Consumer product design is directly related to satisfying the physical and psychological needs of people. The words DESIGN AND DESIGNING immediately imply change in relation to the organisation of many interconnected elements. These elements are themselves the product of change; social change, technical change, materials and production improvements, market developments and economic change. This course highlights the essential features of what product design is and how developments are made in product evolution and promotion. The course embodies both theory and practice in design, graphic communication and photography, always seeking to improve understanding and expression

Hall, Mike

English

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Product Design and AnalysisMike HallLoughborough UniversityConsumer product design is directlyrelated to satisfying the physical andpsychological needs of people. Thewords DESIGN AND DESIGNINGimmediately imply change in relation tothe organisation of many interconnectedelements. These elements are themselvesthe product of change; social change,technical change, materials andproduction improvements, marketdevelopments and economic change.This course highlights the essentialfeatures of what product design is andhow developments are made in productevolution and promotion. The courseembodies both theory and practice indesign, graphic communication andphotography, always seeking to improveunderstanding and expression.This part of the Design andTechnology B.A. course starts at thebeginning of Year 2 and runs through tothe end of Year 3. During year two, partof the course is common for all studentsand is referred to as P.D.A. Core. Itinvolves lectures and discussion aboutproduct design with some courseworkcoupled with lectures on photographywith studio and darkroom practices inblack and white. The course seeks toextend the student's analytical powers,relate the practices of product functionto materials and production, compareand examine product aesthetics andergonomics with economics and marketfactors. Photography is used to heightenthe student's visual sensitivity,compositional organisation andtechnical ability in order to translatevisual imagery into graphic statementsthat include photomontage illustration,and typeface selection.To start the course in product designand analysis a simple product in dailyuse is examined in detail. Typicalproducts are, the clothes peg, the coathanger or the cup and saucer. To take thecup and saucer as an example,comparisons and contrasts are drawnbetween different designs ranging fromdi fferent ceramic types, various plasticsversions and metal designs. Some arecurrently available others historic. Ineach case the product is fully examinedin size capacity, weight, form, thickness,surface finish and decoration,proportion, balance, handle shape, cupsaucer location, spillage, drainage andserviceability in the home/canteen oroutdoor environments. The social, timeof day, liquid content, machine washingand market factors coupled withmaterial, production and economicconsiderations are all viewed in relationto their particular influences on thedevelopment of a design. Surface area,heat loss and transmission, andhandleability are brought into thediscussion when examining form andproportion, materials and handle-design ergonomics.The value of examining a product ofthis type in detail makes the studentrealise the inter-relationships betweenmaterials selection, manufacturingtechnology, social requirements and thefull range of aesthetic criteria.The rapid process of technologicalchange indicates a serious rethink aboutproduct semantics as we proceed intothe 1990's. Minaturisation throughmicro electronics and chip technologysuggest that more and more productswill become either smaller or moremulti-functional. Manufacturingtechnologies such as integrated circuitryincorporated into three dimensionalmouldings will soon be available. Theimplications of this are that productswill be hollow in many cases, if they areto have sufficient form to be easilyhandleable. The designers of tomorrowwill have a greater freedom to determineproduct form and this form will not bedictated by the shape of interiorcomponents to the same extent as atpresent.A complete re-appraisal of productfunction, human interfacing andaesthetic design qualities will result. Theradio, the calculator, the computer andmany other domestic appliances will beredefined or products will be coupledwith one another to integrate systemsrather than be components in aprocedure. Technical innovation andcoupling of sophisticated functionalsequences will be introduced to savelabour, time, and personal involvement.The limitations to rapid advances inthese areas will be economics, marketresistance, speed of production, productliability, development, cost of materialsresearch and product design.All man-made mass-producedproducts coming from the sameassembly line and component sourcesare identical in every feature. Eachfeature has involved decisions toestablish its size, shape, finish andinterconnecting edge quality. Thesuccess or failure of the product isheavily dependent on how the featuresand their details have been managed tocreate an integrated design to satisfy theneeds of a particular market. Similaritybetween the functional capability ofcompetitive products is often so close asto be difficult to distinguish betweenperformance, energy consumption,expected life and cost. In many instancesthe same technical contents are housedin products with dramatically differentappearances coming from the samestable. The overall design, the marriagebetween forms, the location of switchesand the provision of accessories caninfluence and even dictate the marketsector aimed at. In these instancesaesthetics become a function of themarketing analysis and promotion. Theaesthetics of the product coupled withmarketing, sell the product andintroduce the public to the newertechnological innovations that haveevolved for their benefit. To see andunderstand these events students areshown examples of product formevolution in relation to changingtechnology and are provided withcurrent competitive products to stripand analyse. They are required to tracethe historical development of oneproduct and are asked to graphicallyillustrate the major form changes of aproduct in a poster A2 size. They arealso asked to produce a cutaway orexploded drawing and to make asectioned model. This makes them I)aware of developmental evolution due totechnical change, 2) identify assemblytechniques in a technical device and 3)understand the spatial qualities of formdesign in a skelatal structure of loftedsections.Feedback is an essential part of anyactivity process and the nature of aproduct must allow this to take place sothat the operator knows the state of themachine, the mode of operation andmake adjustments according to theneeds of the individual, the activity and[he environment. Almost any productcould be used for this discussion but thedomestic smoothing iron provides someinteresting points for evaluation.Historically it has evolved with changesoccurring due to social demand for neatclothing and developments in materialstechnology, energy supply and controlsystems. The materials technologyconcerns both the components of theiron and the many fabric materials wewear.Most models of irons over the last fewyears have incorporated thermalcutouts, a temperature control switchand an indicator light. It is interesting tolearn student ideas about what thisindicator light means and to then askthem to examine the ironing activity andidentify what the user and any thirdparties need to know about the momentby moment mode of the iron. When theopportunity is presented to actually'dosome ironing the other aestheticfeedback sensory indicators becomenoticed which lie dormant if the taskisn't performed.The smell of warm damp fabric, theclick 0 f the thermostat, the hiss andvapour of the steam, the creaking of theboard under pressure, the scratching ofthe cable on the board and the warmthof the fabric as it is turned, folded andpressed, are all important elements inthe procedure.Observations and recording of theminutae of this or similar procedures isan essential part of understanding howpeople do things, the feedback aspectsthey take for granted, the assumptionsthey make.Product design is about people andtheir activities; technology, materialsand processing, ergonomics and marketeconomics are the enablers. These latterelements make it possible for theproduct to provide the sophisticatedimproved service that people require todo the task in an easy, safe, efficient wayusing a good looking product that theycan afford to buy and run economically.Product design is teamwork thatexploits the specialist skills of manypeople. The marketing experts identifythe needs of a particular group in societyand establish its size and the potentialquantities. The product capabilities andSee-throUffh visua/isation oj domestic iron,Year 1Ifunctions are established and the relatedtechnology materials and processesselected.The product concept as a package isoutlined and ideas prepared to create anaesthetic quality. This is importantbecause the proposed product is to suitthe market place of 18months time andstill be sufficiently advanced visually tosuit the market for several years. Thecapital investment in development,design, tooling, marketing all have to berecovered with profits to enable thecompany to continue trading. Thereputation of a product and the range itis in can establish an important brandloyalty. Badly designed products candestroy hard won reputations veryrapidly. Discussions of this type leadcomfortably into third year work oncorporate identity exhibition andworkplace design.Other aspects of the second yearproduct analysis main course useelements such as strip cartoon graphicwork to describe sensations in a livingexperience, analytical drawing tounderstand and translate formgraphically and emotive drawing toconvey expression and atmosphere.Regrettably timetable time is limited butgraphic techniques are demonstratedand discussed for inclusion into acoursework project. This projectspecifically seeks to take the studentoutside his or her realms of pastexperience with the express purpose ofmaking them generate new image forms.The proposition is to create and draw abio-mechanical alien being. The studentthat first decides on the environmentand then considers the work and lifecycle of the alien usually manages togenerate the best creature. The chosenenvironmental conditions effect the size,structure, motive-form and detailing ofthe alien. In graphic terms considerableopportunity is offered to expressatmospheric and emotive qualities, toexplore form, surface, colour andtexture, to imply size, scale and ferrocity.The need to explore, express and controlideas that can be projected into thefuture is considered of paramountimportance. Too often students workfrom within themselves drawing only ontheir existing knowledge of how thingsare instead of how things should orcould be.A further second year product designand analysis main course project is aproduct packaging and photoadvertising brief which has been used tobring the two main elements of thecourse together. The brief entails anexamination of the form and visualcriteria required for a cosmetic productpackage to suit either men or women,the student being free to identify whichsex and an appropriate age range ormarket group. The cosmetic containerhas to be designed and made during thefirst half of the term and given an imageor spedai name.Concurrent with this during thephotographic period the group exploreslighting and shooting various still Iifesituations, involving natural objects,glass vessels and people. The processedphotographs are examined anddiscussed prior to designing anadvertisement for the cosmetic pack.The completed cosmetic pack withany props or models is then staged andphotographed in a manner to convey theappropriate imagery using the studioand principles learned earlier in theterm.Product history during the lastcentury fonus a further academic studyaspect that is part of product design andanalysis. It covers in depth the wellknown art and design movements, thedesigners, innovators and industries of~ \\tAR n.....A:'>.' It'lI:." :« ~ "~ "," """ <>'"note in relation to the prevailing socialand economic conditions of the time.Design, the outward emotive aestheticqualities of the product with its impliedsemantic functions, practicalities anduser friendliness are the foundation tothis course of study. The nature ofproduct and what moves the potentialcustomer into buying is in constantquestion. How to create status, desireand move ahead of the times, have to belearnt and experieced. Product designsemantics have to advance at the samerate as the technology that it carries tomeet competition in the changingmarket places of the world. Knowing thepast and the present helps establish ideasand ways for the future. Theevolutionary theory of design isgenerally well respected. However therole of deduction in this process is lesswell understood and forms an importantelement to the study.The Year Three Product Design andAnalysis course is called History,Theory and Philosophy of Design.Approximately one half of the complete3rd year group takes this course whilethe other half takes a detailed theoreticalcourse in Technology. The history andphilosophy involves lectures andseminars and during the course eachstudent is required to present anillustrated paper on either a companyand its design philosophy or on aninternationally recognised designer. Inthe design theory periods, students areinvolved in graphic, photographic,exhIbition and workstation work someof which is individual, some in teams.The graphic inputs and assignmentsconcern corporate imagery, the designand development of logos and theirapplications concurrent with a shortproject to develop a seasonal greetingcard. The corporate image was based onthe requirements for a competition thisyear and sought to provide meaningfulsymbols for stationery. The corporateidentity project is used to lead into amajor exhibition design project which isstarted by a visit to the NationalExhibition Centre where stand design isexamined in detail. Lectures,discussions, followed by group worksubsequently takes place to organise theGraphic and photographic of cosmeticpromotion display, YearIIpromotion and design detailing for theFinalists Degree Show. Five weeksinclusive at three hours per week is thetime allocated for this project.During the Christmas vacationstudents in the group are asked toprepare for work in the Spring term byvisiting a local user of heavy earthmoving machines for half a day. Thedesign theory in this part of the course isconcerned with operator/workstationcab environmental design. Lectures onenvironmental interior workspace, handand foot lever control systems, feedbackinformation systems, safety andsymbols, behavioural requirements andseating, and a visit to a majorequipment manufacturer form afoundation for this design study.Information collected during thevacation visits is given in seminars by thestudents. To concentrate the collectionof information into specific study areaseach student is provided with a checklistof technical, human and economicpoints of importance to research.The project work seeks to laterdevelop technical graphiccommunication and detail modellingskills in both scale and fullsize to conveythe full meaning of the operators'spatial working environment. In thismanner it is intended that both thedesign and ergonomic theory can beevaluated and experienced.Throughout the spring term a I Y2hour period is allocated per week forthis group working with one another toprepare a photographic curriculumvitae. With the assistance of a colleagueeach student is required to prepare aphotographic series of statements whichconvey their personalities and illustratetheir work and leisure interests. Thephotographic quality, design contentand graphic layout have to be carefullycontrolled to suit reproduction inlimited quantity on the photocopymachine to produce double A4 or A3copies. These are then attached as avisual statement to back-up jobapplications.In all the work carried out during thetwo years there is a constant message ofaesthetic design and spatial sensitivity,human factors and comprehension,analysis of communications, productsand functions, coupled withexploitation of developing technologicalsystems. Design is the organsationalcomponent that brings all these aspectsfirmly together into a coherentstatement.

Product Design and Analysis

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Product Design and Analysis

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