Selections of Materials and Products:

• Functionality - How a product is suited to the specific needs of a product.

• Aesthetics - How it is pleasing to the 5 senses.

• Environmental Factors - Including transportation (carbon footprint), materials and recyclability.

• Availability - How easy is it to get the material(s)?

• Cost - Too cheap: no profit, too expensive: no one will buy it.

• Social Factors - How people’s opinions change them. Can be affected by religion, gender, wealth or family

• The FSC - Forest Stewardship Council, a non-government organization protecting all timber sources and helping to manage the usage of trees.

• Cultural Factors - Values of an individual or community that affect behaviour. One culture may find something rude/offensive, e.g. red: good luck in China, mourning in South Africa.

• Ethical Factors - What is morally correct, minimising the use of natural resources; using renewable materials.

Selections in Timber, Metals and Polymers:

• Functionality -

  • Child toy: light, bright, acrylic better than metal

  • Cupboards and tables: rigid, timber

  • Radiators and pans: conduct heat, metal

  • Hardwoods are better at resisting decay

  • Metals corrode without coating

  • Polymers crack and scratch easily

• Aesthetics -

  • Child toy: easily coloured, bright, polymer

  • Garden furniture: strong, long-lasting, metal

  • Chair: rigid, allows curved shapes, timber

  • Lampshade: attractive with and without light

• Environmental Factors -

  • Timber from managed forests is recycled and reused easily - renewable

  • Plastics reused and recycled easily

  • Reusing plastic, metal and glass

  • Use of energy

  • Easily repaired - less made

  • Where it’s used - location

  • Good quality materials extend the product’s life

• Availability -

  • Different trees grow at different speeds

  • Natural events change availability - e.g. volcanoes, hurricanes

  • Bespoke is less available than fitted

• Cost -

  • The initial price of raw materials affects the end price

  • Complex manufacturing processes and finishes increase prices significantly

  • Traditional woodworking skills cost more as time-consuming and need a finish

  • Most polymers are self-finishing, take less time, cheaper

  • Materials need to be appropriate

• Social Factors -

  • Computers and robots allow products to be made quicker, cheaper and more accurate

  • Many people in poverty: can’t afford the best quality

  • Elderly people may struggle with certain products

• Cultural Factors -

  • Colour and decoration may be unique

  • e.g. Japanese people eat on the floor, different furniture needed

  • Gender can affect style, colour and design

• Ethical Factors -

  • Cheap labour leads to pollution and exploitation

  • Deforestation leads to global warming which causes extinction

  • Ethically sourced timbers reduce environmental damage

  • Worker protection is ethical

  • Correct disposal is important