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SECTION 8: viability of design solutions
Every day millions of products are disposed of, some because they are broken, some because they have been replaced and some because they are no longer desired. But, the question is, were they good products? This section looks at what makes a product viable?
what makes a design good?
A 'good' product/ solution meets stakeholder needs/ wants & requirements
A good product is a feasible product
A good product is Commercial viability - Something that people need or want & something that will sell
8.1 how can designers assess whether a design solution meets the stakeholder requirements?
a product becomes a good product when it's used by all of its intended stakeholders and follows the rule of the '10 things'. when you explore meeting stakeholder requirements you need to consider the following:
BBC Bitesize - things you should already know
Critically evaluate: what to explore?
to be able to evaluate a product you need to understand what it was intended to do, and then look at how well it did it. A key consideration here is to look at the products requirements and how those requirements were decided upon. These methods can often be used to review the success of a product (against what it was required to do)
feasibility studies
SWOT analysis
Product requirements
Stakerholder discussions
focus group feedback
Something key to remember here is that any review from the methods above should not just happen at the end of a project - it should happen repeatedly throughout the process to keep success likely. this is the iterative design process.
In addition to the qualitative feedback gathered from the methods above, designers and manufacturers will also gather quantitative data to ensure products meet technical requirements. Examples include destructive/ non destructive testing and Virtual (CAE/ CAD) testing.
Specific things to test and evaluate
Functionality
the main consideration of any product is whether it does the job its intended to do - does it function? The success of it may come down to a number of things but could include:
> Material choice
> manufacturing technique
> Assembly methods
> Size
> Shape
Like all areas of evaluation, testing for functionality is not left until the product is actually being used. For the iterative design process to be successful, the testing and evaluation of thoughts and designs must be completed throughout, with Stages such as modelling, CAD modelling and radip prototyping being used to do this. Testing throughout and involving other in the process will help prevent design fixation and ensure the product is right for the users needs/ wants.
When testing functionality, it is key to ensure any testing is completed in an environment which is as close to the real use as possible. Testing a pair of football boots at a climbing wall would not give realisitc feedback of their functionality
ease of use
This is all about how easy a product is to use.
> Do you need instructions or training?
> Can you follow the menus on the user interface?
> Can all aspects be operated - opening, closing, operating, storing, carrying or adjusting etc)
> Are there similar difficulties between users?
How do you find out if something is easy for users to use?
What makes something easy to use?
What is the best method for testing?
User discussion
group testing
sample sales
inclusivity
Is the product aimed at you? Can you use it anyway?
Is it inclusive or exclusive? Can a range of users use it?
Does it matter about your Age, gender, disability/ ability, background, culture, spoken language?
You must check in with users & stakeholders to understand their views
user needs
Before you can test if the product meets the users needs, you must know what the users needs are. In your NEA you will explore this in detail as it is an important aspect for building your project upon. It is the same for commercially manufactured products and these needs must be well researched.
Consider immediate needs and the long term needs.
Take a bike for example, what does a user need it to be/ do/ have?
> Comfort
> Adjustability
> ability to replace components
> a method for moving (usually pedals)
> a method for stopping (usually brakes)
You could also consider what a user might want - not necessary, just preference
How do you record you findings?
Testing with the user for iterations: How to approach making changes
creating a model
There are many ways to share ideas (before the final product is available) with users and stakeholders - sketches, models, cad, virtual reality and augmented reality. It is at these stages when changes/ iterations are made so that the final product is 'perfect'.
Having a physical model however can really help to gain valuable feedback in terms of how succesful the final product might be. Its also an easy way to work towards changes because both you (ther designer) and the user can make modifications to show ideas/ intentions.
solving the problem
experts
specialists
data
testing
information
stakeholders
research/ collaboration
iterative design process
design
test/ evaluate
development
solution as an illustration
solution as a model
collaboration and multi-disciplinary working
Who knows everything about everything? Exactly...
Because this is the case, collaboration with others is a fantastic way to improve a products design. Working with experts from other fields or just sharing ideas for a different perspective can hold value and lead to improved developments/ outcomes of products.
With popular products there are always collaborations - somethines just for fun, not function.
Delivery phase
The product development stage is followed by the delivery stage which includes:
> testing the final product with key stakeholders to ensure it meets all of the requirements
> product approval by all of the stakeholders
> Product Launch to the consumers
> Target setting to ensure specific costs, waste or energy comsumption is met
> Product evaluation to explore feedback and observations of fault or failures -
developments made
Consider the evolution of the i phone and what changes happen between the different versions. Why are the changes made? Market pull or technology push?
Think about the other things that update too, like the software, which enables your phone to perform differently.
The importance of testing the feasibility of getting the product to market
Getting a product onto the market can be very difficult and can be halted by many things, even if you think you have the perfect product.
> Large companies must meet their existing standards to ensure they meet
customer expectations
> small companies might not have the financial backing that larger companies do
> A new brand might not be recognised and consumers may go with a familiar one.
So, to ensure that the designer has got it right, and the product will be a success, there are plenty of ways in which they can communicate and test the producst potential:
> Visual testing with the use of CAD, VR and AR
> Trailling the protorype or initial (trial) runs of the product with potential users
> Working with focus groups to gather wider feedback about the product
> Specific testing (destrictive and non/destructive)
considerations when getting a product to market.
Considering cost
When considering the cost of a product, there is more to it than just, 'how much to buy' and 'how much to sell'. Other considerations include:
> material costs
> bought in component costs
> manufacturing costs (equipment, tols, jigs/ formers, maintenance)
> Legal costs covering insurances, intellectual property
> Marketing costs
> Packaging costs
> Transportation costs
At the beginning of a new venture, all of the above will be calcualted on predictions, on forecasting sales. If this is mis-judged then profits will be affected and there may either be a shortfall of products or a surpluss of redundant ones left over, unable to sell.
Profit = Product sales - initial costs
Although, usually for a product to be deemed viable and break even/ bring profit to a company, there are examples where a product may be allowed to create a loss if its accessories and add-ons bring in further sales, e.g.
Consoles and games - colsoles sell for a loss but sales in games bring profit
reusable Razors - handles sell for a loss but the replacable blades bring profit
Printers - some printers sell for a loss but replacement ink brings in profit
consumer appeal
Think about why you buy a particular product. It is probably rarely
just because of how it functions. More often it will be beacuse of
one of the following:
> Your personal taste/ preference
> current fashion or trends
> your favourite brand/ make of product
> how it looks - its aesthetic appearnace
Lots of reseacrh goes into consumer behaviour and companies spend huge amounts of money ensuring that they are engaging with consumers in the best way possible, considering things like when, where and why people buy products.
packaging
Packaging is more than just a box and like many other aspects of a products launch, it must be considered carefully. These considerations will include:
> Material required and its cost (primary and secondary packaging)
> Print area and print colours (cmyk)
> production run (how many required)
> level of protection
> additional functions (water resistance/ uv resisatance)
> added value (luxury)
> impact on the environment (material sourcing, recycling, waste, carbon footprint etc)
Other considerations for packaging design include:
> Advertising impact
> Internal shape (to hold the product appropriately)
> External shape (to stack and store efficiently)
Which is your favourite brand?
Why?
Are you more for the form or the function?
Meeting the relative standards
Most consumers may be completely unaware that the product they have bought might need to meet particular standards, but for a product to meet their requirements (needs/ wants), it will need to meet a specific range of standards.
These standards include specific points which a product or service will need to evidence in order to meet approval. There are 3 bodies which you should recognise - BSI, CE and ISO.
BSI - british standards institute - Globally recognised organisation with 5 types of standard:
> Specifications
> Methods
> Guides
> Vocabolaries
> Codes of practice
As mentioned, specific products have specific standards they can be awarded, for example when it comes to childrens toys there are a particualr list of requirements they must meet and the considerations include:
> mechanical and physical requirements
> flammability regulations
> organic chemical compound restrictions, limits and tests
> electric toys
> children's playground safety
> inflartable play equipment
CE - Conformite European
ISO - international standards organisation
Seen this?
This logo means a product has met safety standards.
introduced in 1903 to indicate a product is safe to use, reliable and of an appropriate quality.
You would want to see it on the products you buy, and awarded to products you make.
Standards for car numberplates
BSI
Toy manufacture
Kitemark
International standards
8.2 how can design engineers/ product designers assess whether a design solution meets the criteria of technical specifications?
physical testing
functionality
accuracy
destructive testing
non-destructive testing
design engineering testing
performance
durability and after care
accelerated testing
performance, fitness and purpose
consumer testing
8.3 how do design engineers/ product designers and manufacturers determine whether design solutions are commercially viable?
feasibility studies
Scope
Bias
commercial viability
impact on user lifestyles
How well a product performs
Technical difficulty of manufacture
Stock availability of materials and components
Costs and profit
timescales
promotion, brand awareness and advertising potential
Balancing supply & demand
Market analysis of similar products
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