post-First World War?

It was considered a replacement for wood, which was sometimes weak due to its irregular grain structure.

What pioneering aircraft used steel tubing construction to improve robustness and reliability?

The Fokker D.VI Triplane

Which Bauhaus designer is most associated with experimenting with steel tubing for furniture?

Marcel Breuer

What is the common name for Marcel Breuer's model B3 chair?

The Wassily chair

What specific interest of Marcel Breuer influenced the design of the B3 chair?

His interest in bicycle design

How did tubular steel forms change furniture manufacturing compared to traditional handcrafting?

Machines could create an entire frame for a chair or table without needing traditional handcrafting skills, facilitating mass production.

Between what years did the Second World War take place?

$$1939-45$$

Why was rationing introduced in Britain during the Second World War?

To provide fair distribution of essentials such as food, clothing, petrol, timber, and furniture due to severe shortages.

Who led the committee responsible for the utility furniture scheme during the Second World War?

Gordon Russell

What movement from the beginning of the century did utility furniture borrow from?

The Arts and Crafts movement

What were the design characteristics of utility furniture?

It was designed to be strong with no superfluous decoration, emphasizing 'fitness to purpose'.

Which local wood was used in Buckinghamshire for traditional Windsor chair making during the utility era?

Beech

What does the official CC41 logo stand for?

Civilian Clothing $1941$

Who redesigned the Coldspot refrigerator in 1934 to include 'streamlining'?

Raymond Loewy

What was the result of Raymond Loewy's streamline redesign of the Coldspot refrigerator?

Sales increased fourfold.

What does COID stand for, and when was it set up?

Council of Industrial Design, set up in $1944$

What were the two major exhibitions held by the Council of Industrial Design?

The 'Britain Can Make It' exhibition in $1946$ and the 'Festival of Britain' in $1951$

What organization took over from the COID in 1972?

The Design Council

Why were British consumers initially wary of American design ideas like streamlining?

They were wary of the consumerism gaining momentum in the USA and desired pre-war normality.

What invention in the 1950s facilitated the creation of miniaturized radios and record players?

The transistor

Which designer created the successful PP chair in 1963?

Robin Day

Who designed the 'Lover' table for Ikea in 1956?

Gillis Lundgren

What was revolutionary about Gillis Lundgren's 'Lover' table design?

It featured simple removable legs, making it the first example of furniture that could be dismantled for ease of transportation (KD furniture).

What is the global sales figure for the 'Billy' bookcase designed by Gillis Lundgren?

Exceeding $40\text{ milon}$

What does 'KD' stand for in furniture terms?

Knock-down

What device from the start of the 20th century preceded the transistor in electronics control?

The vacuum tube or thermionic valve

Who led the team at Bell Laboratories that developed the first transistor in the 1940s?

William Shockley

What properties of silicon were harnessed to create electronic switches and amplifiers?

Semi-conducting properties

What are Integrated Circuits (ICs) composed of?

Multiple transistors and other components formed on a single silicon chip.

How many transistors can be incorporated into a single 'ultra-large-scale integration' (ULSI) device today?

Over $10\text{ bilion}$

What does Moore's Law state as of its 1975 revision?

ICs would contain twice as many transistors as they had two years before.

What defines Small-Scale Integration (SSI)?

Developed in $1964$, containing $1-10$ transistors.

What defines Medium-Scale Integration (MSI)?

Developed in $1968$, containing $10-500$ transistors.

What defines Large-Scale Integration (LSI)?

Developed in $1971$, containing $500-20,000$ transistors.

What defines Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI)?

Developed in $1980$, containing $20,000-1,000,000$ transistors.

What defines Ultra-Large-Scale Integration (ULSI)?

Developed in $1984$, containing over $1,000,000$ transistors.

What does CNC stand for?

Computer Numerically Controlled

How were design drawings communicated between offices in the 1950s?

Drawings were sent by postal service or courier because fax machines were not common until the $1960s$..

What is FEA and what is it used for?

Finite Element Analysis; it is used to check stress effects on virtual models.

What is Mould Flow Analysis (MFA) used for?

To check possible production problems in moulding processes.

What is the name of the first portable transistor radio released in 1954?

Regency TR1

What battery type was used in the 1954 Regency TR1 radio?

Carbon zinc battery

What is the Sony MZ1 MiniDisc's recording mechanism compared to?

A hard drive (it uses a recordable magneto-optical disc).

What compression sound file format was used by the Sony MZ1 MiniDisc?

ATRAC

Define Glulam.

Several pieces of timber glued together to create strong, composite components for use in buildings and bridges.

Why is Glulam considered stronger than solid timber?

The use of laminates allows for the elimination of natural defects such as knots and shakes.

What is Kevlar?

A form of aromatic polyamide artificial fibre with extreme toughness and tensile strength.

What honeycomb panels are used in the structure of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?

Kevlar honeycomb panels

What is Precious Metal Clay (PMC)?

A craft material consisting of microscopic particles of gold, silver, or other metals bound in a pliable medium.

Define the sintering process for Precious Metal Clay.

Raising the temperature of the clay (approximately $700\text{ }^\text{o}\text{C}$ for $10\text{ minutes}$) until the particles fuse and the binding medium burns off.

What is the typical shrinkage percentage of PMC during sintering?

$$10\text{ percent}$$

What is the size range for nanomaterials?

Between $1\text{ to }100\text{ nanometres}$ ($0.000001\text{ mm to }0.0001\text{ mm}$).

What 2D form of carbon is used as a nanomaterial in battery research?

Graphene

What are carbon nanotubes?

Rolling graphene into tubular forms that display high tensile strength, hardness, and heat resistance.

What is a major environmental concern regarding the use of nanomaterials?

The lack of recyclability and potential toxicity.

What is electrohydraulic forming?

A single-stage process for forming complex sheet metal parts using a shockwave generated by an electrical spark in water.

How does DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) create products?

A laser sinters metal particles layer by layer to build up the required form.

Name one unique feature DMLS can achieve that traditional casting cannot.

Complex internal features like undercuts and internal voids.

What is fibre injection moulding?

A process where pellets of glass or carbon fibre-filled polymers are used in standard injection moulding.

What is reinforcing fibre roving?

A number of slightly twisted strands of fibre on a continuous reel.

What are the advantages of Laser Beam Welding (LBW) relative to conventional techniques?

It is faster, more accurate, and produces narrower and deeper welds without requiring filler rods.

What are the disadvantages of Laser Beam Welding?

High capital cost, the need for a clean environment for optics, and health and safety considerations.

How does Physical Vapour Deposition work?

Base material is vaporized by heat, passed through a vacuum, and condensed on the target material to deposit a thin layer.

What is the 'Internet of Things' (IoT)?

The connection of a range of devices to one another over networks such as Wi-Fi and the internet.

Define predictive maintenance in the context of IoT.

Using sensors to monitor machine conditions and automatically schedule servicing or repairs based on collected data.

Which file formats have been key to connecting CAD and CAM?

Drawing eXchange Format (DXF) and STereoLithography (STL).

What is the purpose of using XML in CAD/CAM software development?

To provide improved compatibility for files generated in different software packages.

Define 'integrated realisation' in design software.

The dynamic use of tools like FEA or CFD during early design stages to calculate the impact of decisions immediately.

What are the benefits of cloud-based CAD/CAM software?

It allows designers to access software via the internet without local installation, improving productivity and remote collaboration.

What is haptic feedback?

Sensory feedback provided in virtual reality environments, often through devices like gloves.

Define ethics in society.

Something considered by society to be morally fair or related to beliefs about right and wrong.

Who was critical of designers focusing on society's 'wants' rather than their 'needs'?

Victor Papanek

What does CSR stand for?

Corporate Social Responsibility

Lego Group has pledged to move to sustainable raw materials by what year?

$$2030$$

What medical device was developed from missile guidance technology?

PillCam

What modern kitchen appliance originated from radar-based research?

The microwave oven

What is the EpiPen used for, and what was its original military purpose?

Used for allergic reactions and diabetes; originally developed for soldiers to protect against chemical weapons.

When was GPS navigation first developed for US defense systems?

$$1970$$

What sustainable material is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)?

Timber

What starch-based material is used as a sustainable alternative to oil-based polymers?

Polylactic acid (PLA)

Where did a major methyl isocyanate leak occur in 1984, killing thousands?

Bhopal, India (Union Carbide plant)

Which factory in China faced criticism after workers committed suicide due to high pressure?

The Foxconn iPhone factory

What international organization promotes the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)?

The International Labour Organisation (ILO)

What does the color white symbolise in Hong Kong and China?

Misfortune, death, mourning, and funerals.

What does the color red signify in Eastern cultures?

Wealth, health, and prosperity.

According to the BSI, what is the definition of inclusive design?

Designing mainstream products/services accessible to and usable by as many people as reasonably possible without special adaptation.

What percentile range is often used by designers for anthropometric adjustability?

The $5\text{th to } 95\text{th}$ percentile.

What is the 'good grips' range of kitchen utensils, and who produced them?

A successful inclusive design range by Oxo meant for a wide range of people.

What does 'DDA' stand for in the context of British disability legislation?

Disability Discrimination Act ($1995$)

What is empathic research?

Research techniques such as wearing adapted gloves or obscured goggles to simulate the user experience of people with disabilities.

How do 'black box' devices affect driving risk for young motorists?

They monitor location, speed, and braking data to help check driving standards and reduce insurance risk.

What is an 'itemiser' scanning device used for by the police?

Checking for illegal drugs or explosives using swabs from surfaces or hands.

Who developed the wind-up clockwork radio to assist informational access in Africa?

Trevor Baylis

What is the 'Gravity light'?

A light that uses energy from a raised weight, providing a safer and free alternative to kerosene lamps for families in Kenya.

Define 'open-design' favored by organizations like Practical Action.

An approach that avoids IP hindrances to ensure product benefits are affordable and shared with the poor.

What is the 'da Vinci' surgical robot known for?

High precision, minimally invasive surgery with remote control and 3D high-definition monitoring.

Define Telehealth.

Using technological systems like the internet for remote monitoring and consultation of patients by doctors.