1.8 The requirements for product design and development

list of most common elements use to guide project research and development

• environment - the impact of the product on the environment

• testing - how each part of the product will be tested

• safety - relevant safety standards and legislation

• product life span - how long the product should last before replacement is necessary

• materials - key material properties required for each component within the product

• ergonomics - how the product will be interacted with and how the design will assist the ease of use for the client

• aesthetics - any appearance characteristics of the shape and form to meet the client’s requirements

• performance - how well the design must function in comparison to existing solutions

• product cost - all of the cost restrictions upon the design regarding materials, manufacturing and labour costs

• time scale - project deadline

• size and weight - size and weight restrictions on the product, including relevant anthropometric data

• maintenance - how the product will be maintained, whether there are any consumable parts and how these will be replaced

critical analysis

• product analysis - how well a product succeeds in performing its perceived function if you have used it for the task it was designed to fulfil

• function - task analysis to use the product and assessing its success in performing each stage of the task

• task analysis - breaking down specific tasks into individual stages, looking more closely at how a product is suited to a particular task

• ergonomics - to analyse the ergonomics of a product, you must consider how the user interacts with it

• aesthetics - use of geometric or natural forms and the design inspiration for the product should be referred to

• materials - choice of specific materials within a product is dependent on key mechanical and physical properties

• manufacture/process - manufacture of each component within the product should be assessed

• scale of production - the number of products produced has a huge impact on the method of manufacture and materials used and why they are appropriate

• environmental impact - evaluating the impact of the product on the environment

user-centred design (UCD)

• all products we design should be focused around the end user and the potential end user should be involved at all stages of the design process

concept modelling

• essential to model design ideas/concepts

• help to make decisions and prove predictions

initial concept generation

• can be used to gain feedback from clients prior to investment in physical prototypes

block modelling

• to prove theories on mechanisms or show ergonomic features of design in a physical form

visual appearance models

• used to demonstrate the aesthetic form and appearance of the design concept

working prototypes

• used to test mechanisms and technical principles

rapid prototyping

• gives a range of iterations for the same product in a fraction of the time required to produce the same number of hand-made iterations