DT

Anthropometrics

The use of human body measurements to design products.

Ergonomics

Designing products to improve comfort, safety and efficiency for users.

Design specification

A list of requirements a product must meet.

Iterative design

Repeatedly improving a design through testing and feedback.

Target market

The group of people a product is designed for.

Primary research

Information collected first-hand (surveys, interviews, testing).

Secondary research

Information collected from existing sources (internet, books).

User-centred design

Design based on user needs and preferences.

Hardwood

Timber from deciduous trees that lose leaves annually.

Softwood

Timber from coniferous trees that stay green all year.

MDF

Engineered board made from wood fibres and resin.

Plywood

Layers of wood veneer glued with grains at right angles for strength.

Chipboard

Wood chips and resin compressed into boards.

Veneer

A thin layer of decorative wood.

FSC timber

Wood from responsibly managed forests.

Thermoplastics

Plastics that can be reheated and reshaped.

Thermosetting plastics

Plastics that set permanently when heated.

Acrylic

A transparent, strong thermoplastic.

HDPE

A tough, chemical-resistant thermoplastic.

Polypropylene

A lightweight, flexible thermoplastic.

Ferrous metals

Metals containing iron.

Non-ferrous metals

Metals without iron.

Mild steel

A strong, low-carbon ferrous metal.

Aluminium

A lightweight, corrosion-resistant metal.

Copper

Good conductor of heat and electricity.

Composite material

Two or more materials combined to improve properties.

Carbon fibre composite

Extremely strong and lightweight composite.

GRP (Glass reinforced plastic)

Plastic strengthened with glass fibres.

Smart material

A material that changes in response to external conditions.

Shape memory alloy

Returns to original shape when heated.

Thermochromic pigment

Changes colour with temperature.

Photochromic pigment

Changes colour with light/UV.

Linear motion

Movement in a straight line.

Rotary motion

Circular movement around an axis.

Reciprocating motion

Back-and-forth straight line motion.

Oscillating motion

Back-and-forth motion in an arc.

Lever

A rigid bar that pivots around a fulcrum.

First class lever

Fulcrum between effort and load.

Second class lever

Load between fulcrum and effort.

Third class lever

Effort between fulcrum and load.

Mechanical advantage

How much a mechanism multiplies force.

Cam

A rotating disc that converts rotary motion.

Crank and slider

Converts rotary motion to reciprocating motion.

Rack and pinion

Converts rotary motion to linear motion.

Gear

Toothed wheel used to transmit motion.

Gear ratio

Driven gear teeth ÷ driver gear teeth.

Pulley system

System using belts and wheels to transmit motion.

Input-process-output model

Input = sensor, process = controller, output = action.

Open-loop system

System with no feedback.

Closed-loop system

System with feedback for automatic correction.

Sensor

Device that detects environmental change.

LDR

Sensor that detects light levels.

Thermistor

Sensor that detects temperature.

Microcontroller

Programmable device that processes inputs.

Renewable energy

Energy that is naturally replenished.

Non-renewable energy

Finite energy sources that will run out.

Solar power

Energy from the sun.

Wind power

Energy from wind movement.

Hydroelectric power

Energy from flowing water.

Biomass

Energy from organic materials.

Carbon footprint

Total greenhouse gases produced by a product.

Life cycle analysis (LCA)

Assessment of environmental impact from cradle to grave.

The 6 Rs

Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle.

Planned obsolescence

Designing products to become outdated or fail early.

One-off production

Making a single custom product.

Batch production

Making groups of identical products.

Mass production

Large-scale automated production.

Continuous production

24/7 manufacturing process.

Quality control

Checking products during production.

Quality assurance

Preventing defects before production.

Tolerance

Acceptable variation in dimensions.

Injection moulding

High-volume plastic manufacturing method.

Vacuum forming

Heating plastic and forming it over a mould.

Extrusion

Pushing material through a shaped die.

Die cutting

Cutting shapes using a specialist tool.

Laser cutting

Cutting materials using a laser beam.

CNC machining

Computer-controlled manufacturing process.

3D printing

Additive manufacturing building layer by layer.

Offset lithography

High-quality mass printing process using plates.

Digital printing

Direct printing from digital files.

Screen printing

Ink pushed through a stencil mesh.

Typography

The style and arrangement of text.

Branding

Visual identity of a product or company.

House style

Consistent design across products and branding.

Colour psychology

How colours influence consumer behaviour.

Packaging net

Flat 2D template used to construct packaging.

Knock-down fittings

Temporary fixings used in flat-pack furniture.

Permanent joints

Joints that cannot be easily separated.

Temporary joints

Joints that can be taken apart.

Tension

A pulling force.

Compression

A squeezing force.

Shear

Forces sliding past each other.

Torsion

A twisting force.

Bending

A force causing a material to curve.