Factors Affecting Design

Function

Aesthetic

Need

Finance/ Cost

Ergonomics

Health & Safety

Short-term/long-term enivronmental consequences

Life cycle

Sustainability

Quality

Target audience

Obsolescence

Materials

Trends

Existing Products

Appropriateness of Solution

Product Analysis Example: Fidget Spinner

Function: Fidget Spinners are designed to serve as a toy fro repetitive, tactile, and visual stimiulation. They have been designed to a discreet wat to fidget to offer stress relief, help manage anxiety, and improve focus by redirecting attention away from disruptive thoughts. Fidget are marketed and aimed towards those with conditions such as ADHD and autism.

Aesthetic: There is a standard design of fidget spinners that have a rounded 3-point shape often coming in one or two colours. Many fidget spinners have also been further developed to involve a use of diverse materials, colours, patterns, and shapes as well as including light-up features and textured grips fro enhance sensory appeal (tactile and visual). To serve the intended purpose, the plain design of a fidget spinner or one with textured grips will serve the best.

Need: Marketed towards those with conditions such as ADHD and autism, Fidget spinners are a solution for those who require discreeet ways to “fidget” to manage stress, anxiety and redirect attention.

Finance/ Cost: Fidget spinners are inexpensive to make with the key components being easy to source and produce. The demand and increasing popularity of fidget spinners during their prime production meant that the sale prices became more expensive, providing large profit for sellers.

Ergonomics: The target audience of fidget spinners mean that they are designed wiht ergonomics in mind. They are designed for hand comfort, grip, and ease of use. The compact size makes them easy to transport and hold. The round shapes and edges make them comfortable and ergonomic.

Health & Safety: Fidget spinners are designed with round and smooth surfaces/edges that minimise the change of a health and safety risk. The spinning component of the design could provide some issues as well as cheap production of the product could result in the peice breaking apart. For younger users this could provide a safety issue.

Quality: Due to mass production, a vast majority of fidget spinners are mass produced meaning that they are often made from cheap plastic. This poses an issue for both users and the environment. The materials ar not ethically sourced as well as leaving a lasting impact on both the user adn environment.

Appropriateness of solution: The design of a fidget spinner provides a gimicky way to solve the issue of those who create the need for the toy. Its intial need meant that it created a solution to fidget relatively discreetly with a toy that is still fun. Overall, fidget spinners have a need that they have been able to create a product for to suit their target market.