Specialist Technical Properties

Question 1

What factors should designers consider when selecting materials?

Answer 1

Designers should consider functionality, affordability, aesthetics, environmental factors, and availability.

Question 2

What does functionality refer to in material selection?

Answer 2

Functionality refers to ensuring the material is fit for purpose based on how the product will be used.

Question 3

Why is affordability important in material selection?

Answer 3

Affordability allows designers to produce products at a bigger profit, especially when bulk-buying materials.

Question 4

What aesthetic factors should designers consider?

Answer 4

Designers should consider colour, texture, and surface finish when selecting materials.

Question 5

What example is given for aesthetic considerations?

Answer 5

Dan is designing a bedside cabinet and must consider colour, texture, surface finish, and compatibility with other items in the range.

Question 6

What are environmental factors in material selection?

Answer 6

Environmental factors include sustainability, extraction ease, renewability, local sourcing, reuse, and recyclability.

Question 7

Why is availability a consideration in material selection?

Answer 7

Availability affects sourcing ease, cost, and efficiency, as some materials are only available in stock sizes.

Question 8

What factors should designers consider when selecting materials for a product?

Answer 8

Designers should consider aesthetics, cost, cultural factors, and social and ethical factors.

Question 9

What is meant by aesthetics in product design?

Answer 9

Aesthetics refers to the visual appeal of the product, including its design and surface finish.

Question 10

What cost factors must designers consider?

Answer 10

Designers must consider raw material, manufacturing, packaging, shipping costs, and the selling price.

Question 11

What is the relationship between material cost and product pricing?

Answer 11

The cost of materials and manufacture should not exceed the final price of the product.

Question 12

What does it mean for materials to be affordable?

Answer 12

Selected materials should match the value of the overall product; expensive materials in a budget product are not viable.

Question 13

How does bulk-buying affect manufacturing costs?

Answer 13

Bulk-buying enables manufacturers to negotiate discounts, allowing lower production costs and potentially lower prices for customers.

Question 14

What are cultural factors in product design?

Answer 14

Cultural factors encompass the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a group, affecting how products are received in a multicultural society.

Question 15

What example illustrates cultural sensitivity in product design?

Answer 15

The Bank of England received complaints from the vegan community after releasing banknotes containing traces of animal fat.

Question 16

What responsibility do designers have regarding social and ethical factors?

Answer 16

Designers must consider a product’s impact on society, even if it means using more expensive, ethically sourced materials.

Question 17

What are examples of unethical products?

Answer 17

Unethical products damage the environment or exploit people, such as those linked to palm oil production causing deforestation.

Question 18

What does the FSC logo signify?

Answer 18

Products with the FSC logo have been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council, indicating sustainable sourcing of wood or paper.

Question 19

What do forces apply to objects?

Answer 19

Forces apply stress to objects, causing them to break or change shape.

Question 20

How is force measured?

Answer 20

Force is measured in newtons (N).

Question 21

How is stress measured?

Answer 21

Stress is measured in newtons per square metre (N/m²).

Question 22

What can strong materials withstand?

Answer 22

Strong materials are able to withstand large forces without breaking.

Question 23

What is tension?

Answer 23

Tension is a stretching or pulling force.

Question 24

What is compression?

Answer 24

Compression is a squashing or pushing force.

Question 25

What is bending?

Answer 25

Bending is a combination of tension and compression forces.

Question 26

What is shear?

Answer 26

Shear is a cutting force where opposing forces are not directly opposite each other.

Question 27

What is torsion?

Answer 27

Torsion is a twisting force that attempts to rotate two ends of a material in opposite directions.

Question 28

What is the purpose of enhancing materials?

Answer 28

Materials and objects can be manipulated to resist and work with forces and stresses. This may involve them being reinforced, stiffened or made more flexible.

Question 29

What is lamination?

Answer 29

Lamination involves adding layers to a material to form a composite. The addition of layers increases the material's strength, rigidity and sometimes flexibility. ## Footnote Example: Paper can be laminated in a plastic pouch to create a stronger, more durable and water-resistant sheet.

Question 30

How is plywood laminated?

Answer 30

In plywood, layers of wood are compressed and glued at 90° to each other to increase strength.

Question 31

What is interfacing in textiles?

Answer 31

Interfacing is often used in textiles to add strength to materials. Extra layers of fabric are ironed (fusible interfacing) or sewn (sew-in interfacing) onto the unseen side of garments to maintain shape and add strength and rigidity. ## Footnote Example: It is often used in shirt collars and cuffs and in baseball caps to add rigidity.

Question 32

What is webbing?

Answer 32

Webbing is woven into strips to give it high tensile strength. It is often used in items that are subjected to a lot of tension, such as seatbelts and strapping used to secure heavy equipment.

Question 33

What are the characteristics of webbing?

Answer 33

Webbing is often made from synthetic fibres, making it lightweight and flexible.

Question 34

How does bending affect materials?

Answer 34

Bending materials to form curves, arches and tubes can stiffen and strengthen them significantly.

Question 35

What is an example of a material that uses bending for strength?

Answer 35

Corrugated card incorporates a fluted layer between two outside sheets, which makes it a lot stronger and rigid.

Question 36

How does folding add strength to materials?

Answer 36

Folding creates a crease between two sides of a bend, adding strength and flexibility enabling materials to bend more easily. ## Footnote Example: A piece of paper placed over a gap (like a bridge) will not withstand a lot of added weight. However, when paper is folded into a concertina shape it can hold more weight.

Question 37

What must designers consider when creating new products?

Answer 37

Designers must consider the environmental impact of sourcing, transporting, and manufacturing potential materials.

Question 38

What is deforestation?

Answer 38

Deforestation is the clearing of rainforests and wooded areas, leading to the loss of animal habitats and contributing to climate change.

Question 39

How does deforestation contribute to climate change?

Answer 39

Trees remove CO2 from the atmosphere; fewer trees mean increased CO2 levels, contributing to the greenhouse effect and rising global temperatures.

Question 40

What are some environmental impacts of mining?

Answer 40

Mining causes land clearance, pollution, and requires energy from fossil fuels, releasing CO2 and depleting non-renewable resources.

Question 41

What resources are extracted through drilling?

Answer 41

Oil and gas, which are finite and unsustainable fossil fuels, are extracted through drilling.

Question 42

What are the environmental consequences of drilling?

Answer 42

Drilling can cause land and sea pollution, with waste products and oil spills harming marine habitats.

Question 43

What impact does livestock farming have on the environment?

Answer 43

Livestock farming requires large land areas, leading to habitat destruction and reduced biodiversity.

Question 44

How do chemical pesticides and fertilizers affect the environment?

Answer 44

They can leak into local water and soil, polluting habitats and killing wildlife.

Question 45

What is a carbon footprint?

Answer 45

The amount of carbon dioxide released by a product during its life cycle.

Question 46

What factors contribute to a product's carbon footprint?

Answer 46

1. Carbon produced during extraction, processing, and manufacture. 2. Distance materials have traveled. 3. Pollution or energy use during the product's life. 4. Energy required for disposal or recycling.

Question 47

What is the impact of the bed's carbon footprint?

Answer 47

Although the bed does not cause pollution during use, the carbon produced during extraction, processing, manufacture, and transport is likely to be extremely high.

Question 48

What does the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 protect?

Answer 48

The health, rights, and safety of workers in the UK.

Question 49

What responsibilities do employers have regarding worker safety?

Answer 49

Employers must provide safety equipment and training.

Question 50

What issues arise in countries without adequate worker protections?

Answer 50

Workers may be exploited, forced to work long hours for low wages, and in unsafe conditions.

Question 51

What ethical responsibility do businesses have?

Answer 51

To ensure the rights of workers across their supply chain, from extraction to distribution.

Question 52

What forms of pollution can product manufacturing cause?

Answer 52

Ocean pollution and atmospheric pollution.

Question 53

What is a major contributor to ocean pollution?

Answer 53

Almost 8 million tons of plastic per year ends up in the oceans, damaging habitats and killing marine wildlife.

Question 54

How can ocean pollution be reduced?

Answer 54

By significantly reducing plastic use and increasing recycling rates.

Question 55

What causes air pollution?

Answer 55

The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases such as CO2 and SO2 into the atmosphere.

Question 56

What are the health effects of air pollution?

Answer 56

Air pollution can cause respiratory health problems, particularly in industrial areas.

Question 57

How can air pollution be reduced?

Answer 57

By shifting away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency in products.