kin 3457 - product design

what is product design?

the process of identifying an opportunity, defining the problem, and developing and validating a solution

what are some key design parameters that make product ideas a success?

- usability (user centered design)

- affective design

- universal design

what are user centered designs?

design process where designers focus on the needs and abilities of the target users

- users are normally consulted during design process

- normally iterative (continuously evaluated)

what are the steps of a user centered design?

1. understand the context of use

2. specify user requirements

3. design solution

4. evaluate against requirement

what are some key design features?

- discoverability

- safety

- operability

- attractiveness

what is discoverability?

ability to understand possible actions and how to use them

• affordance

• signifier

• mapping

• feedback

what is affordance?

what is an object for

what is a signifier?

clue that reveals affordance

what is mapping?

relationship between two sets of things

what is feedback?

informs user that an input has been received

what is safety?

design features that minimize risk of adverse events or error

what is the swiss cheese model?

accidents will only occur when holes aligned perfectly

- to increase safety you can: add more cheese slices, reduce number of holes, alert operator when holes become aligned

what is operability?

the quality of the users experience when using a product

- effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction

what is attractiveness?

visual appeal or a product or its interface

- sleek/streamlines

- modern/reduction

- classic/antique

what do affective designs that integrate features that elicit emotions do?

targets integral emotions to increase the likelihood of consumer purchasing product (marketing) and using/continuing to use product

how can a product elicit emotion?

- visceral

- behavioural

- reflective

what is visceral emotion?

unconscious, automatic responses

what is behavioural emotion?

responses based on expectations met (or not)

what is reflective emotion?

response based on interpretation of meaning

what is universal design?

design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without need for adaptation

what makes a design universal?

- incorporating perceivable affordances

- utilize well-known conceptual models

- support accurate mapping

what is affective design?

design which integrates features to elicit emotional experiences from users