WJEC A/AS Level Product Design Comprehensive Flashcard Notes

Research, Users, and Product Analysis

  • Ergonomics:     * Definition: Ergonomics is designing products to fit the user comfortably, safely, and efficiently. It helps reduce strain and improve usability.     * Importance: It improves comfort, safety, posture, and efficiency while reducing injuries and user fatigue.     * Examples of Ergonomics in Products:         * Office chairs.         * Gaming controllers.         * Keyboards.         * Car seats.         * Computer mice.

  • Anthropometrics:     * Definition: Anthropometrics is the measurement of human body sizes used when designing products.     * Importance: It helps products fit different users correctly, safely, and comfortably.     * Examples of Anthropometric Data:         * Height.         * Hand span.         * Arm reach.         * Sitting height.         * Shoulder width.

  • Primary Research:     * Definition: Research collected directly from users or customers by the designer.     * Advantages: It is up-to-date, specific to the product, and directly related to the target market.     * Disadvantages: It can be time-consuming and expensive to carry out.     * Methods: Questionnaires, interviews, observations, focus groups, and product testing.

  • Secondary Research:     * Definition: Research collected by other people that designers use for information.     * Advantages: Quick, cheap, and easy to access.     * Disadvantages: Information may be outdated, biased, or not specific enough.     * Examples: Books, websites, magazines, existing products, and market reports.

  • Qualitative versus Quantitative Data:     * Qualitative Data: Data based on opinions, feelings, and descriptions rather than numbers.         * Examples: Customer opinions, reviews, and interview responses.     * Quantitative Data: Data based on numbers, measurements, percentages, and statistics.         * Examples: Survey results, dimensions, sales figures, and percentages.

  • Market Insights and Trends:     * Market Research: Research used to understand customers, competitors, and market opportunities. It helps reduce risk and increases the chance of product success.     * Customer Needs: Features a product must have to work properly and safely.         * Examples: Safety, comfort, durability, reliability, and function.     * Customer Wants: Extra features customers would like but do not necessarily need.         * Examples: Colours, branding, style, touchscreens, or smart features.     * Market Trends: Changes in popular styles, products, and customer interests over time.         * Examples: Eco-friendly products, smart technology, and minimalist design.     * Niche Market: A small specialised market aimed at a specific group of people.         * Examples: Professional gaming equipment, left-handed tools, and luxury watches.

  • Product Development Drivers:     * Technology Push: When new technology creates products before customers ask for them.         * Examples: VR headsets, foldable phones, and smart glasses.     * Market Pull: When products are developed because customers demand them.         * Examples: Reusable bottles, vegan products, and electric vehicles.

  • Product Longevity and Changes:     * Fad Products: Products that become very popular for a short time and then quickly lose popularity.         * Examples: Fidget spinners, loom bands, and hoverboards.     * Incremental Change: Small improvements made to an existing product over time.         * Examples: New iPhone models, updated trainers, and car facelifts.

  • Quality and Purchasing Factors:     * Customer Influence: Factors include price, quality, advertising, trends, social media, and brand reputation.     * Build Quality: How well a product is made, including strength, finish, durability, and reliability.     * Quality Control (QC): Checking products during and after manufacture to identify defects.         * Examples: Measurements, inspections, and testing products.     * Quality Assurance (QA): Systems used throughout production to prevent mistakes and maintain quality.     * Key Distinction: Quality control finds problems in products, whereas Quality assurance prevents problems from happening.

Marketing

  • The 4 P’s of Marketing:     * Product: The item being sold including its design, features, and quality.     * Price: The amount customers pay for a product.     * Place: Where and how the product is sold to customers.     * Promotion: Advertising and marketing methods used to attract customers.

Specifications and Standards

  • Design Specification:     * Definition: A list of requirements a product must meet.     * Importance: It guides the design process and helps evaluate the final product.     * Primary Specification: A specification based on direct user research.     * Secondary Specification: A specification based on existing information and research.

  • Standards Organizations:     * ISO (International Organization for Standardization): International standards used worldwide to ensure quality and safety.     * BSI (British Standards Institution): British standards used in the UK to ensure products are safe and reliable.

Sustainability and Ethics

  • Environmental Design:     * Eco Products: Products designed to reduce environmental impact. Examples include reusable bottles, biodegradable packaging, and electric cars.     * Sustainable Design: Designing products to reduce environmental damage and protect resources.

  • The 4 R’s of Sustainability:     * Reduce: Using fewer materials and less energy.     * Reuse: Using products again instead of throwing them away.     * Recycle: Processing waste materials into new usable products.     * Rethink: Changing designs or habits to become more environmentally friendly.

  • Analysis and Responsibility:     * Life Cycle Analysis (LCA): Measuring the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life.         * Stages of LCA: Raw materials, manufacture, transport, use, disposal.     * Social Issues: How products affect people and society.     * Ethical Issues: Fair treatment of workers, sustainability, and responsible sourcing.     * Global Issues: Worldwide problems linked to production such as pollution and climate change.     * Designer Responsibilities: Designers are responsible for safety, sustainability, ethical production, and meeting user needs.

Product Life Cycle

  • Definition: The stages a product goes through from launch to decline.
  • Stages of the Product Life Cycle:     * Launch: The product is introduced to the market and sales start slowly.     * Growth: Sales increase quickly as the product becomes popular.     * Maturity: Sales peak and competition increases.     * Decline: Sales fall because the product becomes outdated or unpopular.

Legal Protection

  • Copyright: Legal protection for original creative work such as drawings and graphics.
  • Patent: Legal protection for a new invention or product idea.
  • Design Rights: Protection for the appearance and shape of a product.
  • Trademark: Legal protection for logos, names, and symbols.

Modelling & CAD/CAM

  • Modelling and Prototyping:     * Product Modelling: Creating models to test ideas before manufacturing.     * Prototyping: Making a sample version of a product for testing and development.     * 2D Prototyping: Flat drawings or layouts used to develop ideas.     * 3D Prototyping: Physical models used to test size, shape, and function.     * Performance Modelling: Testing how a product performs under real conditions.

  • Computer Systems:     * CAD (Computer Aided Design): Using computers to create and edit designs.         * Advantages: Accurate, quick to edit, realistic visuals, easy to store and share.     * CAM (Computer Aided Manufacture): Using computers to control manufacturing machines.         * Advantages: Accurate production, automation, fast manufacturing, and consistent quality.

Risk Assessment

  • Definition: Identifying hazards and reducing risks in the workplace.
  • Five Stages of Risk Assessment:     1. Identify hazards.     2. Identify people at risk.     3. Evaluate risks.     4. Record findings.     5. Review regularly.

Materials

  • Natural Materials:     * Source: Materials that come from plants, animals, or the earth.     * Examples: Wood, cotton, and leather.     * Advantages: Renewable, biodegradable, and attractive appearance.

  • Synthetic and Composite Materials:     * Synthetic Materials: Man-made materials produced chemically, usually from oil.         * Advantages: Durable, waterproof, lightweight, and cheap.         * Disadvantages: Difficult to recycle and can cause pollution.     * Composite Materials: Materials made by combining two or more materials to improve properties.         * Examples: MDF, plywood, and fibreglass.

  • Smart and Performance Materials:     * Smart Materials: Materials that react to changes such as heat, light, or pressure.         * Examples: Thermochromic pigments, photochromic materials, and shape memory alloy.     * Performance Materials: Advanced materials designed for high strength or specialist performance.         * Examples: Kevlar, carbon fibre, and titanium.

  • Specific Material Profiles:     * Polypropylene (PP):         * Properties: A tough, lightweight plastic resistant to chemicals and fatigue.         * Uses: Food containers, living hinges, and car parts.     * Kevlar:         * Properties: A very strong, lightweight, and heat-resistant performance material.         * Uses: Body armour, helmets, and protective clothing.     * Cotton:         * Properties: Soft, breathable, absorbent, and comfortable.         * Uses: Clothing, bedding, and towels.     * Stainless Steel:         * Properties: Strong, durable, hygienic, and corrosion-resistant.         * Uses: Cutlery, sinks, and kitchen equipment.     * Nylon:         * Properties: Strong, flexible, wear-resistant, and lightweight.         * Uses: Clothing, ropes, and gears.     * Acrylic:         * Properties: Transparent, lightweight, waterproof, and rigid.         * Uses: Signs, display stands, and windows.

Manufacturing and Production

  • Scale and Systems of Production:     * Mass Production: Producing large quantities of identical products using machines.         * Advantages: Fast production, low costs, and consistent quality.         * Disadvantages: Expensive setup costs and little product variety.     * Batch Production: Making groups of identical products before changing production to another batch.         * Advantages: Flexible production and allows product variety.         * Disadvantages: Slower than mass production because machines need resetting.     * One-off Production: Manufacturing one unique product for one customer.         * Advantages: High quality and fully customised.         * Disadvantages: Expensive and time-consuming.     * Cell Production: Small teams complete different stages of production in separate work cells.         * Advantages: Better teamwork, improved quality, and flexible production.     * Assembly Line Production: Products move along a line while workers repeat one task.         * Advantages: Fast, efficient, and low production costs.         * Disadvantages: Repetitive work and low worker motivation.

  • Advanced Manufacturing Methods:     * Just in Time (JIT) Manufacturing: Materials arrive only when needed for production.         * Advantages: Less storage needed, lower costs, and reduced waste.         * Disadvantages: Delivery delays can stop production.     * Injection Moulding: A process where molten plastic is injected into a mould under pressure.         * Advantages: Fast, accurate, and suitable for mass production.         * Disadvantages: Expensive moulds and high setup costs.     * Blow Moulding: Heated plastic is inflated inside a mould to create hollow products.         * Examples: Plastic bottles, fuel tanks, and containers.

  • Reduction of Wastage:     * Wastage Definition: Materials, energy, or products lost during production.     * Mitigation Strategies: Recycling materials, efficient cutting, CAD planning, and quality control.

Designers

  • James Dyson:     * Profile: A British designer known for innovative engineering products.     * Importance: He focuses on innovation, problem-solving, and improving existing products.     * Key Products: Bagless vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans, and hairdryers.

  • Bethan Gray:     * Profile: A Welsh designer known for luxury furniture and interior products.     * Importance: She combines traditional craftsmanship with modern luxury design.     * Design Features: High-quality craftsmanship, patterns, colour, and cultural influences.