Lecture_14_Investigation and Research for Design and Development

8/12/2019 Lecture_14_Investigation and Research for Design and Development

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Investigation and Research forDesign and Development

Chapter - 7


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Asking Questions

Open-ended questionsCan have more than one answerOften lead to other questions

First questions asked should be general innature

Example: what packaging changes wouldconsumers like?


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Using Market Research

Consumer market researchUseful for researching prior to a purchasedecisionExample: Consumer Reports magazine

Companies may want to answer specificquestions

Example: what do customers dislike about theexisting ketchup bottle?


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Using Market Research (contd.)

Research methodsQuestionnairesFocus groupsConsumer interviews

Information from market research:Used early in the project

And throughout the design process


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Using Primary Sources

Primary sourceOriginal information not previously summarizedor reportedMost reliable information designers can use

Sometimes available in online databases


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Consumer-Based Information

Ways to ask questionsPost on an Internet blogInvite group of people that fit market

demographic to a focus group sessionTelephone or face-to-face surveysTest marketing


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Patent Information

Intellectual propertyCertain types of ideas and informationUsed to determine legal ownership rights

Three types of patentsUtility patentDesign patentPlant patent


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Trademark and CopyrightProtection Trademark

Word, name, symbol, or device used to market a productIndicates the source of the goods

Service markUsed to identify the source of the service

Trademark law

Protects companies against others using thesame mark on competing product or service


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Trademark and CopyrightProtection (contd.) Copyright

Similar to a trademarkProtects literary, dramatic, musical, artistic worksRegistered by the Copyright Office of the Library

of CongressMarked with the symbol

PlagiarismUsing a direct quote or paraphrase without givingcredit to the authorCan carry serious consequences


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Patent Searches andIndependent Inventor Resources US Patent and Trademark Office

Database searchable on the Web

Google search engineCan be used to search patents

Inventors Assistance Center (IAC)Resource for individual inventors


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Visiting Stores

Methods to learn about new productsVisit stores in personGet information online

Need permission to photograph, operate, ormeasure a product when in a store


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Laboratory Studies

Used when essential information is unavailable Expensive Direct observation of a material or process

Example: Heinz testing silicone valve fromshampoo bottle cap

May use consumers to test products


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Using Secondary Sources

Secondary sourcePreviously published informationReport may be accurateMay not contain critical information

Good place to start research


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Library Homepages

Poor research techniques:Lead to irrelevant or discouraging information

Library homepageGood place to start

Trade journals may be available for your topic


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Web Portals

Online librariesRefdesk.comInternet Public LibraryVirtual Reference Desk

Libraryspot.com


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Encyclopedias

Britannica.com Wikipedia Look for keywords you can use to do further

research


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Internet

Many search engines are available Sort information for relevancy May need to narrow the search topic Google Scholar

Excellent tool for searching scholarly articles Allows for Boolean logic searching

AND, NOT, and OR


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Magazines, Trade Journals, andNewspapers Some specialized search engines:

Can search databases of magazines andnewspapers

Trade journalsSpecific to a disciplineExample: Plastic Additives & Compounding


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Saving Information and CitingSources Bookmark relevant information

Organize it in files

Google DocsProvides document storage and sharing

Provide accurate and complete referencesUse specified reference style


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Using Human FactorsInformation Products must be designed for the intended

users Human factors engineering

Design of products to fit human needs Application of knowledge about people and theirenvironments to product designInvolves psychology, biology, anthropology, andother disciplines


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The Myth of the Average Person

Most things are not designed for the averageperson

Custom items designed for a specific person

Door is designed to allow nearly everyone topass through without bending


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Human Scale

Design team needs to get information abouthuman users

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Lecture_14_Investigation and Research for Design and Development