Approaches to designing Flashcards
What is iterative design and its advantages and disadvantages
Each design is tested and evaluated. Changes and refinements are made, leading to a new design
Advantages:
Focuses on critical aspects of a products design
Greatly involves the client’s feedback
Disadvantages:
Focus on current design so you lose the bigger design picture
Time consuming to make many prototypes and iterations
What is user centred design and its advantages and disadvantages
The needs and wants of the client are considered extensively at each stage of the design process
Advantages:
Client has a greater sense of ownership over the final product
Listening to the client means the product will meet the client’s expectations
Disadvantages:
Extra time to meet and discuss with clients and to alter design based on feedback
If it becomes too focused on a particular client, it might be hard to sell to the wider public
What is systems thinking and what is its advantages and disadvantages
Starts with an overview of the overall system. The details of the individual components are considered later
Advantages:
Doesn’t require specialist knowledge to design an overview of it
Designed in blocks so its easier to find errors and faults in the design
Disadvantages:
Lead to unnecessary components being used
Unnecessary components can lead to larger systems and extra cost
What is the structure of a system
Input - take a real world signal and turn it into an electrical one
Process - alter electronic signals to create functions, e.g. timing
Driver - increase signal going to the output
Output - take an electronic signal and turn it into a real world one
What are the input components
Push to make switch - allows current to flow through it when pressed
LDR - has a resistance that changes depending on light level
Thermistor - has a resistance that changes depending on temperature
What is the process component
Microcontroller - a small computer on an integrated circuit that can be programmed to provide functionality such as timing, counting and decision making
What are the output components
Buzzer - produces a buzzing sound when a current flows through it
Speaker - turns electronic signals into sounds
Lamp - produces light when a current flows through it
What are facts about Harry Beck
Designed London Underground map
Influenced by the layouts in electronic schematics
The design has been widely copied for use in public transport systems across the world
What are facts about Coco Chanel
A French fashion designer
Specialises in luxury items, fashion accessories and ready to wear clothing
What are some facts about Apple
A multinational consumer electronics company based in California. Founded by Steve Jobs in 1976
Initially the company sold personal computers, such as the Macintosh. This was extremely innovative at the time due to the use of a graphical user interface and the mouse
Later Apple produced the aesthetically iconic iMac G3, the iPod portable digital music player and the hugely successful iPhone, which combined elements of both the G3 and the iPod with the touch screen mobile phone
What are some facts about Dyson
A British design company
Formed by James Dyson in 1991 as a way of bringing his new bagless vacuum cleaner invention into the market
As well as being bagless, Dyson vacuum cleaners do not lose suction due to their unique cyclone dust separation technology
What are the ecological issues in the design and manufacture of products
Deforestation - habitats are lost
Mining - cause erosion and the contamination of soil
Oil - oil spills harm wildlife
Over-farming - pesticides lead to the contamination of land and death of wildlife
Carbon - released into the atmosphere which contributes to climate change
What are the 6 Rs
Reduce - how can the materials and components be reduced? Is it necessary?
Rethink - how can the product be changed so it’s less harmful to the environment? Can a better way to solve the problem be found?
Refuse - should the product be produced if it isn’t sustainably designed? Is the packaging necessary
Recycle - is the product made using recycled materials? Could the materials be recycled once the product is no longer useful?
Reuse - could the product be used in a different way once the current use has expired? Could it be disassembled so that its materials and components could be used in other products
Repair - is the product easy to repair? Are replacement components readily available?
What are the social issues in the design and manufacture of products
