University Industry Collaboration: Research and enterprise activity within University of Huddersfield Product Design courses.

This presentation details the various approaches which the BA/BSc (HONS) Product Design staff and students work with industry. Student methods include: In Module (Year 2) Placement Year Final Year Major Project Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Post-graduation Staff methods include: Research Design Facilities The pros and cons of each method are discussed and different approaches evaluated for efficacy dependant on desired outcome

Design, development and prototyping of portable Potty as part of Petit en Suite Child’s Pop-up Privacy Room

Simple Creation Ltd had an idea of creating a portable potty that provided infant privacy whilst potty training her infant. Following a substantial amount of personal research they identified that nothing existing on the market to tackle this problem. The product design team at the University of Huddersfield met with Simple Creation team a number of times to design a new potty with the following objectives: • Optimise the present design: material, components, weight, functionality • Design for manufacture in injection moulding • Minimal manufacturing cost • Easy to clean • Easy to carry and store with adjustable height • Skin contact with the plastic bag is minima

Design and Development of Alternative Vectorthotic Insole: Technical Report

This CVF funded product design and development project for orthotic range aspires to be as effective as a functional foot orthotic. It is adaptable and customisable to meet the needs of the busy clinical environment as an off the shelf solution. Healthy Step has a successful foot orthotics and rehabilitation range. There is a growing area of business in the private market and internet sales. There is a perceived opportunity to develop a new brand of devices based upon the existing range that: • Exude quality and performance – and would therefore carry a higher price point • Are only available to clinics and clinicians – allowing clinics to set their own prices and be unaffected by Healthy Step’s direct to patient internet sales. • Are not available direct to the patients. • Focus on the business aspirations of the clinician and/or their practice. • Allowing them to realise greater profit by “selling”/prescribing quality, branded, performance devices that deliver adaptable clinical treatments with a quality retail feel and offering. Heel, ball and arch orthotic components of the existing vectorthotic were improved during the this project. Completion was a great live experience for the team although some issue with the printing tolerances as it had an impact on the first phase of iterations especially the snap fit parts of the orthotic but with product testing and feedback from the client these were overcome. The project resulted the company investing in a mid range 3D printing device and relevant software & hardware,an a placement student. They also start offering customized products and bespoke 3D printing services to their customers

Stigma: Addressing Negative Associations in Product Design

Inclusive Design is the practice of providing access to a solution for as many users as possible. However, stigma can be seen as the Achilles heel of Inclusive Design, as it is possible for artefacts employed by users outside of mainstream society to carry a negative association independently of the user. This can result in mainstream users rejecting the product, which can in turn become a signifier of the stigmatised condition leading to further discrimination. This paper details methods identified for addressing negative associations that products can carry when employed by stigmatised user groups. It is made clear from the outset that stigma is a societal wide issue and the research is not intended to try and address this; the outcome is intended to be a disassociation from the stigma for the artefacts. Research was conducted and several methods were identified where products had become successfully disassociated from the stigmatised user, meaning that the product itself was free from any negative association. These methods were then taxonomised and evaluated for effectiveness for creating artefacts free of negative association. It was found that it is possible to create artefacts that are free from negative association and although it may not have been the intention to address the stigma of the user, this may occur as a benefit

Stigma

This dissertation looks at how negative associations that certain products carry, due to their relationship with stigmatised users, may be removed or reduced. There are several methods identified and tested which constitute either methods of disassociation from the stigmatised user or education about the stigmatised condition. The methods are then compiled into a tool that is used to generate concepts that are tested to gauge: 1. The ability of the design industry to respond to the issue of creating products with potentially negative associations. 2. The potential of the methods to create innovative solutions. This was carried out in two stages: 1. By interviewing professional designers, to gauge feedback from the different methods, and eliciting sketch responses of products that could carry a negative association 2. Testing the sketch responses on mainstream users to see whether any negative association was evident. The methods were endorsed by the designers, and the results from the mainstream testing were encouraging. However, some potential limits were identified, and recommendations made regarding the implementation of the methods as a viable product design tool

Who are the Future Designers? The Path Leading To Undergraduate Study Of Product Design

How does someone become a professional product designer? This paper argues that every practicing product designer has made a series of key decisions at key points in their life that have contributed to them taking the journey towards their professional vocation. The nature of this process of formative decision making is of key interest to the marketing and recruitment activity for the undergraduate Product Design Programme at UWIC. In addition, the understanding of this process is critical to understanding why prospective students choose a path to studying product design in higher education. This paper initially presents a case study of research which attempts to explore the decision making process that applicants have undertaken prior to focusing on Product Design at Undergraduate Level. The paper then presents the results of the primary research and draws some initial conclusions about decision makers, influencers and the various key stages identified. The research focussed on the period from pre-GCSE through to successful application to university

The Delivery of Green Design Techniques in an Immersive Environment

This paper details the immersive techniques pioneered in the delivery of a postgraduate module within a new course, MSc Advanced Product Design. The course was written to help graduates engage with thinking and techniques that are at or slightly in front of industry’s cutting edge. The module at the focus of this paper, Sustainability Issues in Design for Production was designed to bring the consequences of the designer’s actions in contributing to global pollution and climate change to the student’s attention. To make the consequences of energy use, consumption of materials and subsequent waste apparent, the graduates were taken to the Centre for Alternative Technology. There they were given lectures on sustainability and access to information on alternative materials. Most importantly however, they were housed in accommodation where they directly experienced the consequence of their use of resources. Hence every time they used too much power they would experience a short power cut, when they needed heat they had to collect wood, and throughout they were forced to monitor their energy use. The paper describes the module delivery in more detail and presents case studies of the project outcomes with analysis of the results. In conclusion it looks to the future and how the module is expected to develop

Sustainable Development

Presentation outlining Sustainable Development practices delivered at the Intensive Project 2010, Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen, Kortrijk, Belgium

The delivery of green design techniques in an immersive learning environment

This paper details the immersive learning techniques pioneered in the delivery of a postgraduate module within a new course, MSc Advanced Product Design. The course was written to help graduates engage with thinking and techniques that are at or slightly in front of industry's cutting edge. The module at the focus of this paper, Sustainability Issues in Design for Production (SIDP) was designed to bring the consequences of the design choices in terms of resource depletion, pollution and climate change to the student's attention. To make the consequences of energy use, consumption of materials and subsequent waste more meaningful, the graduates were taken to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). While at CAT the students were given lectures on sustainability and access to information on alternative materials. Most importantly however, they were housed in specially designed accommodation where they directly experienced the consequence of their use of resources. Hence every time they used too much power they would experience a short power cut, when they needed heat they had to collect wood, and throughout their stay they were required to monitor their energy use. The paper starts by briefly discussing learning environments and their authenticity. It continues by describing the SIDP module delivery in more detail and presents a case study of the project with an analysis of the results. In conclusion it looks to the future and how the module is expected to develop

Design, development and prototyping of portable Potty as part of Petit en Suite Child’s Pop-up Privacy Room

Simple Creation Ltd had an idea of creating a portable potty that provided infant privacy whilst potty training her infant. Following a substantial amount of personal research they identified that nothing existing on the market to tackle this problem. The product design team at the University of Huddersfield met with Simple Creation team a number of times to design a new potty with the following objectives: • Optimise the present design: material, components, weight, functionality • Design for manufacture in injection moulding • Minimal manufacturing cost • Easy to clean • Easy to carry and store with adjustable height • Skin contact with the plastic bag is minima