AQA GCSE Product Design: 2.1 - Selections of Materials or Components

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.

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• 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