Question. 1)Explain Product design.
How does it influence the Process Design?
Ans :
The product design
process can be a complex one involving cross-functional teams from within your
own organisation working together, often with help from outside design experts.
Regardless of whether you are developing a product entirely in-house or using
an external product designer, a clear product design brief is essential if you
want to be rewarded with a smooth-running project and a worthwhile outcome.
A product design
brief is the key point of reference that both you and your design team can go
back to for clarification at all stages of the design process.
All aspects of a
brief benefit from input from as wide a range of people within your
organisation as possible, not just a select few. Consulting widely means you're
less likely to overlook important issues and details that could complicate the
process later on, while the resulting brief will have 'buy-in' from people who
feel they've been involved in creating it. People within your company can add
value by interrogating the brief, ensuring nothing obvious is left out. And
your external design partner will certainly want to interrogate the brief and
come back with questions that may lead to further development of the brief
before any work begins.
Start with the customer need
Successful new
products should be based on what your research-based insights are telling you
the customer could need and want in the future. This can be found from a range
of sources including focus group research, customer advisory panels, analysis
of your competitor products, trend information etc. The key here is to identify
what insights you have gained that might help differentiate your new product
from others on the market.
The market for the product
Information in this
section is critical to understand the risk and financial return involved with
new product development. It should include:-
- Potential market size and growth trends
- Anticipated market share
- Pricing range
- Competitive products or services
- Research of existing patents to identify any
conflicts
- Other influencing factors on the market
Product attributes and specifications
Great care needs to
be taken to ensure that product attributes and specifications directly connect
back to the consumer problem/need you have identified and are trying to
address. In this part of the brief you should clearly explain:-
Purpose
Where and what the product is used for? Do not think of your product in isolation. Fully understand the environment and context for use and how it may be used in connection with other products or processes.
Where and what the product is used for? Do not think of your product in isolation. Fully understand the environment and context for use and how it may be used in connection with other products or processes.
Performance
What does the product have to do? Explain what the primary operating characteristics are, i.e. this product must be designed to work in wet conditions, be assembled for use in less than 30 seconds or be compatible with the full range of tractor engine brands.
What does the product have to do? Explain what the primary operating characteristics are, i.e. this product must be designed to work in wet conditions, be assembled for use in less than 30 seconds or be compatible with the full range of tractor engine brands.
Features
What additional things must it have? Apart from doing its job, what else will make it more appealing, useful and user-friendly? Does it need a non-slip handle, a child-proof cap, a non-graffiti surface? Will recyclability of all the components be required?
What additional things must it have? Apart from doing its job, what else will make it more appealing, useful and user-friendly? Does it need a non-slip handle, a child-proof cap, a non-graffiti surface? Will recyclability of all the components be required?
Reliability
What is the expectation for the product life? Have sustainability issues been considered?
What is the expectation for the product life? Have sustainability issues been considered?
Ease of repair
Is it designed for self-repair or does it need to be taken to an expert? Is a spare part included with the initial product? What is the estimated repair time?
Is it designed for self-repair or does it need to be taken to an expert? Is a spare part included with the initial product? What is the estimated repair time?
Aesthetics
What about the look and feel for the user? How important is the ergonomics of the product? What about the choice of fabric or coating? Is there a product colour range it needs to match? What brand values need to be reflected in the look and feel? How will it sit against the competitor's range of products?
What about the look and feel for the user? How important is the ergonomics of the product? What about the choice of fabric or coating? Is there a product colour range it needs to match? What brand values need to be reflected in the look and feel? How will it sit against the competitor's range of products?
Packaging
What are the requirements for packing, labelling and handling? Does it need to fit in a standard-size shipping container, or a restricted freezer space at the supermarket? In terms of competitor packaging, what it must it do to stand out? Is sustainability a factor in purchase and does the packaging need to be recyclable?
What are the requirements for packing, labelling and handling? Does it need to fit in a standard-size shipping container, or a restricted freezer space at the supermarket? In terms of competitor packaging, what it must it do to stand out? Is sustainability a factor in purchase and does the packaging need to be recyclable?
Perceived quality
Does the quality reflect the company's standards and brand values? Does it need to be rugged, quiet, with a stain-free finish? Does it need to look expensive? Or practical and simple?
Does the quality reflect the company's standards and brand values? Does it need to be rugged, quiet, with a stain-free finish? Does it need to look expensive? Or practical and simple?
Scale and type of production
How much of this product are you aiming to produce and how is production being managed? What are the production constraints that need to be taken into account?
How much of this product are you aiming to produce and how is production being managed? What are the production constraints that need to be taken into account?
Cost
– what are your expectations? Outline what cost you expect or need the product to be produced for and also the cost of service. Costs should be broken down into:-
– what are your expectations? Outline what cost you expect or need the product to be produced for and also the cost of service. Costs should be broken down into:-
- Development costs
- Prototyping and pilot/testing costs
- IP protection costs such as patents, design
registrations, trademarks
- Capital costs such as tooling, additional plant
and machinery
- Manufacturing costs
- Marketing costs for packaging, and promotion
- Distribution costs such as warehousing,
freight, import or export taxes
You will need to
consider the selling price expectations of the retailer and identify if there
is enough margin between your cost price and selling price to make a good
profit and cope with any fluctuations in material costs, exchange rates etc.
Timescale
There are a number
of milestones and go/no go points in product development. Any timescale needs
to take account of the development process being used, the complexity of the
development and the number of parties who are involved in the development
process.
Other considerations
While a brief
should be concise and cogent rather than rambling, it's also a good idea not to
assume any knowledge on the part of the design team, and it's better to provide
more detail, perhaps in the form of appended documents or signposts to other
sources, than to leave possible question marks.
Don't fear flexibility
It's quite
possible, once a project is underway, that a brief may need to change. This
doesn't make it a bad brief, and provided changes are fully discussed and
agreed they won't undermine the core brief.
A change in brief
and to the scope of the project, may also mean that costs need to be revisited.
A cost estimate may have been based on the first brief, but any changes to the
brief should always be discussed in terms of their implications for production
costs.
A lot of forethought,
imagination and engineering go into the design process, not to mention the
time, determination and energy it takes to see it through to completion.
Whether you are designing your child's costume for the school play, a wedding
gown for the princess of Wales or the newest model in Jeep Wranglers, it is a
work in progress. There is much that will influence as well as factor into the
overall success of your design.
Product Analysis is the process of identifying, looking
at or disassembling a product and identifying its main features. The aim is to
understand more about a product and improve it in the future. Many factors
influence the development of a product, some are listed below.
The rich picture above gives an outline to some of the
many factors that affect the development of a product. Below is more detail
regarding each of the points mentioned above.
COST
The cost of the materials and
labour required to manufacture the product.
The price potential customers are
prepared to pay for the product.
ERGONOMICS
The product may be designed for
human use. As a result ergonomics (sizes etc...) will pay a major role.
MATERIALS
The availability of materials and
the development of new, hi-technology materials will have an influence on
the final design of a product.
CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
The customer will have great
influence over the way a product is designed and develops. As a product is
designed it is normal for potential customers to be questioned about the type
of product or design that they prefer. For example, when designing a mobile
phone a design team will show potential customers several designs and make
changes according to their likes and dislikes.
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION
All products are manufactured
through one of the following manufacturing techniques:
Single Item / Prototype / One
Off
Batch Production
Continuous Production
Just in Time
When designing a product the most desirable production
technique may influence the way the final
product looks.
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COMPANY IDENTITY
The product may have to display the company image. Most
companies are proud of their public image.
This may determine the colour scheme applied to the product,
the way it looks or even the materials
that are used in its
manufacture (i.e. recycled materials).
AESTHETICS
The shape and form of the product may determine the layout of
circuits or mechanisms etc.. inside it.
Products are often designed to look stylish. The style
applied to the outside of a product can quite easily
influence the technology inside it. Aesthetics can also alter
the production / manufacturing techniques
through which it is made.
FASHION
The fashion of the time influences the design of products.
Usually people want to buy up to date
items not ones based on 'last years look'.
CULTURE
Some products are aimed at different cultures and countries.
A product acceptable in one culture may
be looked up one as offensive or less desirable in another.
The use of colours and colour schemes are a good example of this.
FUNCTIONS
The number of functions a product has to perform will
inevitably affect its design. Exactly what
is the product going to do?
ENVIRONMENT
Many people (customers) are concerned about their environment
and the damage to it caused
by industrial production. When designing a product it may be
wise to ensure that the materials
can be recycled or the product itself can be
manufactured from a large
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