PRODUCT DESIGN PARAMETERS

FACTORS

1 - Purpose, The need for a product

Function and The primary and secondary functions of a product
Context Where the product is going to be used

2 - User-Centred How to improve the quality of life of end-user/s and meet their needs through design,
Design – human including:
needs and wants • ergonomics and anthropometrics
• social and cultural considerations
• age and budget
• emotional appeal
• physical needs and comfort
• fashion and trends

3 - Innovation and The implementation of creativity, innovation and originality in design, through (but not limited
Creativity to):
• improving and modifying existing ideas
• use of new materials and technologies
• experimentation and invention
• research and development

4 - Visual, Tactile The look, feel and style of products and consideration of the design elements and principles.
and Aesthetic –
design elements and The ELEMENTS are the building blocks, including Point, Line, Shape, Form, Texture, Tone, Colour,
principles Transparency, Translucency and Opacity.

The PRINCIPLES complement the elements, and include:

Balance, Contrast, Repetition, Movement/Rhythm, Pattern, Proportion, Symmetry/Asymmetry,
Positive/Negative space and Surface qualities.

5 - Sustainability The consideration of the product’s social, environmental and economic (the three pillars)
impacts, and the use of models and systems to assess and promote sustainability, including:
• life-cycle analysis/assessment and life-cycle thinking
• use of renewable energy and resources
• carbon footprints
• models of sustainability, including EPR (extended producer responsibility), DfD (design for
disassembly) and cradle to cradle

6 - Economics – time  TIME - time to design and produce a product

and cost  COST - cost of all materials to make a product.

7 - Legal The legal considerations of a product and its manufacture and use, including:
responsibilities • intellectual property
• safe products and OHS
• standards, including Australian and International standards and mandatory labelling
standards

8 - Materials and The materials used in product design and their characteristics and properties
Properties • Malleability – how much the material can be manipulated before it breaks or tears
• Hardness – how easily the material can withstand wear and tear, such as bending and denting
(abrasive)
• Tensile Strength – how well the material can withstand repeated forces without
breaking
• Toughness – how difficult it is to break or snap the material
• Durability – how well the material can withstand repeated use (wear and tear)
• Corrosiveness – the degree to which the material is affected by certain environments
(weather/temperature conditions)
• Brittleness – how easily the material cracks or breaks when put under force
(acrylic and glass).

9 - Technologies – The available and emerging technology, machinery and processes used to create products, from
tools, processes raw materials to products ready to use (for example, a drill, a sewing machine).

New emerging technologies:

 Rapid 3D prototyping - 3D printing
 CAD (computer aided design)
 CAM (computer aided manufacture)
 Laser Technology
 Robotics
 CNC
Rapid 3D prototyping
3D Printer Materials - plastics

3D Printing in Architecture
 Large scale construction 3D printers using concrete

CNC
 CNC plasma or laser cutting
 CNC lathe or router
 CNC welding (friction stir or ultrasonic
 CNC pinning, gluing, fabric cutting, sewing, tape

Influence on product design

All of these technologies allow:
 Faster time frames for concepts to be made real
 Omission of tedious repetition by humans
 Increased accuracy and once checked by humans - less errors and mistakes
 More complicated designs can be made
 More dangerous processes can be included
in the design of a product
 Prototyping virtually or in reality at a faster rate than in the past.

Influence on product design

New materials can be:
 Lighter, stronger, warmer etc.
 More suited to the product’s purpose
 More sustainable
 Have a big influence on the manufacturing process
and therefore the design of products
 Have the potential to improve our lives.

Lean - Trimmed of all excess

Flexible - Can move easily
Responsive - Able to respond quickly
Inventory - All things needed to be stored: Machinery,
finish product materials, components, etc

Costs
Labour - How much money to pay employee
Time - How long it takes
Package products made
Store products made
Delivery cost to customer homes
"Just in time" - Make things just in time before they are sold. And made just in time.

Some methods used

 Manufacturing to actual demand not projected demand
 Low volume production
 Purchasing parts and materials needed only for current orders (avoids over-
production, reduces unsold stock, saves on storage)
 Keeping the work environment clean and organized and having efficient production
flow
 Installing IT systems to monitor efficiency of flow, transport etc. and to enhance
tracking and communication on the factory floor
 Reducing ‘wait’ times and managing labour efficiently, including training to reduce
errors.

What is flexible and responsive manufacturing?

o If following lean principles, a manufacturer can be flexible (move easily) and
responsive (adapt quickly) to changing circumstances.
 It helps manufacturers to stay in business by providing what is needed at a reasonable
price.
 Being locally situated can mean faster turnaround than offshore.

What is important?
Lean Manufacturing aims to reduce cost per unit and helps companies to:

þ MBe efficient þ MBe economically viable þ M Maintain sales and incomes

 To reduce costs, waste is reduced in all areas, such as:

 Materials and components
 Human time and energy
 Energy / power usage
 Transportation.

Achieving lean Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing allows a company to adapt to changes quickly.
To do this, a company should:
 Be open to receiving suggestions from employees
 Have no back log of stock to deal with
 Have the means to order materials and parts when needed. E.g. have a manageable
variety of suppliers to ensure supply.
 Have systems and equipment that can be quickly configured.

One off
Bespoke, unique, rare, expensive, super limited, one off, custom made
Low volume
Limited edition, pairs, small runs, custom runs

Mass
Lots and lots and lots, thousands,

Continuous production
Nonstop,

ONE-OFF Production
 Usually designed and made by hand by one person but with machinery.
 Sometimes outsourcing of processes is done in a factory.
 Is often of very high quality with carefully selected materials.
SUITABLE FOR:
 An unusual or special need.
 As a custom made or bespoke item
(an individual ‘speaks’ to the designer).

Low Volume Production

Production of units in a manageable volume for the situation
Reasons for this are:
 Customer needs can change often
 Allows for flexibility and avoids large quantities of unwanted finished products
 Mistakes can be fixed without too much loss of investment
 Product gets to the market faster than a larger volume
SUITABLE FOR:
 A new product on the market (sales are
uncertain)
 Products that are exclusive, expensive or
not common.

Mass/High Volume Production - IKEA

Production of thousands of units to achieve economies of scale, i.e. all materials, components etc.
are cheaper when large amounts are purchased.
 Time-consuming to set up
 Requires a large investment and can be costly if there is a mistake in a big production
run that affects the quality
 Uses robotics and is highly automated
 Due to the size, there is little opportunity to be flexible
SUITABLE FOR:
 Everyday commonly used products that are
in large demand
Continuous Production
 Occurs when a factory runs all day and all week, i.e. 24/7 to show 24 hours and 7 days
a week.
 Was once used only for pharmaceuticals and processing of materials that were
sensitive to temperature changes or reactions over time.
 Now with automation and robotics, many factories run all day and night using shift
workers to monitor them.
SUITABLE FOR:
 Everyday products as in mass production.
Design for Disassembly (DfD):
 Explanation: DfD is an approach in product design where the product is intentionally
created to be easily taken apart when it's no longer functional or needs
maintenance. This facilitates the recycling and reusing of components and materials.
 Example: In electronics, DfD involves designing devices with screws and connectors
that can be easily accessed and removed, so their parts can be recycled or replaced
without excessive effort.

Cradle to Cradle (C2C):

 Explanation: Cradle to Cradle is a holistic design philosophy that seeks to create
products with materials and components that can be perpetually recycled or safely
returned to the environment when they are no longer needed. It's about closing the
loop on waste.
 Example: In manufacturing, C2C encourages using biodegradable or recyclable
materials in products, so they can be reused or returned to nature without causing
harm.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA):

 Explanation: LCA is a systematic assessment of the environmental impact of a
product throughout its entire life cycle, including production, use, and disposal. It
helps identify areas for improvement in sustainability.
 Example: For a car, LCA would consider the emissions and resource consumption
during the manufacturing process, the fuel efficiency during use, and the recycling or
disposal process at the end of its life.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):

 Explanation: EPR is a policy approach where manufacturers take responsibility for
the environmental impact of their products even after they've been sold. This means
managing the product through its entire life cycle, including recycling and disposal.
 Example: In the context of electronics, EPR may require manufacturers to set up
systems to collect and recycle old devices to reduce electronic waste and promote
more sustainable product designs.