Mod11 TE REPRINT - volusiaacademies.wikispaces.net · 11 MODULE Different by Design Teacher Guide . Different by Design 11 MODULE. Ford Motor Company

11MODULE

Different by Design

Teacher Guide

www.FordPAS.org

Different by Design

11MODULE

Ford Motor Company

Cheryl Carrier, Karl Fiegenschuh, Ken Haas, Sherry Mueller, Shelley Nerothin, Bob Pazdzierz,

Paul Poledink, Mike Schmidt, T. A. Sweder, Baback Yazdani, Dan Zablocki

Education Development Center, Inc.

Elizabeth D. Bjork, Kristen Bjork, Anastasia Bogushevskaya, Christine Brown, Bethany Carlson,

Jen Clarke, Jennifer Davis-Kay, Maria D’Souza, Rebecca Gondek, Stacy Grossman, Vivian

Guilfoy, Karen Hlynsky, Tajah Holmes, Ilene Kantrov, Cora Landy, Emily McLeod, Mya Rae

Nelson, Jennifer Sennett, Paul Shiffler, Anne Shure, Sonya Tung

We are particularly grateful to the following consultants, reviewers, and pilot teachers who

provided invaluable suggestions and feedback: Stephen Andrews, William Berry, Diane Brancazio,

Frank Chang, Amy Cupples-Rubiano, Keith Davis, Sharon DeCarlo, Kelly Henderson, Dr. Joseph

Hoffman, Juhani M. Kelvin, Jack Kovach, Jerry Ku, Sarah Madsen Hardy, Roy Moore, Dean Muller,

Liz Oke, Lara Presber, Thomas G. Rosa, Steve Smith, Jesse Southwick, Laura Tracey

We also appreciate the assistance provided by Norman Asper (The College of New Jersey),

William Beaty (amasci.com), The Center for Universal Design/College of Design at North

Carolina State University, Bettina Giemsa (ITEDO), Gary Halada (Stony Brook University),

David Hendrix (The Hendrix Group), Stephanie Karlis (OXO International), Tom Kelly (IDEO),

Michael S. Pritchard (Western Michigan University), Gary Rivlin (Contributing Editor,

Wired.com), Nirali Sanghi (IndiaParenting.com), Diane Schuch-Miller (Greenfield Coalition,

Focus HOPE), Carolyn Upshaw-Royal (NextEnergy), Stephen Yaffe and Greg Sisk (PTC),

and Rebecca Zaranko (Villaware®, a division of Tilia, Inc.).

Copyright© 2004 by Ford Motor Company Fund. Second printing 2008.

Acknowledgements

Printed on recycled paper

Notes: Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS)

MODULE SEQUENCE

Designing for Tomorrow

Designing for Tomorrow engages students in the process of product design and focuses on key

design issues of the 21st century. Students begin in Reverse Engineering with the challenge of

reverse engineering—analyzing products from the perspectives of consumers and manufacturers.

In Different by Design, students experience the design process themselves, redesigning an existing

product in order to meet specific needs or goals. Finally, in Energy for the Future, students explore

innovative technologies that may transform energy use in this century.

Building Foundations

Module 1—From Concept to Consumer: Building a Foundation in Problem-Solving

Module 2—Media and Messages: Building a Foundation of Communication Skills

Module 3—People at Work: Building a Foundation of Research Skills

Adapting to Change

Module 4—Careers, Companies, and Communities

Module 5—Closing the Environmental Loop

Module 6—Planning for Efficiency

Managing and Marketing with Data

Module 7—Planning for Business Success

Module 8—Ensuring Quality

Module 9—From Data to Knowledge


Module 10—Reverse Engineering

Module 11—Different by Design

Module 12—Energy for the Future

Understanding a Global Economy

Module 13—The Wealth of Nations

Module 14—Markets Without Borders

Module 15—Global Citizens

Why are products designed the way they are? How do the people who invent or design products

come up with ideas and develop their designs? How do they balance the needs and wishes of

consumers with the realities of doing business? How can innovations in energy conversion

technology be used to meet future energy needs, given social, ecological, and financial concerns?

In Designing for Tomorrow, you’ll learn the process of product design and explore key design

issues of the 21st century. You’ll begin in Reverse Engineering with the challenge of reverse

engineering: you’ll analyze products from the perspectives of consumers and manufacturers.

In Different by Design, you’ll experience the design process yourselves, redesigning an

existing product in order to meet specific needs or goals. Finally, in Energy for the Future,

you’ll explore innovative technologies that may transform energy use in this century.

Module 10

Reverse Engineering

Module 11

Different by Design

Module 12

Energy for the Future

Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS)


MODULE OVERVIEW

Introduction

Activities at a Glance

Module Planning Calendar

Module Learning Goals

Correlation with Academic Standards and Core Skills

Teaching Suggestions

ACTIVITY 1: THE MARKET DECIDES

Session 1: A Design Challenge/Who Defines Success?

Session 2: The Product Design Process/Product Review Research

Session 3: Product Review Presentation

Proposing a Redesign

Session 4: Listening to Customer Needs

Session 5: Transportation Idea Generation/Choosing a Product

Session 6: Asking the Right Questions/Plan Your Redesign Tasks

ACTIVITY 2: FROM NEED TO CONCEPT

Session 7: A Study of the Mundane

Session 8: Why So Many?/Knowing the Competition/Measuring Up

Sessions 9 and 10: Creating a Concept

Session 11: Considering Customer Needs for Redesign

Session 12: Redesign Concepts/Quiz 1

MODULE 11:Different By Design

TABLE OF CONTENTST 1

T 1

T 2

T 4

T 6

T 8

T 16

T 18

T 20

T 21

T 22

T 23

T 24

T 25

T 26

T 27

T 29

T 30

T 31

T 32

T 33

ACTIVITY 3: WHICH PRODUCT CONCEPT?

Session 13: Create a Decision Matrix/Comparing Concepts

Session 14: Scoring a Decision Matrix/Scoring Headphones

Session 15: Manny’s Batting Gloves/Is the Concept Worth the Cost?

Session 16: Redesign Decision Matrix

Session 17: Redesign in Minutes

Teacher Information: Creating and Scoring a Decision Matrix

Teacher Information: BestFone Options

ACTIVITY 4: STANDING OUT IN THE CROWD

Session 18: What Is Industrial Design?/Discuss Industrial Design

Session 19: Style vs. Function/Seeking Good Design

Session 20: Limitations of Industrial Design

A Better Player

Session 21: Applying Good Design

Session 22: Applying Good Design/Quiz 2

ACTIVITY 5: PUTTING IT ON PAPER

Session 23: What’s in a Drawing?/Drawing a Not So Ordinary Sponge

Session 24: How Good A Description?

Who Has the Rights?

Session 25: Search the Database

Session 26: Advertising Your Redesign

Session 27: Drawing Your Product

Teacher Information: A Not So Ordinary Sponge

ACTIVITY 6: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Session 28: Redesign Proposal Preparation

Session 29: Redesign Proposal Presentations

Session 30: Module Test

T 34

T 36

T 37

T 38

T 41

T 42

T 43

T 47

T 49

T 51

T 52

T 53

T 54

T 55

T 56

T 57

T 59

T 60

T 61

T 62

T 63

T 64

T 65

T 69

T 71

T 72

T 73

REPRODUCIBLE MASTERS

Redesign Proposal Assessment

Customer Comments

Need Statement Table Peer Assessment

Dive Watch Benchmarking Table

Idea Generation Skills Assessment

Sample Drawings and Illustrations

Redesign Proposal Presentation Peer Assessment

Presentation Skills Assessment

Glossary

Module Quiz 1

Module Quiz 2

Module Test

QUIZZES AND TEST ANSWER KEYS

REFERENCES

T 74

1.1

1.2

1.3

2.1

2.2

5.1

6.1

6.2

G

Q1

Q2

T

T 75

T 78

MODULE 11:Different By Design

TABLE OF CONTENTSMODULE OVERVIEW

ACTIVITY 1: THE MARKET DECIDESA Design Challenge/Who Defines Success?

The OXO Product Design Process

Product Review Research

Redesign Proposal Guidelines

Product Review Presentation

Proposing a Redesign

Interview with a Landscape Architect

Listening to Customer Needs

Product Need Statements

The Art of Idea Generation

Choosing a Product

Getting Customer Feedback

Asking the Right Questions/Plan Your Redesign Tasks

Extensions

ACTIVITY 2: FROM NEED TO CONCEPTA Study of the Mundane

Knowing the Competition/Measuring Up

A Designer’s Concept

Creating a Concept

Considering Customer Needs for Redesign

Redesign Concepts

Choosing a Concept

Extensions

1

23

5

8

9

12

13

14

16

18

20

21

22

24

25

2627

28

30

32

34

35

36

37

ACTIVITY 3: WHICH PRODUCT CONCEPT?Comparing Concepts

Scoring Headphones

Manny’s Batting Gloves

Is the Concept Worth the Cost?

BestFone Case Study

Redesign Decision Matrix

Redesign in Minutes

Extensions

ACTIVITY 4: STANDING OUT IN THE CROWDWhat Is Industrial Design?

Industrial Design Comparison

Seeking Good Design

The SC Johnson Administration Building: Form vs. Function

A Better Player

Applying Good Design

Extensions

ACTIVITY 5: PUTTING IT ON PAPERWhat's in a Drawing?

Technical Drawings: Methods to Display Shape and Size

How Good a Description?

Who Has the Rights?

Patent Illustrations

Patents

Search the Database

Reaching Customers Through Print Ads

Advertising Your Redesign

Drawing Your Product

Extensions

ACTIVITY 6: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHERRedesign Proposal Preparation

Redesign Proposal Presentations/Extension

FOR FURTHER READING

REFERENCES

3839

41

42

45

47

50

51

52

5354

56

60

63

66

67

68

6970

72

77

78

79

81

83

85

87

88

89

9091

92

93

95

Module Overview

T 1

Notes: INTRODUCTION

In Different by Design, students take on the challenge of redesigning an existing product. They first

consider how the features and functions of a product are directly related to consumer needs. They

learn about the procedures that design teams use to develop products, including the screening and

scoring of potential concepts to find the one that best matches the team’s goal. Students then

complete a basic cost analysis of a product, addressing the economic factors that affect a product’s

development. They learn basic principles of industrial design and consider how such factors as

appearance and user-friendliness may influence both a company’s image and a product’s success.

Students are also introduced to the idea of intellectual property rights, and they conduct searches

for patents. Finally, students learn how to visually represent a design idea to different audiences,

from tradespeople to consumers, using technical drawings and illustrations.

Throughout Different by Design, students work in teams to apply the design tools they’ve learned

to a product of their choice. Teams compare and contrast different brands and models of a similar

product, exploring how each meets customers’ needs. At the conclusion of the module, teams present

a complete plan for a redesigned product. This module teaches students how to think and work like

engineers: They learn techniques used to turn customer feedback into useful design information and

how the creative aspects of the design process can fulfill customers’ needs in unique ways.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills

Drafting, Drawing, or Computer-Aided Design: Student should have some background in one

or more of these areas.

T 2

Notes: ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

Activity 1: The Market Decides (6 Sessions)

Students are introduced to the design process used to create a new or updated product. They

begin by researching several products to identify the features or aspects that make them successful,

the target market, and recent changes in product design. They then learn techniques—usability

evaluations, warranty feedback, and market research—that design teams use to turn customer

feedback into useful design information in the form of product need statements. At the end of the

activity, students form teams for an ongoing product redesign project and begin to consider the

product needs that their team will address.

Activity 2: From Need to Concept (6 Sessions)

Students are introduced to the creative aspect of the design process, building on the idea that there

is more than one way to meet a customer need. They begin the process of studying competitive

products by comparing and contrasting similar products that accomplish the same task. Students

see the role that customer feedback plays in the design process and that different styles and models

often result from analysis of customers’ needs. Students also learn the method of “benchmarking,”

a systematic comparison of competitive products. In teams, students work to create what product

designers call “product concepts”—different models or ideas for new or redesigned products. Then,

as part of their ongoing Redesign Proposal project, teams apply the methods of function/feature

mapping and benchmarking to develop concepts for the product they are redesigning.

Activity 3: Which Product Concept? (5 Sessions)

In this activity, students learn to use a decision-making tool called a “decision matrix” to display,

screen, and score potential concepts for headphones. Based on a scoring system they develop,

they determine the “top” headphone concept. Students then study basic financial aspects of a

product design project. Teams consider such factors as development costs, production costs,

and sales revenues. By studying two different financial plans, students consider the questions a

company faces when choosing between a short-term, inexpensive development plan and a more

expensive long-term plan.

Activity 4: Standing Out in the Crowd (5 Sessions)

Some products meet customers’ less-tangible needs, and meeting these needs can contribute to a

product’s success. In this activity, students study the properties of a product that industrial designers

consider, such as aesthetics and user interfaces. Students first examine pairs of products to determine

which product has a more successful industrial design. Next, students assess the quality of the

industrial design of a portable music player and use this analysis to create a player with a new

design. Finally, Redesign teams create industrial designs for their products.

Notes:

T 3

Activity 5: Putting It On Paper (5 Sessions)

To make a concept a reality, designers must determine the physical characteristics of a product,

such as length and width, and present these characteristics in ways that will be understood by other

professionals, such as engineers, machinists, and potential investors. In this activity, students learn

how the features and characteristics of a product can be represented by words, technical drawings,

technical illustrations, and advertisements. Students compare the basic characteristics and informa-

tion presented in technical drawings and illustrations. They also learn about the role that patents play

in the design process, and conduct research to see if their product concept has already been patented.

To conclude the activity, Redesign teams create technical drawings or illustrations of their products.

Activity 6: Putting It All Together (3 Sessions)

In this activity, Redesign teams complete their ongoing project. They then present their redesigned

products to the group for review.

T 4

Notes: MODULE PLANNING CALENDAR

Activity 1: TheMarket Decides

A DesignChallenge

Who DefinesSuccess?

Session 1

Activity 1

The ProductDesign Process

Product ReviewResearch

Session 2

Activity 1

Product ReviewPresentation

Proposing aRedesign

Session 3

Activity 1

Listening toCustomer Needs

Session 4

Activity 1

Transportation IdeaGeneration

Choosing aProduct

Session 5

Activity 1

Asking the RightQuestions

Plan YourRedesign Tasks

Session 6

Activity 2: FromNeed to Concept

A Study of theMundane

Session 7

Activity 2

Why So Many?

Knowing theCompetition

Measuring Up

Session 8

Activity 2

Creating a Concept

Session 9

Activity 2

Creating aConcept

Session 10

Activity 2

ConsideringCustomer Needsfor Redesign

Session 11

Activity 2

RedesignConcepts

Quiz 1

Session 12

Activity 3: WhichProductConcept?

Create a DecisionMatrix

ComparingConcepts

Session 13

Activity 3

Scoring a DecisionMatrix

ScoringHeadphones

Session 14

Activity 3

Manny’s BattingGloves

Is the ConceptWorth the Cost?

Session 15

T 5

Notes:

Activity 3

Redesign DecisionMatrix

Session 16

Activity 3

Redesign inMinutes

Session 17

Activity 4:Standing Out inthe Crowd

What Is IndustrialDesign?

Discuss IndustrialDesign

Session 18

Activity 4

Style vs. Function

Seeking GoodDesign

Session 19

Activity 4

Limitations ofIndustrial Design

A Better Player

Session 20

Activity 4

Applying GoodDesign

Session 21

Activity 4

Applying GoodDesign

Quiz 2

Session 22

Activity 5:Putting It OnPaper

What’s in aDrawing?

Drawing a Not SoOrdinary Sponge

Session 23

Activity 5

How Good aDescription?

Who Has theRights?

Session 24

Activity 5

Search theDatabase

Session 25

Activity 5

Advertising YourRedesign

Session 26

Activity 5

Drawing YourProduct

Session 27

Activity 6:Putting It AllTogether

Redesign ProposalPreparation

Session 28

Activity 6

Redesign ProposalPresentations

Session 29

Module Test

Session 30

T 6

Notes: MODULE LEARNING GOALS

The following is a summary of the learning goals for Different by Design. The academic standards

and core skills referenced are directly taught and assessed in this module. The table provides

a number and/or letter designation for each skill and standard that corresponds to the full

text of the standards and skills, available on the Ford PAS Web site.

Learning GoalsActivityNational

Academic Standards

Core SkillsHow

Assessed

1.1 Determine the aspects of a product’s design that areimportant to consumers, producers, and other stakeholder groups.

1.2 Analyze customer feedbackto determine product features.

1.3 Apply appropriate techniques for idea generation in a team.

2.1 Given a set of productneeds, generate severaldesign concepts for a product.

2.2 Survey competitive productsto analyze their features.

3.1 Analyze product conceptsto identify which concepts todevelop further.

3.2 Assess the financial outlook for a new productdesign, including development,production, and marketingcosts.

3.3 Use decision-makingmethods to choose amongseveral desirable options.

McREL: 14ISTE: 1dITEA: 3, 6, and 13

NRC: U5NBEA: MGT 4McREL: 14 and 19ITEA: 11

NCTE/IRA: 4NCEE/Pitt: 3bISTE: 2d

NRC: U5 and E1McREL: 14ISTE: 1aITEA: 10 and 11

McREL: 14ISTE: 1aITEA: 10 and 11

McREL: 14ISTE: 3bITEA: 10 and 13

NCTM: 1.3, 6.2, 9.1,and 10.1NBEA: COMP 6and ENTP 3

NCEE/Pitt: 3bISTE: 4d

1

2

3

B3: Use LogicalReasoning

B2: Solve Problemsand Make Decisions

B4: Think CreativelyC4: Guide OthersE4: PracticeLeadership Skills

B4: Think Creatively

D3: Learn ThroughResearch

B2: Solve Problemsand Make Decisions

B1: Use Math toSolve Problems andCommunicate

B2: Solve Problemsand Make DecisionsC1: Cooperate withOthers

Quiz 1

Test, ProductAssessment

Self-Assessment

ProductAssessment

Quiz 1

ProductAssessment

Quiz 2

Self-Assessment

T 7

Notes:Learning GoalsActivity

National Academic Standards

Core SkillsHow

Assessed

4.1 Identify and describe thesuccessful use of industrialdesign techniques.

4.2 Use industrial design techniques to create a uniqueidentity for a product.

5.1 Create a technical drawingof a product to scale.

5.2 Create visual representationsof a product that are appropriatefor specific audiences.

6.1 Create a redesign propos-al for a product.

6.2 Design and deliver aneffective presentation of aproduct redesign proposal,including visual representations.

McREL: 19ITEA: 9

McREL: 14 and 19ITEA: 10 and 11

NCTM: 3.3, 3.4,9.1, and 10.3McREL: 12 and 13

McREL: 13ITEA: 11

McREL: 14ITEA: 9 and 11

NCTE/IRA: 4NCEE/Pitt: 3cISTE: 2b

A3: Interpret andConvey IdeasVisually

B4: ThinkCreatively



B4: ThinkCreatively

A3: Interpret andConvey IdeasVisuallyA4: Speak SoOthers CanUnderstand

Quiz 2


ProductAssessment


ProductAssessment

PeerAssessment,Self-Assessment

4

5

6

Notes:

T 8

English Language Arts: Standards for the English Language Arts

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the International Reading Association (IRA)

4. Adjust spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of

audiences and for different purposes.

5. Write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different

audiences for a variety of purposes.

7. Gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources to communicate a particular

purpose or to a particular audience.

CORRELATION WITH ACADEMICSTANDARDS AND CORE SKILLS

The following standards and core skills include those that are directly taught and assessed in

Different by Design (and appear in the Learning Goals) as well as those that students apply in the

course of their work in the module—work that helps students achieve the standards and master the

skills. This list provides a brief description of each standard and skill, along with the number and/or

letter designation that corresponds to the full text of the standards and skills, available on

the Ford PAS Web site. Note: As national standards are revised periodically, check the

Ford PAS Web site to obtain the most up-to-date list for Different by Design.

8. Gather and synthesize information and create and communicate knowledge, using a variety

of technological and information resources.

11. Participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of

literacy communities.

English Language Arts: New Standards Performance Standards, English Language Arts

National Council on Education and the Economy (NCEE) and the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt)

1. Reading

1c: Read and comprehend informational materials and produce written or oral work that

summarizes information.

Notes:

T 9

2. Writing

2a: Write a report appropriate for a purpose, audience, and context, with an organizing structure,

appropriate facts and details, and a sense of closure.

3. Speaking, Listening, and Viewing

New Standards Performance Standards: English Language Arts (continued)

4. Conventions, Grammar, and Usage of the English Language

4a: Habitually understand the rules of the English language in written and oral work, selecting

appropriate structures and features of language and demonstrating control of grammar,

paragraph structure, punctuation, sentence construction, spelling, and usage.

7. Functional Documents

7a: Critique functional documents, demonstrating awareness of such strategies as visual appeal,

the logic of the sequence in which directions are given, and anticipation of possible reader

misunderstandings.

7b: Produce functional documents appropriate for an audience and purpose; organizing and

conveying information and ideas accurately; including relevant details; anticipating readers’

problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings; and employing effective word choices.

4b: Analyze and revise work to clarify it or make it more effective in communicating the intended

message for a particular purpose, audience, and context.

3a: Participate actively in one-on-one conferences or interviews with adults by initiating new

topics, asking and answering questions, and confirming understanding by paraphrasing.

3b: Participate actively in group meetings, displaying appropriate turn-taking behaviors, offering

and soliciting comments or opinions, responding appropriately, giving reasons, and expanding

on responses when asked.

3c: Prepare and deliver a presentation that shapes information to achieve a particular purpose

and to appeal to the interests and knowledge of audience members.

Notes:

T 10

3. Geometry

3.1: Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and

develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships.

3.2: Specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other

representational systems.

3.3: Apply transformations and use symmetry to analyze mathematical situations.

3.4: Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems.

5. Data Analysis and Probability

5.1: Formulate questions that can be addressed with data, and collect, organize, and display

relevant data to answer them.

5.2: Select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data.

5.3: Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data.

6. Problem-Solving

6.2: Solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts.

6.3: Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems.

8. Communication

8.2: Communicate mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others.

8.3: Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others.

9. Connections

9.1: Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.

9.2: Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas.

10. Representation

10.1: Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas.

10.3: Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena.

Mathematics: Principles and Standards for School Mathematics

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

1. Number and Operations

1.3: Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.

Notes:

T 11

Science: National Science Education Standards

National Research Council (NRC)

Unifying Concepts and Processes

U2: Understand evidence, models, and explanation.

U5: Understand form and function.

E. Science and Technology

Business Education: National Standards for Business Education

National Business Education Association (NBEA)

Career Development

CD 2: Utilize career resources to develop a career information database that includes

international career opportunities.

E1: Develop abilities for technological design.

Economics: Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics

National Council on Economic Education (NCEE)

2. Understand that effective decision-making requires comparing the additional costs of alternatives

with the additional benefits.

7. Understand that markets exist when buyers and sellers interact, which determines market

prices and thereby allocates scarce goods and services.

14. Understand that entrepreneurs take the risks of organizing productive resources to make

goods and services and that profit is an important incentive that leads entrepreneurs to

accept the risks of business failure.

Communications

COMM 1: Communicate in a clear, complete, concise, correct, and courteous manner on

personal and professional levels.

COMM 2: Apply basic social communication skills in both personal and professional settings.

COMM 3: Incorporate appropriate leadership and supervision techniques, customer service

strategies, and personal ethics standards to communicate effectively with various business

constituencies.

COMM 4: Use technology to enhance the effectiveness of communication.

Notes:

T 12

Engineering: Standards for Engineering Education

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)

12. Understands the techniques, tools, and technologies related to the production of technical drawings

13. Understands applications of technical drawing skills.

14. Use the design process to solve problems.

National Standards for Business Education (continued)

Information Technology

IT 4: Use various input technologies to enter and manipulate information appropriately.

Computation

COMP 1: Apply basic mathematical operations to solve problems.

COMP 4: Use common international standards of measurement when solving problems.

COMP 6: Use mathematical procedures to analyze and solve business problems.

Entrepreneurship

ENTP 3: Apply economic concepts when making decisions for an entrepreneurial venture.

Management

MGT 4: Develop personal management skills to function effectively and efficiently in a

business environment.

Marketing

MKT 1: Recognize the customer-oriented nature of marketing and analyze the impact of

marketing activities on the individual, business, and society.

MKT 3: Analyze the influence of external factors on marketing.

19. Understand the interrelationship of manufacturing and society.

IT 8: Gather, evaluate, use, cite, and disseminate information from technology sources.

MGT 10: Analyze financial data influenced by internal and external factors in order to make

short-term and long-term decisions.

Notes:

T 13

Technological Literacy: Standards for Technological Literacy

International Technology Education Association (ITEA)

3. Understand the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology

and other fields of study.

6. Understand the role of society in the development and use of technology.

Educational Technology: National Educational Technology Standards

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

1. Creativity and Innovation

1a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

2. Communication and Collaboration

2a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital

environments and media.

2b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media

and formats.

2d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

1d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities.

3. Research and Information Fluency

3b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, and ethically use information from a variety of sources

and media.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making

4b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

4c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.

4d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

6b. Select and use applications effectively and productively.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

9. Understand engineering design.

10. Understand the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation,

and experimentation in problem-solving.

11. Apply the design process.

13. Assess the impact of products and systems.

Notes:

T 14

Core Skills

Based on Equipped for the Future (EFF), National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), SCANS 2000,

The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S. Department of Labor, and

Linking Leadership to Instruction, Leadership for the 21st Century, Virginia Board of Education

A—Communication Skills

A2—Convey Ideas in Writing: Determine writing purpose, organize and present information with

appropriate usage and spelling, seek feedback, and revise to enhance effectiveness.

A3—Interpret and Convey Ideas Visually: Interpret and construct visual representations,

including symbols, pictures, graphs, blueprints, schematics, flow charts, and concept maps.

A4—Speak So Others Can Understand: Determine communication purpose; organize and relay

information, paying attention to proper usage, pace, and gesture; and monitor comprehension.

A5—Listen Actively: Attend to oral communication, clarify purpose, use listening strategies,

monitor comprehension, and integrate information with prior knowledge.

B—Thinking and Decision-Making Skills

B1—Use Math to Solve Problems and Communicate: Understand and communicate using

mathematical representations; solve problems, using mathematical concepts and quantitative,

algebraic, or geometric procedures; and verify reasonableness of results.

B2—Solve Problems and Make Decisions: Identify problems, understand root causes,

generate and evaluate consequences of alternative solutions, and establish criteria for

evaluating effectiveness.

B3—Use Logical Reasoning: Discover rules or principles underlying relationships among

objects or situations, draw conclusions, apply to new situations, and evaluate correctness

of conclusions.

B4—Think Creatively: Use imagination, combine ideas or information in new ways, reshape goals to

reveal new possibilities, and make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas.

B6—Plan: Set and prioritize goals; develop an organized approach; prepare budgets, schedules, and work

plans; track and monitor progress; and evaluate effectiveness.

C—Interpersonal Skills

C1—Cooperate with Others: Interact with respect for others’ ideas and contributions, seek and

offer clear input, and adjust actions in order to jointly accomplish a task.

C2—Advocate and Influence: Define objectives, gather facts to build a case, assess and take

into account others’ interests and resources, present a clear case, and revise it in response

to feedback.

T 15

Notes: Core Skills (continued)

C4—Guide Others: Assess needs, knowledge, and skills of colleagues; arrange opportunities

for learning that take into account the learner’s strengths, skills, and learning styles; evaluate

performance and provide feedback; seek feedback; and revise learning strategies.

D—Lifelong Learning Skills

D3—Learn Through Research: Pose questions to be answered, use multiple approaches to find

information, and organize, evaluate, analyze, interpret, and report on findings.

D4—Use Information and Communications Technology: Use computers, the Internet, and other

technology tools to acquire, process, and manage information, and learn and practice skills.

E–Leadership Skills

E3–Developing Leadership Skills and Practices: Working with others, develop a vision,

set goals, and facilitate the development of additional leaders.

E4–Practice Leadership Skills and Practices: Working with various people, motivate others,

take initiative, communicate effectively, make decisions, and manage resources.

Notes:

T 16

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

Classroom Visitors

Student presentations of their redesigned products in Activity 6 provide an opportunity to invite

design professionals and/or educators to visit the class and act as an audience. These people

can provide feedback from the perspective of business and higher education that

will help students continue their design work. For ideas about locating potential visitors

and speakers, refer to the Ford PAS Web site. Contact business or university

representatives to schedule a visit at least a month before beginning the module.

Coordinated Learning Experiences

Coordinated Learning Experiences (CLEs) are community-based, real-world experiences directly

connected to what students are learning in Different by Design and may include

classroom speakers and visits from experts in the field, mentoring and job-shadowing

experiences, and worksite and campus tours. For suggested CLEs to enrich your

students’ learning experiences, go to the Ford PAS Web site.

A suggested CLE for Different by Design is a visit to a design firm and/or a manufacturing facility,

which will help students see how the knowledge they learn and the skills they master in this module

apply to potential career choices. If there is not enough time for a worksite visit, invite a speaker from

one of the following professions to talk to the class about the design aspects of his or her work:

• Commercial or industrial design (likely to be found at an engineering or architectural firm

or large corporation)

• Graphic design

• Interior design

• Architecture

• Engineering

• Landscape architecture

CAD Software

Several extensions throughout this module direct students to develop drawings using CAD

(computer-aided design) programs. For schools that wish to obtain one, a CAD software program

is available to Ford PAS teachers through PTC. Go to the Ford PAS Web site for details

about obtaining PTC Pro/DESKTOP software and learn about the resources available

for teaching students how to use it.

T 17

Notes: Redesign Proposal Project

Throughout Different by Design, students work in teams on a proposal to redesign a product in

order to increase its safety or accessibility or to improve its performance in some other way. After

choosing a product, students do the following:

• Gather customer feedback and analyze it to determine customer needs

• Develop several product concepts and use a scoring process to select the best one

• Apply the principles of good industrial design to their product

• Create a technical drawing or illustration and a print ad for their redesigned product

• Present their proposal for the redesigned product to the class and classroom visitors

Throughout the module, students keep a Design Log to document their design process.

Materials from Home

This module requires a variety of readily available materials, so use the school bulletin board to

request that students and other school staff help by bringing them in from home. You’ll need to

gather these materials in advance of the sessions for which they are needed.

At the beginning of the module, in Session 1, request that students start bringing in a variety of clock

radios, TV remotes, cell phones, and wristwatches for Session 8. However, be aware that some problems

might occur, such as students requesting that their families buy new items, using a family member’s

cell phone to make numerous calls, or losing the family’s items. Since it’s likely that many households

have items that they no longer use, specify a preference for old, discarded items. Broken and outdated

versions of these products may also be found at thrift stores and yard sales. An alternative option for

those students who don’t have access to such items would be to have them bring in pictures of these

devices from magazines or catalogs along with the accompanying specifications.

For Session 19, students will need to bring in a variety of portable music players. As with the

materials needed for Session 8, have students and school staff bring in old, discarded items, or

have students use pictures of the players.

Module Overview

Have you ever seen an innovative new product and thought, “How do people come up with

these things?” or said to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” In most cases, the people who

invent or design products don’t just wake up in the morning with a great idea for a product.

These product designers work hard to develop their designs. They research customers’ needs

and current products, and try to envision potential needs that customers might not be aware

of themselves.

In Different by Design, you’ll experience the product design process firsthand. You’ll redesign a

product based on information you gather from peers, market research, and your own

personal experience with the product. Using the same process a product designer uses,

you’ll redesign a product in a way that directly addresses customers’ needs. You’ll take into

consideration such factors as cost, competition, and the development of a unique design.

Once you’ve redesigned your product, you’ll prepare to introduce it to a variety of audiences.

Throughout this module, you’ll analyze and compare some existing products. For example, have

you ever noticed that light switches—whose only function is to turn lights on or off—come in a

variety of forms, from levers to buttons to knobs? Is there a clear reason for these differences

in design? Is any one of these switches better from the user’s standpoint? You’ll also consider

products that designers have made expressly for the purpose of being different, either by giving

the product a distinct appearance or by adding features that competitors don’t offer. By the

end of this module, you’ll understand what goes into the design of new products, and have

a good sense of what it’s like to work in design professions.

Module 11: Different by Design • Overview • 1

ACTIVITY 1:The Market Decides

T 18

Notes: ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Students are introduced to the design process used to create a new or updated product. They

begin by researching several products to identify the features or aspects that make them successful,

the target market, and recent changes in product design. They then learn techniques—usability

evaluations, warranty feedback, and market research—that design teams use to turn customer

feedback into useful design information in the form of product need statements. At the end of the

activity, students form teams for an ongoing product redesign project and begin to consider the

product needs that their team will address.

Sessions 1–6

Before You Teach

No advance preparation is necessary for this activity.

Materials Needed

Sessions 1 and 2 • Computers with access to the Internet and a printer (at least one computer

for each team)

Session 2 • Chart paper and markers

Session 3 • Copies of RM 1.1 Redesign Proposal Assessment

• Chart paper and markers

Session 4 • Copies of RM 1.2 Customer Comments (one copy for each student;

assign each team one set of comments)

• Copies of RM 1.3 Need Statement Table Peer Assessment (one copy

for each student)

Session 5 • Chart paper and markers

T 19

Notes: VOCABULARY

Critical

Customer needs

Focus group

Infrastructure

Limitations

Mundane

PERT chart

Physical characteristics

Present tense

Product need statements

Qualitative

Quantitative

Technical knowledge

Universal design

ACTIVITY 1:The Market Decides

INTRODUCTION

What makes a product successful? Who decides? Thousands of new products are introduced

every year. Some sell fairly well, others don’t find a market and disappear without a trace,

and a few become extremely popular, generating large profits for the companies that design

and produce them. Why do some products succeed and others fail? In this activity, you’ll

learn about some of the characteristics that define successful products and explore the role

that customers play in the design of these products. You’ll also learn how to incorporate

customer feedback into the product design process, and you’ll begin a project to redesign a

product yourself.

Learning Goals

� Determine the aspects of a product’s design that are important to consumers, producers,

and other stakeholder groups.

� Analyze customer feedback to determine product features.

� Apply appropriate techniques for idea generation in a team.

Module 11: Different By Design • Activity 1 • 2

FOR YOUR GLOSSARY

Customer needs

Focus group

Product need statements

Qualitative

Quantitative

Universal design

T 20

Notes: SESSION 1

A DESIGN CHALLENGE [Whole Class/Teams]

Have students develop a list of the products they use every day and then group these products

into categories.

Possible Answers: Categories might include personal care products (such as

toothbrushes and hair dryers), clothing (such as shirts and shoes), school supplies

(such as backpacks, pens, and pencils), work-related items (such as computers and

desks), cooking or food-related items (such as utensils and blenders), and home

electronics (such as VCRs, computers, and music players).

Divide the class into teams and assign each team one of the product categories. Have each team

choose one product in its category that is in need of some improvement and suggest improvements

in its design.

Discuss the process of creating new designs, using the questions in the Student Guide.

Possible Answers to Question 1: The designers might not have considered the

ramifications of design choices, tested enough prototypes of the product, or

spent enough time observing customers using the product. The designers might

also have decided to make tradeoffs for reasons of cost, available technology,

or manufacturing feasibility.

WHO DEFINES SUCCESS? [Teams]

Divide the class into Product Review teams. Have students visit product review and industry

association Web sites, choose a product, and begin to research it.


A DESIGN CHALLENGEAre there any products that you use in your daily life that have features that really annoy

you? Do you think that you could develop a better design? Here’s your chance!

Think about some products that you use every day, and choose one that you think could be

improved in some way. First, describe the aspects of the product that bother you: Are the

buttons on your cell phone hard to press? Is your backpack always falling off your shoulders?

Once you’ve identified the product’s problems, develop a new design that reduces or eliminates

these problems—for example, a cell phone with larger buttons. Be as inventive as you like,

but try to think about the consequences of your new design. Will bigger buttons mean that

you have to design a bigger phone? Will customers accept bigger phones if the buttons are

easier to push? Ask yourself the following questions:

• What factors may have led to the design flaws in the original product?

• Do you think that your new design addresses those flaws?

• Would you rather use the redesigned product or the original one? Why?

WHO DEFINES SUCCESS?

When a new product is introduced to the marketplace, there are a number of stakeholder

groups (in addition to the company that makes the product) that have opinions about the

success or failure of the product design:

• Customers: The people who purchase and use the product can share opinions

about it through word of mouth or the Internet.

• Product reviewers: Reviews from people who have some professional expertise in

a certain product area, such as automobiles or consumer electronics, may influence

customers’ purchasing decisions.

• Industry associations: Design, engineering, and manufacturing associations judge

products and give awards to the best designs. These awards can bring prestige

to the manufacturer and may influence sales.

Use the links provided on the Ford PAS Web site and work as part of a Product Review

team to research one commercial product, using several different product review sites.

You need to choose a product for which you can find reviews from customers and at

least one other stakeholder group. Begin by selecting one or two products with professional


product reviews or industry association awards. Then look for customer reviews, and choose

the product that has a number of customer reviews available. You may have the best luck

with consumer electronics (such as computers and DVD players), household items (such as

blenders and small electrical appliances), or cars.

Locate and read as many reviews of the product as you can find—though, if many customers

have reviewed it, you may want to read only 10 to 15 of these reviews. In addition, try to get

the manufacturer’s perspective by visiting the company’s Web site and looking for product

information. Then answer the following questions and give examples to support your answers:

1. What was the opinion of each stakeholder group about this product’s design?

2. Did the groups agree regarding the product’s success? Why or why not?

3. Did the different groups have different criteria for success? How do you know?

4. If this product was based on a previous design, did the changes make it more or less

successful in the various reviewers’ eyes?

5. Based on the reviews of this product, would you want to own one? Why or why not?

HOMEWORK 1.1

Read The OXO Product Design Process and answer the Questions for Reflection.


The OXO Product Design ProcessIdentifying the Need

When Sam Farber started OXO International in 1989, he knew he could count on at least one thankful

customer—his wife, Betsey, who suffered from arthritis in her hands. Her difficulties and his own personal

frustration with kitchen gadgets convinced him that customer needs—the specific desires of a product’s

user—weren’t being met. Too many products didn’t have the features and capabilities that users like himself

and, especially, his wife required. He asked himself, “Why do ordinary kitchen tools hurt your hands with

their painful scissor loops, rusty metal peelers, and hard, skinny handles? Why can’t there be wonderfully

comfortable tools that are easy to use?”

Farber approached a New York-based industrial design firm and asked the firm to develop a line of ergonomic

kitchen tools. The firm’s assignment was to develop tools that were comfortable to hold, dishwasher-safe,

high quality, good looking, and affordable. The product also had to have a universal design—a design

that would work for as many people as possible, whatever their physical limitations. As Farber explains,

“Why shouldn’t everyone who cooks have comfortable tools?”

The design team began with field research. Team members talked to consumers, examined and used

competitive products, interviewed chefs, and spent hours with volunteers from an arthritis support group.

They researched the range of physical limitations, from serious permanent disabilities to the limited mobility

and declining strength associated with aging. They also noted kitchen gadgets that didn’t function properly

and those with rusting metal, cracking plastic, and dull blades.

Creating the Redesign

The designers divided tool types by wrist and hand motions: twist/turn (used to scoop, stir, and peel),

push/pull (graters and knives), and squeeze (scissors, garlic presses, and can openers). They created

hundreds of models for testing, and determined that most tools required a combination of these motions.

The project narrowed to three groups: gadgets and utensils with a multipurpose handle, squeeze tools,

and measuring devices.


For products with handles, the handles had to be large enough to avoid hand strain. They had to be oval

to keep them from rotating in the hand. The short round ends had to fit comfortably in the palm and evenly

distribute pressure during use. They had to have an oversized, tapered hole so that they could be hung

easily for storage, even for those with shaky hands or weak eyes.

“We wanted the material to be soft and flexible, but it had to be easy to mold and dishwasher-safe,” Farber

says. The answer was Santoprene, a synthetic rubber-like material used for dishwasher gaskets. This material

not only provided a warm, non-slip handle, it could also be made with flexible fins that bend to an individual

finger grip, giving the user more cushion and control, even when hands are wet and soapy. (OXO now holds

a patent on this design.)

The Importance of Design

The company could have completely covered up the fins and just made a softer, spongy area in the handle,

but Farber reasoned that when people looked at the fins, they would immediately know what the company’s

design was all about—it would register that this was a better grip and a better product.

Farber appreciates the importance of involving the designer in every aspect of manufacturing. “It’s essential

that the designer be familiar with the factories that are going to produce the designs,” he says. “[Designers]

must be aware of their production capabilities—what they can and cannot do.” OXO’s products include a line

of gardening hand tools, and part of the proceeds from each sale goes to preserving the environment.

Environmental considerations also play a role in OXO’s designs.

For example, OXO’s product packaging uses less plastic than its

competitors. Farber explains, “Extending the life of products is

ecological. Good quality and good design and universal design,

when done right, are ecological. If you make a product that lasts a long time, you are reducing the amount of

junk that gets thrown into the environment. As someone once said, ‘We are all only temporarily able.’ So we

should use design to extend the useful life of both the object and the user.”

Keeping Customers Coming Back

OXO developed a three-year marketing plan, with the initial merchandise slated for upscale distribution outlets,

followed later by lower-priced lines, Softworks™ and Basics, geared to mass merchants and supermarkets. The

strategy behind this plan was to make less-expensive versions of the company’s products before a competitor

did and, at the same time, provide budget-conscious consumers with tools that adhered to OXO’s principles

of universal design.

Go to the Ford PAS Web site

to view some of the designs

developed by OXO.


Farber believes that customers are loyal to an innovative company and has kept the product pipeline filled

with new offerings. Another benefit, he says, is that while a competitor can knock off a single product, it’s

harder to knock off a broad product line. This keeps customers coming back to OXO.

A Recipe for Success

Since the company’s first products debuted in 1990, OXO has introduced nearly a hundred products. The

design of OXO’s products has won both customer approval and critical acclaim, garnering almost every

major design prize. OXO products have been chosen for the permanent collections of several museums.

The company’s financial success is equally impressive. OXO made a profit during its first full year, with

more than $3 million in sales in 1991. Its sales have increased by 50 percent each year since. Although

OXO now has a broad base of products in the marketplace, it still devotes at least 10 percent of its annual

revenues to ongoing design efforts—an indication of just how important design is to OXO. Marketing savvy

and understanding of the consumers’ needs are key to OXO’s success, Farber acknowledges, “but user-centered

design is our main competitive advantage.”

Adapted from “Getting a Grip on Kitchen Tools,” @issue: The Journal of Business & Design.

Questions for Reflection

1. What steps did Sam Farber take to develop and produce his product?

2. What aspects of OXO’s product design process contributed to the company’s success?

3. Why do you think more products aren’t designed to be accessible for people with disabilities

or other physical limitations?

4. Can you think of other companies that have successfully developed products for both upscale

and lower-priced markets?

T 21

Notes: SESSION 2

The Product Design Process [Whole Class]

Discuss and post the steps involved in the product design process, using the Questions for Reflection

from The OXO Product Design Process on page 7 as a guide.

Possible Answers:

1. Sam Farber started by identifying a customer need that was not being met by

current kitchen products. He then had a design team collect feedback from the

target customer group (people with physical limitations) to determine which

product features, specifically, were important to them. The team redesigned

kitchen products with this feedback in mind. The designers also included design

features, such as flexible fins, that would distinguish OXO’s products from

competitors’ products, and considered the environmental impact of the products.

Finally, Farber’s company developed a three-year marketing plan for the products,

with continual innovation and new product development as part of the plan.

2. OXO’s design team listened to customer needs and used customer feedback as

a guide as the kitchen products were redesigned. They also incorporated unusual

features, such as flexible fins, to help the products stand out and to visually

communicate that the products were designed for accessibility. These aspects

of the product design process resulted in unique-looking products that could be

comfortably used by anyone. The design and functionality of the products made

them popular with consumers and helped lead to OXO’s success.

3. Designers may not consider people with disabilities part of their target market, may

think that designing a product for accessibility is overly time-consuming or too

expensive, or may not know how to develop products with a universal design.

PRODUCT REVIEW RESEARCH [Teams]

Have Product Review teams complete their research on the products they have chosen, and prepare

to present their findings. Remind students to answer the questions in Who Defines Success? on

page 4 in the Student Guide as they complete their research.

PRODUCT REVIEW RESEARCH

Complete the product review research for the product that your Product Review team chose.

Prepare to present your findings to the class.


HOMEWORK 1.2

Read the Redesign Proposal Guidelines.


Redesign Proposal GuidelinesIn an ongoing assignment for this module, the Redesign Proposal project, you’ll have an

opportunity to think creatively about how you might improve a familiar product. You’ll

work as part of a Redesign team and use the same seven-step process that product

designers use to identify a design opportunity, create a product concept that will be

appealing to customers, and prepare a proposal that will interest different audiences.

Step 1: Choose a Product and Design Approach

You can choose almost any product that you have some familiarity with—just don’t choose a product that is

very complex and made up of a lot of parts, such as a computer or car. Think about specific aspects of the

product that you might change. (However, if these aspects rely heavily on electronic or mechanical parts,

don’t select this product unless one or more people on your team are very familiar with these kinds of parts.)

Products that your team might consider include the following:

• Tools

• Luggage

• Audio or electronic products

• Clothing

• School supplies

• Toys and games

Select one of the following three redesign options for your product:

1. Increase its safety for users.

2. Increase accessibility for users with disabilities.

3. Improve its performance based on your personal experiences with the product. (Do you or a friend

use a product with an obvious design problem? Can you correct it?)

Step 2: Keep a Design Log

An important part of the product design process is documentation. In order to qualify for a patent or prove

that they have created an original design idea, designers have to demonstrate the progression of the design

process. The best way to do this is to keep a detailed logbook, called a “design log.” A design log will help

you keep track of all your ideas for improving the product, and is a great place to keep sketches of potential

designs, which you can use as the basis for the technical drawings of your product that you’ll do in Activity 5.

In addition to your product redesign concepts, your log should include information about how your team

completed each of the steps in the design process.


These are the basic requirements for your design log:

• Choose a notebook with a sewn binding like that of a composition notebook. (Unlike loose-leaf or

spiral-bound notebooks, notebooks with sewn bindings show that no pages have been added or removed.)

• Consider a notebook made of graph paper (called quad-ruled paper), which makes sketching easier.

(While this is recommended, it is not required.)

• Number the pages of your notebook.

• Reserve the first few pages for a Table of Contents, and add listings as you make log entries.

• Write notebook entries in blue or black ink, not pencil.

• Date each entry.

Your design log must include the following:

• A description of how you collected customer feedback

• The product need statement chart that resulted from the customer feedback

• A list of all the product concepts your team generates

• A benchmarking table showing details of potential competitors’ products

• A decision matrix used to choose the most promising concept, including an explanation of the results

• Minutes from meetings your team holds

Step 3: Consider Customer Needs

Once you’ve chosen your product, you’ll need feedback from people who use it. Identify 5 to 10 users you

are targeting that your team can interview about their experiences with the product. For example, if you are

improving the product’s accessibility, you should get feedback from people with disabilities or the elderly,

whom you might find in a senior center, nursing home, community center, or assisted-living center. You can

interview each user separately or bring together a focus group to discuss the product. In either case, you’ll

first need to develop a series of 8 to 10 interview questions to ask.

Step 4: Develop and Choose a Concept

Based on the feedback your team gathers, you’ll develop several models or “concepts” for your redesigned

product. These concepts will be based directly on the customer needs you’ve identified. Then, by ranking

the concepts and scoring each model, your team will choose one concept to develop.

Step 5: Incorporate Industrial Design

Once you have a good product concept, you’ll need to make sure that it will appeal to customers. You’ll do this

by applying the principles of industrial design—developing a pleasing look and feel for your target audience.

You’ll also make sure that the product is easy for customers to use and maintain. After deciding on an industrial

design for the product, you’ll make sketches of your redesign.


Step 6: Create Visual Models for Different Audiences

You’ve got a great product concept—now, how will you highlight its features for a potential customer? How

can you share your design concept with a product engineer to see if it can actually be produced? Once you

have determined your product’s features and design, you’ll create visual representations of the product to

share with potential customers, manufacturing engineers, or design colleagues. To introduce your product to

potential customers, your team will develop a print ad that highlights the features of the product. To convey

more specific information, your team will develop a drawing that accurately portrays the product’s physical

characteristics.

Step 7: Present Your Redesign Proposal

Your team’s presentation should be no longer than five minutes and must include the following:

• An explanation of why you chose your product and a description of the problems with the product

that needed to be addressed

• Information about how you collected customer feedback and used it in your redesign

• A detailed description of the product redesign concept, including how it meets customer needs

and is likely to succeed in the marketplace

• Sketches of the product’s exterior, which incorporates the principles of good industrial design

• A print ad showing your product in use, designed to appeal to the target audience

• A technical drawing or illustration of your product that adheres to the principles of technical drawing

and illustration

• An explanation of how your redesigned product improved the original design

T 22

Notes: SESSION 3

PRODUCT REVIEW PRESENTATION [Whole Class]

Have each Product Review team present its findings. Using the questions in the Student Guide,

discuss what it means for products to be successful. Then, as a class, create a list of the criteria

that customers, industry associations, and product reviewers use to judge the success of a

product design.

Possible Answers:

1. For customers, factors contributing to a product’s success may include ease of

use, dependability, price, safety, the perception of good value relative to the

product’s cost, the product’s styling, and specific product features that meet

customers’ needs (for example, if the product was a toaster, a wide range of

browning settings might be an important feature). Product reviewers may consider

many of these same factors. In addition, they may be concerned with the performance

of the product under specific conditions, sometimes more extreme than the

conditions under which the product would normally be used (for example, driving

a car at faster than usual speeds or on a dangerous obstacle course). Product

reviewers may be especially concerned with safety. In addition to looking at factors

that are important to customers, industry associations may look for exceptional

design (in terms of both aesthetics and functionality), cutting-edge technology

or special features that make a product stand out, innovative products that meet

emerging customer needs, and products that have good sales records or the

potential to sell well.

3. Critical factors that product design teams need to consider include whether the

product meets customer needs, who it is being designed for, how easy it will be

for customers to use, how to make the product profitable, and how to make it

stand out from similar products on the market.

PRODUCT REVIEW PRESENTATION

Present your product review findings to the class. As you listen to the other Product Review

teams’ findings, think about the following questions:

1. What features determine the success of a product for each of the stakeholder groups?

2. Are there any features that are considered important by all of the groups?

3. What do you think are the critical factors that a product design team needs to consider

as it designs a new product?


T 23

Notes: PROPOSING A REDESIGN [Whole Class/Teams]

Introduce students to the Redesign Proposal project, which they read about for Homework 1.2.

Divide the class into Redesign teams for their ongoing module project, and hand out the Redesign

Proposal Assessment (RM 1.1). Have teams develop a list of the kinds of products they are interested

in redesigning.

Students may need assistance with finding users to

interview. You may want them to take that into account

when they are choosing their products.

If you are running short on time to complete this activity

or if students need additional time to complete their

classwork, Homework 1.3 may be omitted.


PROPOSING A REDESIGN

Review the Redesign Proposal Guidelines on pages 9–11 and look over

the Redesign Proposal Assessment with your Redesign team. Generate

a list of products that you are interested in redesigning.


INTERVIEW WITH A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

What is an ordinary day at work like? What do you do? I’m a Landscape Architecture Project Manager. On

an ordinary day, I have meetings with clients, coordinate work with architects, review project schedules and

budgets, and manage staff.

What do you like about your work? What interests you or makes you feel good about your work? I enjoy

creating whole environments. I work with architects to develop ideas and plans for new developments from

the ground up. Our clients come to us with an empty piece of land, and we decide what it will look like in the

future. Although we control the development of land, we’re responsible for designing in an environmentally

sound way.

What do you dislike about your work? The cranky clients. If you’re not careful, you can have clients who

are not enjoyable to work with because they have different values, ethics, or design criteria. Our goal is to

be profitable enough to choose our clients.

How did you get into this occupation? I babysat for a landscape designer who worked out of her home.

I was fascinated by the drawings in her office. In high school, I volunteered in her office sorting slides and

taking notes in client meetings. After college and graduate school, I interviewed at my current firm, supported

by my resume and a portfolio of my work. I was hired two weeks later. I’ve since been promoted twice.

What classes or projects could high school students get involved in to prepare for this occupation?

Volunteer at an arboretum or public garden, intern with local design companies or your city’s Landscape

Architecture Department, attend summer programs for secondary students interested in learning about the

design professions, and volunteer with city gardening groups.

How did you prepare for this occupation? I worked with a landscape designer in high school and majored

in landscape architecture in college. After working at landscape architecture firms in college, I attended

graduate school and received a master’s degree in landscape architecture. Then I worked and interned

at design firms.

What is the most relevant college major or course of study for this occupation? Landscape architecture,

architecture, city or regional planning, urban design, art, art history, or art theory.

What is the most valuable thing you learned during your training and licensing? That you’re always

learning, no matter how advanced you are in a profession.


What skills, abilities, and personal characteristics are necessary for this career? An inclination to draw,

sketch, and look at the world around you is a must. Competence in math, natural science, and writing is also

necessary. Professionalism, courteousness, and an understanding of human nature make you a desirable

candidate for any job.

Would you recommend that people enter this occupation? Why or why not? Absolutely. It’s rewarding to

see something built that you designed. It’s fascinating to see how structures are put together, nail by nail.

HOMEWORK 1.3

Think of a time when you wanted to purchase a product and had to decide

between two similar versions. Write a paragraph describing how you chose

between the two. What factors (besides price) influenced your decision? Why

did one design seem better than the other? After you purchased the product,

were you happy with your choice? Why or why not?

T 24

Notes: SESSION 4

LISTENING TO CUSTOMER NEEDS [Whole Class/Teams]

Model how to create product need statements, using the backpack example given in Product Need

Statements on pages 18–19 in the Student Guide. Divide the class into four Product Need teams

and give each team a different set of Customer Comments (RM 1.2). Have teams use these

comments to create a table of product need statements for the product they have been assigned

and determine which of the need statements should be addressed by the product.

Have each Product Need team meet with another team to share their product need statement charts

and give one another feedback using the Need Statement Table Peer Assessment (RM 1.3).

Tell students that they will use the product need statement tables they

develop in this session again in Activity 2: From Need to Concept

(Session 9: Creating a Concept).

LISTENING TO CUSTOMER NEEDS

Listening to customers and watching them use products can help product designers see

problems with existing products and inspire them to generate new designs. That is why, when

ABC’s Nightline challenged the design company IDEO to redesign a shopping cart in five days,

a team from the design company headed straight for a grocery store. By observing customers

using shopping carts, IDEO team members saw many flaws in the popular “wire cage” cart

design. (Their new design included a child seat with a swing-up tray for a play surface,

a secure spot for a cup of coffee, and steerable back wheels.) Observation was vital to

the team’s redesign process.

Product designers incorporate the voice of the customer into their designs in a number of ways:

• Interviewing individual customers face to face

• Bringing together groups of product users to discuss their experiences with the product

• Conducting user surveys

• Observing customers using the product

Designers can use the customer feedback they collect to understand what the customer needs

and to determine what features to include in a product.

Work as part of a Product Need team and, using the guidelines in Product Need Statements

on pages 18–19, create descriptions of the features and capabilities that a new product would

need to have in order to address your Customer Comments. At this point, your focus should

be on what the product needs to do, rather than how the product will do it.

You probably won’t be able to address every need that customers have expressed. If a product

were designed to meet every need of every customer who used it, it would be so complex and

cumbersome that no one would want to use it at all! Look at the need statements you’ve created

and, based on your experience with the product or what you know about the users of the

product, decide which of these needs the product should meet. Organize your need statements

by creating a table similar to Table 1.1.


Share your table of need statements with another Product Need team. Explain why you think

the product should or should not address each product need statement. Give feedback using

the Need Statement Table Peer Assessment.


Product need statements Should product address this need?

Table 1.1: Prioritized Product Need Statement Table for Backpack

The backpack can hold several large

textbooks.

Yes

The backpack can hold four changes

of clothing and two pairs of shoes.

No

The backpack can keep both small

and large objects organized.

Yes

The backpack has a space to hold a

sandwich and protect it from damage.

No

The backpack has a space for cell

phones and personal digital assistants.

Yes

HOMEWORK 1.4

Consider various products and the three product redesign options for

your Redesign Proposal project. Which one interests you most? Make

a list of ideas to share with your team.

Read The Art of Idea Generation on page 20. Suggestion 7 is to use

props to facilitate idea generation—are there any props you can

bring in to class that will help your team generate some new ideas?


Product Need StatementsUsing Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is a great way to learn about a product. However, the information a customer provides

might not point directly to what a customer needs in a product. Sound confusing? Consider the example of a

school backpack-manufacturing company that asked for feedback from its customers. The company received

the following comments:

• “I like the large space and number of books that the bag holds, but my

calculator is hard to find at the bottom of the pack.”

• “My lunch gets squished.”

• “Every time it rains, my books get wet.”

• “It’s great! I use it on my bike ride to and from school every day.”

These comments do not actually describe the features that a customer wants or

needs. They do tell you a lot about how the customer uses the backpack. Part of a designer’s job is to use such

comments to create features in the product—in this case, a backpack—that meet customers’ needs.

Creating Product Need Statements

How do you make good use of customers’ comments? How can you interpret this information to design a

better product? In Product Design and Development,1

authors Karl Ulrich and Steven Eppinger encourage

designers to take customer comments and turn them into product need statements.

Product need statements describe features and capabilities that a new product will have. These statements

are expressed in the present tense, to help developers and others understand exactly what the product will

do. For example, the customer statement “Every time it rains, my books get wet” could be translated into the

following product need statement: “The backpack keeps books dry in rainy and wet conditions.”

This product need statement does not say exactly what the water-resistant material will be or how it will work.

As a designer, all you know is that your task is to make a backpack that keeps the things it’s carrying dry.

This is a customer need. You have the freedom to decide how you will meet this need.

The following table illustrates how customer comments can be translated into product need statements.

The second column contains need statements that could be improved by following the guidelines in the

third column. The need statements you develop should most closely resemble those in the fourth column,

which follow the guidelines.

1 © 2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.


GuidelineBetter Product

Need StatementProduct Need

StatementCustomer Comment

“I like the large space

and number of books

that the bag holds,

but my calculator is

hard to find at the

bottom of the pack.”

The backpack has

two small interior

pockets, along with

a narrow section

for files.

Tell what the product

will do, not how it will

do it.

The backpack keeps

both small and large

objects organized.

“My lunch gets

squished.”

The backpack has a

space for fragile items.

Be specific. The backpack has

a space to hold a

sandwich and protect

it from damage.

“Every time it rains,

my books get wet.”

Items inside the back-

pack will not get wet.

Be positive rather

than negative.

The backpack keeps

its contents dry.


The Art of Idea GenerationWhen you’re working as a team to solve a problem or come up with a new idea, how

do you build creative energy and get everyone to contribute? In order to be productive

in a session of idea generation, follow these ground rules:

1. Assign roles. As with any other well-run meeting, it’s important that each person take on a particular

role. One person should act as the facilitator—structuring the meeting, encouraging people to speak,

making sure that everyone’s voice is heard, and keeping the team on task. One person should act as a

recorder—taking notes on everyone’s ideas and keeping them organized. The rest of the team members

should be active contributors—generating and responding to ideas, and taking turns so that all team

members have a chance to share their input. Rotate these roles at each meeting.

2. Set a topic and stick to it. When you create an agenda for the meeting, decide on a topic. Try to be

more specific than, for example, “Come up with products to redesign.” Instead, you might say, “Develop

a list of products that need to be redesigned to improve their accessibility.”

3. Set a time limit. This will help your team stay focused on the task at hand and keep team members

from feeling burned out.

4. Give people time to think. Some people may be more creative if they have some time to think, jot down

their ideas, and/or talk to another person before they take part in generating ideas with the team.

5. Don’t criticize or dismiss ideas. The point of this idea-generation session is to develop as many ideas as

possible—nothing is too silly! If you criticize ideas, team members may be less likely to contribute—and

you never know what’s going to inspire a great new design.

6. Don’t discuss. Idea generation is about soliciting as many ideas as possible. If you start discussing

a suggestion, you stop coming up with new ideas!

7. When appropriate, bring props. Sometimes it’s nice to have something to look at and play with while

you’re trying to generate new ideas. If you’re thinking about redesigning a product, you might bring in

different versions of that product to inspire you.

8. Record every idea. Because you may not remember everything that was said once the session is over,

the recorder should make note of each idea as it is mentioned. This frees up other team members to

focus on idea generation.

T 25

Notes: SESSION 5

Transportation Idea Generation [Whole Class]

Ask students to think about the many different devices that move people from one place to another

and all of the redesign possibilities presented by these devices. With the class, create a list of as many

different kinds of transportation as possible, using the guidelines in The Art of Idea Generation on

page 20 in the Student Guide.

Students can then use these same techniques to generate a list of products for their Redesign

Proposal project.

CHOOSING A PRODUCT [Teams]

Have students meet in their Redesign teams. Teams should choose one of the three redesign

options, generate a list of possible products to redesign, and then choose the product they will

work on for their Redesign Proposal project.

Students may begin by listing the most common kinds of transportation,

such as cars and bicycles. Encourage them to come up with less-common

kinds of transportation, such as hot air balloons and horse-drawn carriages,

and with mechanisms they might not think of as transportation devices,

such as escalators and elevators.

CHOOSING A PRODUCT

Meet with your Redesign team to determine which of the three redesign

options you will choose, and generate a list of possible products you might

redesign. Use the guidelines in The Art of Idea Generation to structure

your meeting. Once you have a list of products, discuss the merits and

drawbacks of redesigning each product, considering the following questions:

1. Am I familiar with this product? Do I use it or know people who do?

2. Will I have access to a group of users that I can interview about their experiences

with the product?

3. Is this product something that interests me and that I’d like to learn more about?

4. Are there likely to be several redesign possibilities for this product?

5. Can I redesign aspects of this product without needing to have a large amount of

technical knowledge?

6. If this product requires technical knowledge to redesign, does anyone on my

team possess this knowledge?

Use your answers to these questions to help you choose a product for your team’s Redesign

Proposal project.


HOMEWORK 1.5

Read Getting Customer Feedback.


Getting Customer FeedbackGathering customer feedback is an important step in the product design process. Without customer input,

you may create a beautifully designed product that no one wants to buy! Here are some strategies for getting

customer feedback.

Decide How to Collect Feedback2

There are several different ways to collect feedback from customers:

• Interview customers individually: Ask customers a series of questions about their use of the product.

It’s best to conduct the interview in the customer’s environment, but interviews can also be done over the

phone or via e-mail. Interviews have the advantage of giving you one-on-one contact with the customer.

They can, however, be time consuming, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours.

• Observe customers’ use: Watch customers using the product as they normally would in the environment

in which they usually use it. Observation can be a great way to notice problems with the product (or

unusual uses for it) that customers may not think to mention when being interviewed. This technique

can be combined with interviewing customers individually.

• Conduct a focus group: In a focus group, a number of customers (usually 8–12) are brought together

to discuss their experiences with the product. A member of the product design team usually moderates

the focus group. Focus groups have the advantage of bringing together a variety of viewpoints and can

take less time than individual interviews. However, some customers may not feel free to express their

opinions in a group setting.

• Survey customers: Send paper or electronic surveys to customers to fill out and return. This method

can be very convenient, but it usually provides less information than the other methods, and doesn’t

give members of the product design team an opportunity to interact with customers and follow up on

their answers to questions.

Choose Customers to Observe or Interview

Once you have decided how you will collect information, you need to select the customers you want to interview.

Obviously, customers should be familiar with the product. There are several different types of people who

might use the product, depending on the situation:

• Occasional users: Customers who use the product infrequently, perhaps a few times a month

• Frequent users: Customers who are more familiar with the product, perhaps using it several times a week

• Heavy users: Customers who use the product almost daily, often for work, school, or a serious hobby

2 Adapted from Product Design and Development by K. T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger © 2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.


While it’s a good idea to interview customers from each category, make sure that you observe and interview

heavy users of the product. They often have a better sense of the product’s uses and limitations and are more

able to clearly articulate what they need from the product.

Decide What to Ask the Customer

If your goal is to redesign a product, what types of questions will give you information you can use?

The following list3

suggests the types of questions that a design team might ask about a product:

• When and why do you use this type of product?

• How do you typically use the product?

• What do you like about this product?

• What do you dislike about this product?

• What features do you consider when purchasing this type of product?

• What improvements would you make to this product?

Notice that the questions mentioned above are qualitative rather than quantitative in nature—that is, they

ask for a descriptive analysis of the product, rather than a numerical rating (rating a specific feature of a

product on a scale from 1 to 5, for example). Qualitative questions help designers learn how customers use the

products and can sometimes uncover new and unusual uses that the product developers never intended. In his

book The Art of Innovation, author Tom Kelley calls these innovative users “rule breakers.” Often, Kelley writes,

new product ideas develop from “the woman who takes a shortcut, who forces the product to do something

the manual says it can’t, who imagines what it might do if only . . . ” Gaining information about how the

product is actually used is very important to successful product design.

3 From Product Design and Development by K. T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger © 2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

T 26

Notes: SESSION 6

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS [Teams]

Have Redesign teams develop a plan for contacting and interviewing customers who use their product.

PLAN YOUR REDESIGN TASKS [Teams]

Have Redesign teams develop PERT charts for their Redesign Proposal projects.

SKILL RESOURCE

If students are unfamiliar with creating PERT charts or need a refresher

in order to complete this step, refer them to Finding the Critical Path.

Tell students they will use the PERT charts they

develop in this session again in Session 11:

Considering Customer Needs for Redesign.

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Using Getting Customer Feedback on pages 22–23, identify some potential customers to

interview about your product, then develop a list of questions to ask these customers and

a plan for contacting and interviewing them.

PLAN YOUR REDESIGN TASKS

One of the most important steps that a design team must take at the beginning of the product

design process is to develop a timeline for the project. In order to complete a successful

Redesign Proposal project, you’ll need to do the same thing.

Using the Redesign Proposal Guidelines on pages 9–11, make a list of all

the tasks you’ll need to complete for your project, assigning each team

member responsibility for one or more tasks. Then develop a PERT chart

that shows the order in which these tasks must be completed and the date

by which they need to be completed. To help keep your work on schedule, your team should

refer to this chart frequently throughout the product redesign process, updating it as necessary.


HOMEWORK 1.6

Conduct a “study of the mundane” by looking closely at two things in your home that

are used to perform common, simple, yet important tasks. Here are some items you

might choose:

Do the following for each item:

1. State the need the item meets for the user.

2. Describe how the item operates. For example, “The doorknob is grasped in

one hand and turned clockwise to open the door.”

3. Sketch the appearance of the item.

• Faucets

• Chairs

• Trash cans

• Shampoo bottles

• Toothbrushes (even just toothbrush handles)

• Doorknobs


EXTENSIONS

1.1

Go to the Ford PAS Web site and follow the link to IDEO’s Web site. Create a poster showing

the IDEO shopping cart design, as well as the key design considerations that IDEO staff

tried to address, the features of IDEO’s new shopping cart, and how these features were

meant to address the various design considerations.

1.2

Read Harley-Davidson—A Unique Approach to Customer Relations on the Ford PAS Web site.

How does Harley-Davidson get information about its customers and their needs? Consider

the potential benefits and drawbacks of this type of information-gathering. Then create a

presentation for the chair and the board of directors of the company explaining why you

do or don’t support the company’s methods of interacting with its customers.

1.3

Use a computer-aided design (CAD) program to draw two versions of a mundane object

for two specific user groups.

ACTIVITY 2:From Need to Concept

T 27


Students are introduced to the creative aspect of the design process, building on the idea that there

is more than one way to meet a customer need. They begin the process of studying competitive

products by comparing and contrasting similar products that accomplish the same task. Students

see the role that customer feedback plays in the design process and that different styles and models

often result from analysis of customers’ needs. Students also learn the method of “benchmarking,”

a systematic comparison of competitive products. In teams, students work to create what product

designers call “product concepts”—different models or ideas for new or redesigned products. Then,

as part of their ongoing Redesign Proposal project, teams apply the methods of function/feature

mapping and benchmarking to develop concepts for the product they are redesigning.

Sessions 7–12Before You Teach

Session 8 • Preview RM 2.1 Dive Watch Benchmarking Table on the

Ford PAS Web site.

Materials Needed

Session 8 • Computer with access to the Internet and LCD projector for the modeling

of benchmarking, or copies of RM 2.1 Dive Watch Benchmarking

Table (one copy for each student) if an LCD projector is not available

• Several models of clock radios, TV remotes, cell phones, and wristwatches,

or pictures of such devices

T 28

Notes: Sessions 9 and 10 • Poster board and markers (two posters and one set of markers for

each team)

Session 9 • Students’ copies of their product need statement tables from Session 4

Session 10 • Stopwatch or clock with a second hand

Session 11 • Students’ copies of their PERT charts from Session 6

Session 12 • Copies of RM 2.2 Idea Generation Skills Assessment (one copy

for each student)

• Copies of Quiz 1 (one copy for each student)

• Two different models of a common product, such as a cell phone or spatula

VOCABULARY

Benchmarking

Comparable

Comprehensive

Objective

Product concept

Properties

Systematic comparison

Target specification

Timepieces

ACTIVITY 2:From Need to Concept

INTRODUCTION

Once product designers know what the market wants, how do they create a new product?

First, they need to study competitive products—they compare and contrast similar products

that accomplish identical tasks or meet the same needs. Often they use “benchmarking,” a

systematic comparison of competitive products. In this activity, you’ll learn about benchmarking

and about using customer feedback to generate product ideas that incorporate the features that

directly satisfy your customers’ needs. As part of your ongoing Redesign Proposal project, you’ll

apply these methods of benchmarking and idea generation to redesign your team’s product.

Learning Goals

� Given a set of product needs, generate several design concepts for a product.

� Survey competitive products to analyze their features.


FOR YOUR GLOSSARY

Benchmarking Product concept

T 29

Notes: SESSION 7

A STUDY OF THE MUNDANE[Teams/Whole Class]

Have students work in teams to share their “study of the mundane” results and answer the questions

posed on page 27 in the Student Guide for each item in their study.

Ask students to list the mundane items they discussed and share their answers to the Student

Guide questions with the whole class. Compile a list of the class’s items, grouping similar items

together, and ask the following questions about the list:

1. Why are products that perform the same function sometimes designed so differently from

one another?

2. Are there are any groups of products that all have a very similar design? If so, why do you

think this might be?

3. Are there any items that you now look at differently from how you looked at them before you

conducted your survey?

Remind students to bring in clock radios, TV remotes, cell phones, and wristwatches (or pictures

of these devices) for the next session.

If you are running short on time to complete this activity or if

students need additional time to complete their classwork,

Homework 2.1 and Why So Many? may be omitted.

If students aren’t sure what “mundane” means, define it as

something that relates to the practical details of day-to-day

life—something that is ordinary and commonplace.

A STUDY OF THE MUNDANE

Would you rather turn a knob or push a handle to open a door? Do you prefer a single lever

in the middle or handles on either side of the sink faucet? Is it easier to use a dial or a slider

to change the volume on your stereo? There are so many different ways to complete very

simple tasks—why do we have all these choices?

Share information about the two items you chose for your “study of the mundane” with your

classmates, and answer the following questions for each item:

1. Why do you think the object is designed the way it is?

2. Does the design of the object reflect any need the user has? For example, a person

drinking coffee from a mug needs to have a handle to keep from getting burned by

the hot mug. A person turning on and off the water faucet needs a handle that can

be gripped with wet hands.

3. Are there elements of the product’s design, such as its appearance, that are not essential

to the product’s operation? Do these elements hurt or improve the product’s performance

in any way?

Were the items you studied for homework similar to or different from those studied by your

classmates? How similar or different were they?


HOMEWORK 2.1

Find as many timepieces as you can in your home. Make note of their

locations and differences in design. Why do you think the manufacturers

chose different designs for comparable models? Do the differing product

features meet different needs or the same need? Do some of the products

work better than others? Why?

T 30

Notes: SESSION 8

Why So Many? [Whole Class]

Ask students to share their results from Homework 2.1. From this homework, it should be clear to

students that there are many different models of wall clocks, clocks on appliances, wristwatches,

alarm clocks, and even desk clocks. Use this observation to introduce the concept of “benchmarking,”

which is a way of systematically comparing competitive products by examining specific characteristics,

such as size, color, and weight.

KNOWING THE COMPETITION [Whole Class]

Display the Dive Watch Benchmarking Table (RM 2.1), available on the Ford PAS

Web site, to review the major components of a benchmarking table. Discuss the various

options that can be benchmarked, depending on the focus of a design team, as described

in the Student Guide.

MEASURING UP [Teams/Whole Class]

Have students meet in their Product Need teams, and give teams several different models of the

product they worked on in Activity 1 (clock radios, TV remotes, cell phones, or wristwatches). Have

students complete the benchmarking for their product. Then have teams share their responses to the

discussion questions in the Student Guide with the class.

KNOWING THE COMPETITION

As a product designer, you want to know how your product stacks up against the competition.

How can you be sure that you’re really creating something new that offers customers an

attractive alternative to competitors’ products?

One major component of design is benchmarking, a process that product designers use to

analyze and compare details of different brands and models of the same type of product.

With benchmarking, you only focus on the physical properties of the product—you don’t

rate the product itself. In general, benchmarking does the following:

• Provides an objective look at similar products in the same price range that are

manufactured by different companies

• Compares features and functions that similar products offer

• Helps you determine target specifications for a new product

Suppose that you are going to design a sports watch—specifically, a dive watch (a watch for

underwater divers). You learn from customers who have purchased dive watches that they

like the feel of a heavy watch. Before you make any decisions about how heavy your new

watch design will be, you should know as much as you can about the weight of the dive

watch models already on the market.

In general, if you can think of a property—such as weight—that makes you want to choose

a particular product over another, then that property should be benchmarked. What other

properties might you benchmark to compare dive watches? For example, is your Product

Need team concerned about the prices of competitors’ products? If so, “price” should be

a column on the benchmarking table you develop.

MEASURING UP

If you are redesigning a product, it’s important to see how the competition stacks up. Working

in your Product Need team, you will benchmark your product. First decide which information

you’ll compare, choosing at least six different characteristics, including the product name, the

materials used, and any special features, such as extra alarms. Once you have completed

the benchmarking, discuss the following questions:



1. Are there characteristics that seem uniform across the different brands and models?

2. Do any of the models have unique features or characteristics? Do these models stand

out as better or worse than the others?

3. If you were redesigning your product, how would you use the information in this table?

HOMEWORK 2.2

Read A Designer’s Concept.


A Designer’s ConceptWhat’s in a Concept?

Once you know what your product needs to do, what’s the next step? Now’s your chance to be creative,

envisioning as many different ways to meet the customers’ needs as you can.

In the earliest stages of product design, an idea for a new or redesigned product is called a product concept.

What you might think of as two different ideas for a product, a product designer would call two different

concepts. As a product designer, you should think of as many different concepts as you can that will meet

the customers’ needs. Even when the difference between two concepts is small—one has a snap while the

other has a button, for instance—each concept should be considered a different product, because a user

will interact with each one differently.

Four different concepts for a new type of kitchen garbage can are shown here. Can you identify any features

or options that the product design team may be exploring?

Coming up with Concepts

How do designers develop new concepts for products? Once they have established what customers need

from the product, there are several ways that designers get inspiration for new concepts. Often a design team

will meet together several times to develop as many different concepts as possible—no matter how unrealistic

or silly they seem! The following are some of the things that designers do when creating concepts:


• Experiment: Sometimes good ideas result from trying to solve a problem in innovative ways. For example,

Bill Bowerman, one of the founders of Nike, invented the soles for the modern athletic shoe by putting

rubber in his waffle iron!

• Look at the natural world: Observing and learning about the movement of animals, plants, bodies

of water, and other natural phenomena can inspire new designs. For example, researchers at

Northeastern University in Boston designed a robot that looks and moves like a lobster and adapts

to changing underwater conditions, using techniques similar to those used by lobsters. The designers

envision that the robot will collect data about oceans and rivers and help track pollution.

• Observe human behavior: Watching the way that people move and interact with their surroundings

can also be inspiring. One day, Larry Miller happened to notice the circular pattern that his daughter’s

feet made as she ran. This inspired him to design the elliptical trainer, which allows feet to follow this

same circular pattern without the impact of running.

• Observe the customer: Watching how people actually use products—as opposed to how designers

assume the products will be used—can lead to improved design. For example, the designers at IDEO

were designing a new toothbrush for young children. Since children’s hands are smaller than adults’

hands, one might assume that the handle should be smaller than the handle on an adult toothbrush as

well. But after observing kids using toothbrushes, the designers realized that young children grasp the

handle with their whole hand, instead of with their fingers, as adults do. In order for the toothbrush to

have a good design for children, the handle actually had to be bigger than the handle on an adult

toothbrush.

• Look at existing products: When designers work on new products, they often closely examine competitors’

products. This can be a good way to look at current “state of the art” features and develop ways to

improve on them.

T 31

Notes: SESSIONS 9 AND 10

CREATING A CONCEPT [Whole Class/Teams]

Using the example of the four concepts for a kitchen garbage can in A Designer’s Concept on

pages 30–31 in the Student Guide, ask students to discuss the features or options that the product

design team might be exploring that resulted in these concepts.

Possible Answers: The design team appears to be exploring different shapes

and sizes, lid styles, and ways to open the garbage can to put in garbage.

Have students work in their Product Need teams to begin creating two product concepts based

on the product need statement table they developed in Activity 1, following the guidelines provided

in the Student Guide. Give teams poster board and markers so they can create posters about

their concepts.

In Session 10, have teams give three-minute presentations highlighting their two product concepts.

Tell students that often professionals have only a short period of time to present their ideas. Students

should consider presenting only the information that will highlight the benefits of their concepts.

Be sure to point out how product designers use the word

“concept”—meaning, a particular idea for a product.

CREATING A CONCEPT

In Activity 1, you used customer comments about four different products—a clock radio, a TV

remote, a cell phone, and a wristwatch—to generate a list of product need statements. You

know what customers need from the product; now you can decide how you want the product

to meet those needs. What would an easily adjustable watchband look like? How can you

make the look of buttons on a cell phone match their function? Now you’ll create product

concepts based on customer needs.

Consider the following example: A number of product

reviewers have commented that a certain clock radio

manufacturer should revisit the design of its radio

because it’s difficult for a user to tell how high or low

the volume is set without turning it on. The manufacturer

might address this problem by placing an indicator on the radio’s display to show the volume

level, or adding a large volume-control knob with marks that identify the volume level. Either

feature accomplishes what the radio needs to do—give the user an idea about how loud the

volume is set without turning on the radio.

The following steps provide an organized way to generate concepts for new or

redesigned products:

1. Look at your product need statements again to see what kinds of features your

customers want and which needs you think should be addressed by the product.

2. Look at the benchmarking chart to see how (or whether) competitors are addressing

these customer needs. Determine whether you could use or improve on any of the

benchmarked products’ features in your product concept.

3. Develop several product features that address each of the product needs you identified

as important in Activity 1. Remember, at this point don’t reject any ideas, no matter how

wild they are!

4. As a team, choose several of the features you developed to include in your two final

product concepts.

5. Using the features you have chosen, generate two different product concepts.



Use these steps to generate two product concepts based on your product need statements

from Activity 1. For each of your two product concepts, create a poster showing the following:

• The product’s name

• A sketch of the product (such as what you might see in a catalog)

• A list of the major features of the product that reflect the product need statements you

generated from customer feedback

Your team will have a total of three minutes to present both of your product concepts.

Your presentation should include the following:

• Details about any unconventional features of your concepts

• A rationale for each feature

• A description of who would purchase your product (the potential market)

HOMEWORK 2.3

Continue to work on your Redesign Proposal project, focusing

on any tasks you’ve been assigned related to gathering

information about your product from customers.

HOMEWORK 2.4

Continue to work on the tasks you’ve

been assigned for your Redesign

Proposal project.

T 32

Notes: SESSION 11

CONSIDERING CUSTOMER NEEDS FOR REDESIGN [Teams]

Have students work in their Redesign teams to develop a list of need statements for the product

they are redesigning.




CONSIDERING CUSTOMER NEEDS FOR REDESIGN

Work with your Redesign team to organize all the customer comments

you’ve gathered for your product redesign. Then use these comments to

create a comprehensive list of product need statements—being sure to

eliminate any statements that may be repetitive. Once you complete the

list of statements for your product, work with your team to determine which

needs you think your product should address.

Review the PERT chart for your project, and assign team members responsibility for any

new tasks that you’ve added to the chart.


HOMEWORK 2.5

Search for products at home or on the Internet that are similar

to the one your team is working on for the Redesign Proposal

project. Choose at least six characteristics of these products,

and benchmark them.

T 33

Notes: SESSION 12

REDESIGN CONCEPTS [Teams]

Have each Redesign team generate a list of product redesign concepts, using its list of product

need statements. Then give students the Idea Generation Skills Assessment (RM 2.2) to

complete for homework.

Quiz 1 [Individual]

Use the second half of this session to have students complete Quiz 1. Display two different

models of a common product so that students can compare their features for Question 2.

Depending on the product you choose, you may want

to pass around the two models so that students can

take a closer look.

If students did Homework 2.5, tell them to refer to the

product benchmarking tables they created to see how

other companies are meeting customer needs and to

get ideas for features that they might use or modify for

their own product concepts.

REDESIGN CONCEPTS

Using the techniques described in The Art of Idea Generation on page 20,

generate a list of potential concepts for your Redesign Proposal project

by drawing on your Redesign team’s list of product need statements.

Remember—don’t reject any ideas at this point in the development

process. Be as creative as you can!


DID YOU KNOW?

So, you have a great idea for a redesigned eraser? Do you think your idea is

an original one? According to the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers,

there are 18 companies in the United States alone that manufacture erasers.

Most likely each offers multiple products . . . so you’ll definitely need to do some

benchmarking before you know whether your idea is better than the erasers

already offered by competitors. Go to the Ford PAS Web site for a link

to the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers and search the

database to find out more.

HOMEWORK 2.6

Read Choosing a Concept.

Complete the Idea Generation Skills Assessment.


Choosing a ConceptAs a member of a product design team, how do you decide which product concept to further refine and

develop? Ulrich and Eppinger4

recommend a number of ways, including the following:

• External decision: Ask customers to rate or choose your concepts.

• Internal decision (individual): A member of your product design team may have particular expertise

or experience with the product. In this case, allow this expert to choose the concept.

• Intuition: Members of your design team may have personal experience with the product. Go with the

concept they judge to be the best one.

• Voting: Vote on the best two or three concepts.

• Pros and cons: After considering product need statements, benchmarking tables, and other related

information you have, develop an extensive list of pros and cons for each concept.

• Prototype and test: Build prototypes of your concepts and test each one to find out which concept

is the best.

• Decision matrices: Create a table that rates each concept based on the selection criteria your team

has generated.

Most likely, your Redesign team will use some aspects of several of the methods listed above to choose

concepts to develop further. However, it’s a good idea to include a more objective method, such as the

decision matrix you’ll learn about in Activity 3, as part of the decision-making process.

4 From Product Design and Development by K. T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger (2000, pp. 139, 142). © 2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.


EXTENSIONS

2.1

Use a CAD program to draw one or more of the different concepts you are considering

for your Redesign Proposal project.

2.2

Pick a company and interview someone involved with new product design. Create a profile of

the interviewee that does the following:

1. Identifies the person—name and company information

2. Briefly describes the role that new products play in the company’s overall

business strategy

3. Describes the company’s process for creating new products, from research to launch—

including sources of ideas, evaluation and testing procedures, and other

factors that affect how the company proceeds with product design and development

2.3

Create a profile of one of the following designers (or find another individual to profile)

to share with your class:

• Raymond Loewy

• Wendy E. Brawer

• Alvar Aalto

• Mario Bellini

• Jane Atfield

Be sure to include information about this person’s training or background in design and

at least one detailed example of the person’s design work.

ACTIVITY 3:Which Product Concept?

T 34


In this activity, students learn to use a decision-making tool called a “decision matrix” to display,

screen, and score potential concepts for headphones. Based on a scoring system they develop, they

determine the “top” headphone concept. Students then study basic financial aspects of a product

design project. Teams consider such factors as development costs, production costs, and sales

revenues. By studying two different financial plans, students consider the questions a company

faces when choosing between a short-term, inexpensive development plan and a more expensive

long-term plan.


No advance preparation is necessary for this activity.

Materials Needed

Sessions 13 and 14 • Optional: Several models of a product for the decision matrix activity

• A variety of headphones with different styles of earbuds (several models

for each team)

Session 14 • Computers with access to the Internet (at least one computer for each team)

Session 16 • Chart paper for concept sketches

Session 17 • A stopwatch or clock with a second hand

T 35

Notes: VOCABULARY

Accrue

Base-case model

Decision matrix

Development costs

Production costs

Production volume

Quarters

Ramp-up costs

Sales revenues

Sales volume

ACTIVITY 3:Which Product Concept?

INTRODUCTION

When designers study competitive products, how do they choose the product concepts that

will best address the needs of their customers? What costs do they need to consider when

selecting a concept for production? You’ll learn to generate a “decision matrix”—a tool that

is used to display and compare potential product concepts—in order to determine the “top”

concept. You’ll also study the financial aspects of product design related to development

costs, production costs, and sales revenues by looking at a basic financial model for a sam-

ple design project. Finally, you’ll consider a number of the basic questions that companies

must take into account when choosing to invest in a new product design.

Learning Goals

� Analyze product concepts to identify which concepts to develop further.

� Assess the financial outlook for a new product design, including development, production,

and marketing costs.

� Use decision-making methods to choose among several desirable options.


FOR YOUR GLOSSARY

Base-case model Decision matrix

T 36

Notes: SESSION 13

Create a Decision Matrix [Whole Class]

With the class, create a sample decision matrix for a product of your choosing. If possible, display

different models of the product for students to examine.

COMPARING CONCEPTS [Teams]

Divide the class into Decision Matrix teams. Give each team several different models of headphones,

and have each team create a decision matrix for its headphones. Students should complete the

matrix by the end of this session, so the concepts can be scored during the next session.

TEACHER INFORMATION

Creating and Scoring a Decision Matrix on page T 46

contains a sample decision matrix for scoring headphones.

TEACHER INFORMATION

Creating and Scoring a Decision Matrix on pages T 43–T 45 contains information about choosing

a sample product and creating a decision matrix for it. Do not score the matrix during this session.




COMPARING CONCEPTS

How do product designers determine the product concepts that are most likely to meet

customers’ needs? Suppose you have a list of five product concepts, and your product

development team can only choose one concept to develop further. How do you make your

decision? Everyone on the development team helped to create the concepts, so it’s likely that

each person has his or her favorite. If you take a vote and choose the most popular one, will

you make the best decision? If each person’s vote is based only on personal preference, you

won’t necessarily pick the concept that meets most customers’ needs.

A decision matrix can help with your selection process. A decision matrix is a table composed

of two categories of information—product concepts and selection criteria. The selection criteria

are properties or factors that influence the quality of the product and help a customer decide

whether to purchase it. For example, the selection criteria for a shirt may consist of comfort,

durability, and appearance. The decision matrix provides a way to score your product concepts

according to the selection criteria. Once the selection criteria have been decided, each concept

is scored according to those criteria. The concept with the highest score is the one that

customers are most likely to prefer.

To practice making and using a decision matrix, create a

matrix for headphones concepts. Look at several models of

headphones and brainstorm to create a list of at least six

selection criteria that you’ll use to rate each concept, including

both physical features, such as size, and non-physical features,

such as price. For example, when purchasing headphones you

might want a pair that is comfortable, has good sound quality,

and isn’t too big. Translate these qualities into such criteria as

“comfort,” “sound quality,” “size,” and “appearance,” and create

a list of these criteria. Use the following sample comments to

help create your selection criteria:

• “Needs to be comfortable.”

• “Sound quality must be good.”

• “Can’t be too heavy.”

• “Don’t want my ears to get hot.”

• “Needs to look cool.”



HOMEWORK 3.1

Describe your personal experience with two different

versions of the same product. Which product concept

worked better for you? Why?

T 37

Notes: SESSION 14

Scoring a Decision Matrix [Whole Class]

With the class, score the sample decision matrix the class created during Session 13 for the

product you chose. If possible, display the different models of the product for students to examine.

SCORING HEADPHONES [Teams/Whole Class]

Have students work in their Decision Matrix teams to score the headphones concepts. Once teams

have completed the scoring process, ask them to see how consumers rate each team’s best-scoring

concept, using information provided by Web sites that include consumer product ratings. When

teams have completed their research, have them share their results. Then discuss decision matrices,

using the questions in the Student Guide.

Possible Answers:

1. It can be difficult to rate the style or aesthetics of a product using a decision

matrix, since judging these qualities is a very subjective process. In addition,

it can be challenging to use a decision matrix to rate the overall appeal or

performance of a product.

2. There are a number of reasons that a highly rated model may fail to appeal

to consumers. For example, the product may have a style that doesn’t capture

consumers’ interest, consumers may determine that the product costs too much

relative to its features, the product may be perceived as out of fashion or too

trendy, the product may be too expensive for the current economic climate even

if the price is fair, or the product may be marketed poorly.

3. A product design team might present its ideas for several highly rated models to

consumers to determine which is the most popular, or make prototypes of these

models to see how they perform with customers.

TEACHER INFORMATION

Creating and Scoring a Decision Matrix on pages T 43–T 46 contains information

about scoring a decision matrix and includes sample scored matrices.

SCORING HEADPHONES

Now that you have a decision matrix completed for headphones concepts,

you need to score each concept. There are three possible ratings for each

selection criterion: below average, average, or above average. Each score

is assigned a numerical value, as shown in Table 3.1.

How do you decide which rating to assign? Although scoring is not totally objective, your

team should discuss the score and make a well thought-out decision.

Once you have scored each concept for the entire list of selection criteria, total the scores at

the bottom of your matrix. The concept with the highest score is the one that your team has

rated the “best” concept.

Did you determine the most popular concept? Go to the Ford PAS Web site for links to

Internet sources of product ratings and check your results. Then compare your results

with those of others in your class—were your results similar or different?

Think about your experience with using a decision matrix and answer the following questions:

1. Are there any aspects of the product concept that a decision matrix doesn’t take into

consideration?

2. Could a highly rated conceptual model become a commercial failure? Can you think

of factors that might make this happen?

3. What other steps might a design team take to choose which product concept to develop?

Below Average

Average

Above Average

–1

0

+1

Table 3.1: Scoring a Decision Matrix

HOMEWORK 3.2

Read Manny’s Batting Gloves and answer the Questions for Reflection.



Manny’s Batting GlovesManny’s Baseball Supplies, a sports equipment company, is trying to expand its product line. A product

development team for Manny’s has developed a concept for a new batting glove. The team is excited about

the prospect of creating a product based on this concept, but will the gloves make money for the company?

Does the company even have the funds to support the development of this new glove? By creating a project

schedule that shows how expenses and revenues will accrue, the development team can determine whether

developing the product concept is a wise financial move. Manny’s can also figure out whether and when it

will make a profit on its investment.

First, the development team needs to consider how long it will take to develop, produce, and market the actual

product. The team members have determined that they will be able to complete this process within two years.

Next, Manny’s development team has to consider both its expenses and its revenues to see if and when the new

gloves will make money for the company. In order to do this, the team needs to develop a base-case model.

A base-case model, as it relates to product development, is the basic financial model that the development

team uses to project revenues and losses for a specific product over the course of several quarters. The

base-case model includes information, based on the development team’s best research and assumptions,

about the expenses and revenues associated with developing, manufacturing, and selling a new product. This

information includes development costs, ramp-up costs, marketing and support costs, and production costs.

Development Team’s Considerations Manny’s Development Considerations

Development costs Expenses associated with researching, designing,

and testing the new batting gloves

Ramp-up costs

Marketing and support costs Expenses for introducing the new gloves to the

market, such as creating a new ad campaign

Production costs Expenses for producing the new gloves, such as the

costs of raw materials and labor

Sales revenues Estimated amount of money that Manny’s can make

from selling its new line of batting glove

Expenses for getting production of the new batting

gloves started, such as new manufacturing equipment

that Manny’s doesn’t currently own


Revenues are from projected sales of the product. Once a development team has created a base-case model,

the team can modify the model to look at projections based on more optimistic or more conservative scenarios,

or by including more detailed information.

Table 3.2 shows how the expenses and revenues for a new product can be mapped out.5

Each year of the

project is divided into quarters (Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4). The shaded blocks indicate when Manny’s expects the

costs and revenues to accrue. For example, the development phase for the new gloves will be completed by

the end of the first year.

The development team’s next step is to fill in the financial details. Table 3.3 shows estimates of all the costs

and revenues associated with the new batting gloves. Development costs end after the first year, by which

time the glove will have been developed and the company will be getting ready to begin production. By the

time the project has reached the second quarter of the second year, production will have begun. At that point,

the schedule includes estimates of the following:

• Production costs

o Production volume

o Unit production cost (the cost of production per pair of gloves)

• Sales revenues

o Sales volume (the number of gloves sold)

o Unit price (the price of a pair of gloves)

Development costs ($)

Ramp-up costs ($)

Marketing and support costs ($)

Production costs ($)

Sales revenues ($)

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2

Year 1 Year 2

Table 3.2: Schedule for Estimated Costs and Revenues

5 Tables 3.2 and 3.3 are adapted from Product Design and Development by K. T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger. © 2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.


In this table, costs are shown as negative numbers, while revenues are shown as positive numbers. For

example, the development team has estimated expenses of $350,000 for each of the first three quarters

of the project (Q1–Q3).


1. Will Manny’s new product make a profit by the end of the second quarter of Year 2? Use the development

team’s cost and revenue estimates provided in Table 3.3 to find the answer.

2. Compare the production volume to the sales volume. Do you think it’s likely that the company will sell all

the gloves it produces, as it has projected? How can Manny’s ensure good sales? Explain your answer.


Ramp-up costs ($)



Production volume

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2

Year 1 Year 2

($ values in thousands)

Unit production cost ($)

Sales revenues ($)

Sales volume

Unit price ($)

Quarter revenues or losses ($)

–350 –350 –350 –350

–1,500 –1,500

–150 –150

–1,400

100,000

–0.014

2,800

100,000

0.028

1,250–350 –350 –350 –1,850 –1,650

Table 3.3: Schedule for Estimated Costs and Revenues, Manny’s Batting Gloves

T 38

Notes: SESSION 15

Manny’s Batting Gloves [Whole Class]

Discuss base-case models and the financial aspects of product design and development, using

the Questions for Reflection in Manny’s Batting Gloves.

Possible Answers:

Question 1: Though Manny’s new product makes a profit of $1,250,000 by the end

of the second quarter of Year 2, overall Manny’s will have a loss of $3,300,000.

Question 2: The production volume and sales volume are the same. However, it

is highly unlikely that all the gloves will sell in the second quarter—especially if

they are still being produced in the second quarter. The schedule would be more

accurate if it included the third and fourth quarters of Year 2 and showed the

estimated sales revenues over that time period. Manny’s can ensure good

sales by making sure that its gloves meet customers’ needs and by having

a successful marketing strategy in place.

IS THE CONCEPT WORTH THE COST? [Teams/Whole Class]

Form teams and have each team develop a costs and revenues schedule for each option presented

in the BestFone Case Study on pages 47–49 in the Student Guide. Once teams have decided

which phone line BestFone should develop, have each team share its decision with the class.

Students may figure out the answer to Question 1 by adding the

quarter revenues or losses for Year 1 and the first two quarters of

Year 2. Another approach is to add the total development costs, the

total ramp-up costs, the total marketing and support costs, and the

total production costs, and then subtract the total sales revenues.

TEACHER INFORMATION

BestFone Options on pages T 47–T 48 provides complete costs and revenues schedules.

T 39

Notes: Discuss the case study by asking the following questions:

1. What are the pros and cons of each option?

Possible Answers:

Option 1: Because the phones could be produced more quickly, the company would

see profits by the fourth quarter of Year 1, two quarters sooner than in Option 2. In

addition, development costs would be less because the phones are similar to ones

that BestFone currently sells. However, the profits from the new line per quarter

would be considerably less than they would be for the phones in Option 2, because

they would sell for less, and they would need to be phased out much sooner than

the phones in Option 2, meaning that the company would need to begin a new

development cycle that much sooner. These phones may also not do enough to

update the image of the company’s products.

Option 2: The phones in Option 2 would take longer to develop, and the development

process would be more expensive than it would be in Option 1, so the company

would lose more money for a longer period of time. However, once production had

begun, the profits from the phones would be greater than in Option 1, and, because

the phones would be more technologically advanced, they could be sold for a

substantially longer period of time, meaning that overall profits over three or four

years would be greater for Option 2, if sales volumes remained steady. These

phones would also do more to update the image of the company’s products.

2. How do you think real companies manage trade-offs between technological advancement

and the higher development costs associated with new technologies?

3. What role do financial projections play in the product development process?

Possible Answers: Financial projections can help a company choose between

several viable product concepts by helping the development team determine which

would generate the most profits relative to development costs. They can be used

to determine whether a particular product—perhaps one that has gone through all

the preliminary product development stages—should be produced at all. In

addition, a product development team can modify financial projections to

determine the results of various scenarios (for example, spending more money

on development costs to get the product into the marketplace sooner).

T 40

Notes:Although financial projections are an important part of the

product development process, it is not feasible for students

to realistically determine costs and revenues for their redesign

proposals. Therefore, students are not asked to include financial

information as part of the project.


IS THE CONCEPT WORTH THE COST?

How do companies decide whether new product concepts are worth producing? What would

happen if a company spent a large amount of money on the design and production of a new

concept, and the product was a commercial failure? After designers identify product concepts

they want to develop further, they determine what the development costs, production costs,

and sales revenues will be for each product concept, and take this information into account

when deciding which ones to produce.

Analyze the information provided in BestFone Case Study. For each of the two phone options,

create a costs and revenues schedule modeled on the one in Manny’s Batting Gloves on

page 44. The schedule should include information for all four quarters of Years 1 and 2.

Then, using information from the schedules and the case study, determine which new line

of phones BestFone should develop and produce, and be prepared to explain why you

chose this option.

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that even a very accomplished inventor can have trouble making a new

product succeed on the market? Dean Kamen, an extremely successful inventor of medical

devices, started in the business while only in his twenties. The inventions that made Kamen’s

reputation met clear medical needs. However, Kamen’s Segway scooter—considered to be

a great invention in terms of the technology used—was in big trouble as soon as it reached

the market. What happened?

The Segway started out with several strikes against it: a high price tag (around $5,000),

a weight of more than 80 pounds, and a top speed of only 12 �� miles per hour. Its battery life

was limited (it could go for 15 miles per charge, but only under “optimum” conditions—flat

terrain, no wind, and at a constant speed), so it needed to be recharged often. Buyers

required four hours of training to be prepared to take to the streets on the Segway, yet the

product was sold over the Internet, with no provision for the necessary training. And, in

a masterstroke of bad timing, the product was released at the end of 2001—just as the

United States (and most of the world) was seeing the economy get worse each day.

As a result, sales after the product launch were much slower than expected.


HOMEWORK 3.3

Continue to work on the tasks you’ve been

assigned for your Redesign Proposal project.


BestFone Case StudyThe BestFone Company has been in the mobile phone business

for a number of years and has a large, loyal customer base.

Although it has not released a new model in more than a year,

BestFone continues to enjoy considerable success.

Over the past year, BestFone has seen many competitors enter

the market, offering phones with new features—cameras, games,

MP3 players, wireless Internet—that its own product line doesn’t

currently offer. The company’s management is divided on how to

handle the new competition. Some believe that the new features

being offered on competitors’ phones don’t work very well yet

and that customers will be turned off by the poor performance.

Others believe that BestFone’s product line will not be able to

compete with the flashy new features of these phones—they are

concerned that BestFone’s products will be seen as old-fashioned.

In order to keep its existing customer base and attract new customers, BestFone has decided to

develop a new mobile phone line. The company’s product designers have offered two distinct product

concepts to pursue.

Option 1

This new product line would not be substantially different from BestFone’s current line. The new phones

would simply make improvements to features that are already included in BestFone’s current products.

This line of phones could be developed and begin being manufactured in under a year. The new phones

could be sold for slightly more than BestFone’s current line, and BestFone would begin to see increased

profits within a short period of time. Because the changes to this phone are mostly cosmetic, it could only

be sold in the marketplace for about two years before it became outdated.


Option 2

The second option for a new line of phones would take considerably longer to develop. Designers would

develop phones that match or improve on competitors’ new phones. Because this option would involve

researching new technologies, the product design team estimates that it would take a year and a half to

develop and begin to manufacture the new line of phones. These phones could be sold for substantially

more than BestFone’s current product line. However, development costs would be significant, and BestFone

wouldn’t be able to sell the new line for several quarters—though, because this product line would have

substantial technological advancements, it could be sold in the marketplace for three to four years before

becoming outdated.

Financial Information for Option 1

Development costs ($) $350,000 per quarter for the first two quarters of Year 1,

and $250,000 for the third quarter of Year 1

Ramp-up costs ($) $750,000 per quarter for the third and

fourth quarters of Year 1

Marketing and support costs ($) $100,000 per quarter, beginning in the fourth quarter

of Year 1 and continuing for all of Year 2

Production volume 200,000 phones each quarter, beginning in the fourth

quarter of Year 1 and continuing for all of Year 2

Production costs ($) $24 per phone beginning in the fourth quarter of Year

1 and continuing for all of Year 2

Sales volume 200,000 phones each quarter, beginning in the fourth

quarter of Year 1 and continuing for all of Year 2

Sales price ($) $48 per phone, beginning in the fourth quarter of Year

1 and continuing for all of Year 2


Financial Information for Option 2

Development costs ($) $750,000 per quarter for all of Year 1 and the

first quarter of Year 2

Ramp-up costs ($) $1,250,000 per quarter for the first two

quarters of Year 2

Marketing and support costs ($) $225,000 per quarter beginning in the second

quarter of Year 2

Production volume 200,000 phones each quarter beginning in the

second quarter of Year 2

Production costs ($) $41 per phone beginning in the second

quarter of Year 2

Sales volume 200,000 phones each quarter beginning in the

second quarter of Year 2

Sales price ($) $82 per phone beginning in the second

quarter of Year 2

T 41

Notes: SESSION 16

REDESIGN DECISION MATRIX [Teams]

Have students meet in their Redesign teams to build decision matrices to score their redesigned

product concepts. Have teams use their scored matrices to choose the two most promising concepts

and then make sketches of their chosen concepts on chart paper.


REDESIGN DECISION MATRIX

Build a decision matrix to score the product concepts your Redesign team has generated. Use

the information you gathered about the product to help determine the selection criteria you’ll

use to compare the concepts. Be sure to record a copy of the decision matrix and scores in

your design log. Based on the scores from your decision matrix, choose the two concepts

that seem to have the most promise, and make sketches of these two concepts.

HOMEWORK 3.4

Continue to work on your Redesign Proposal project.

Think about how you can present the two concepts

you’ve chosen to the class

T 42

Notes: SESSION 17

REDESIGN IN MINUTES [Teams/Whole Class]

Have Redesign teams prepare a three-minute presentation of their two concepts for the class.

Have each team present its two concepts. After each presentation, ask students in the audience

to share feedback on the product concepts, based on the questions in the Student Guide. Teams

should use this feedback to determine which concept to develop.

The three-minute time limit is to get teams to focus on the most

important aspects of each concept. Suggest that teams use a

stopwatch or a watch with a second hand when they practice

their presentations.


REDESIGN IN MINUTES

How well did your decision matrix work? Did your Redesign team

determine the best concept to develop further? Now’s your chance

to share your concepts and get some feedback from your classmates.

Prepare to present the two redesign concepts you’ve chosen. Remember, you’ll have only

three minutes for your presentation. Think of the time limit as a challenge, and focus your

presentation on the most important aspects of your concepts. Present the following information

about each:

• The concept’s name

• A simple sketch of the concept

• A list of the concept’s most important or innovative features

You should also describe what you expect your customers to like about the concept and

why they will choose your concept over the current competitive products on the market.

You might want to use a stopwatch when you practice your presentation to make sure that

you’re staying within the time limit.

Give feedback to the other Redesign teams about the product concepts they present. Use

the following questions to assess each concept, based on the information the team presents:

1. Do the features and design of each concept meet the needs of potential customers?

2. Is each of the concept’s features clearly distinguishable?

3. Are any of the concept’s features frivolous or unnecessary? If so, do these features

take away from the overall appeal of the concept?

HOMEWORK 3.5

Continue to work on the tasks you’ve been

assigned for your Redesign Proposal project.


EXTENSIONS

3.1

Create a decision matrix for a large or complicated object, such as a television. Can you

determine features that are optional? How would you use this technique to determine the

best add-on features for a product?

3.2

Go to the Ford PAS Web site and read about the Segway scooter. What weaknesses,

if any, were there in Dean Kamen’s business plan for the Segway? If the Segway

were your invention, what actions would you have taken to identify customer needs

that it might meet?

3.3

Using a CAD program, draw the two product concepts you selected in this activity.

T 43

Notes: TEACHER INFORMATION: CREATING AND SCORING A DECISION MATRIX

Choosing a Product

Teams will use a decision matrix to help choose the best concept for their Redesign Proposal project.

To show students how to create a decision matrix, choose a type of product that students will be

familiar with and that comes in several different models, such as the following:

• Laptops

• Portable stereos

• Hair dryers

• PDAs or other handheld computers

Once you have chosen a type of product, make a list of some of the different models available.

These are the product concepts you will be scoring. For example, if you chose portable stereos,

you might list the following concepts:

• Radio with CD player, two speakers

• Radio with CD player, four speakers

• Radio with CD player, detachable speakers

If possible, bring the models in to class so students can examine them as they create their matrices.

Creating a Matrix1

Once you have a list of product concepts, ask students to consider the factors that would influence

whether they purchased or used the products. These factors are the selection criteria that will be

included in the matrix. The following is a possible list of selection criteria for a portable stereo:

• Weight

• Sound quality

• Price

• External audio outputs

• Display quality

• Range of sound

• Overall look and style

To create the matrix, make a table with the product concepts listed across the top and the selection

criteria listed along the side, with the remaining cells left open for scoring, as shown in Table TI 3.1.

1 Adapted from Product Design and Development by K. T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger. © 2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

T 44

Notes:

Scoring the Matrix

To score this decision matrix, begin with the first selection criterion and the first product concept. Ask

students to decide if they think this product concept is average, above average, or below average in

regard to this criterion. If students think the concept rates “average,” record a 0 on the table; if it rates

“below average,” record a –1 on the table; and if it rates “above average,” record a +1 on the table.

For example, if students think that the first concept—the portable radio with the CD player and two

speakers—rates “above average” on the weight criterion (i.e., it’s not too heavy, it’s easily portable),

you would record a +1 on the table. Score each product concept for each of the selection criteria.

To tally the scores, use two rows to record the total positive and negative scores for each concept

and the last row to record the final scores. Students should choose the concept with the highest

overall score.

Weight

Sound quality

Price

External audiooutputs

Display quality

Range of sound

Sum Positives

Sum Negatives

Net Score

Radio with CDplayer, twospeakers

Radio with CDplayer, fourspeakers

Radio with CDplayer, detach-able speakers

Table TI 3.1: Portable Stereo Decision Matrix

Product ConceptsSelection Criteria

Overall lookand style

T 45

Notes: Table TI 3.2 shows a sample completed matrix, which indicates that the best product concept

is the radio with a CD player and four speakers.

Headphones Decision Matrix

Students are asked to create and score a decision matrix for several pairs of headphones.

Table TI 3.3 shows an example of what students should develop.

Weight

Sound quality

Price

External audiooutputs

Display quality

Range of sound

Sum Positives

Sum Negatives

Net Score

Radio with CDplayer, twospeakers

0

0

+1

–1

0

0

0

+1

–1

0

Radio with CDplayer, fourspeakers

–1

+1

–1

+1

+1

+1

+1

+5

–2

+3

Radio with CDplayer, detach-able speakers

–1

–1

0

+1

0

+1

–1

+2

–3

–1

Table TI 3.2: Scored Portable Stereo Decision Matrix (sample)


Overall lookand style

T 46

Notes:

Comfort

Size

Sound quality

Weight

Adaptor type

Cord length

Sum Positives

Sum Negatives

Net Score

Earbud,attaches to ear

+1

+1

–1

+1

0

–1

0

+3

–2

+1

Earbud,with head wire

–1

0

0

0

0

0

+1

+1

–1

0

Full-sized,with head wire

–1

–1

+1

–1

0

+1

–1

+2

–4

–2

Table TI 3.3: Scored Headphones Decision Matrix (sample)


Price

T 47

Notes: TEACHER INFORMATION: BESTFONE OPTIONS

The following tables are costs and revenues schedules for the two options that BestFone is considering.


Ramp-up costs ($)



Production volume

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q3 Q4Q1 Q2

Year 1 Year 2



Sales revenues ($)

Sales volume

Unit price ($)


–350 –350 –250

–750 –750

–100

–4,800

200,000

–0.024

9,600

200,000

–100 –100 –100 –100

–4,800

200,000

–0.024

4,700 4,700 4,700–350 –350 –1,000 3,950 4,700

0.048 0.048 0.048 0.048 0.048

–4,800 –4,800 –4,800

200,000 200,000 200,000

–0.024 –0.024 –0.024

9,600 9,600 9,600 9,600

200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000

Profit Year 2 +18,800Profit Year 1 +2,250

Net gain or loss +21,050

Option 1

T 48

Notes:

Over the two-year period, Option 1 will produce the most profit for BestFone. However, other factors,

such as profits over the longer term, may make Option 2 an equally viable or preferable option.

Profit Year 2 +20,675Loss Year 1 –3,000

Net gain or loss +17,675


Ramp-up costs ($)



Production volume

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q3 Q4Q1 Q2

Year 1 Year 2



Sales revenues ($)

Sales volume

Unit price ($)


–750 –750 –750

–1,250 –1,250

–225

–8,200

200,000

–0.041

6,725 7,975 7,975–750 –750 –750 –750 –2,000

0.082 0.082 0.082

–8,200 –8,200

200,000 200,000

–0.041 –0.041

16,400 16,400 16,400

200,000 200,000 200,000

–750 –750

–225 –225

Option 2

T 49

Notes:

ACTIVITY 4:Standing Out in the Crowd

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Some products meet customers’ less-tangible needs, and meeting these needs can contribute to

a product’s success. In this activity, students study the properties of a product that industrial design-

ers consider, such as aesthetics and user interfaces. Students first examine pairs of products to

determine which product has a more successful industrial design. Next, students assess the quality

of the industrial design of a portable music player and use this analysis to create a player with

a new design. Finally, Redesign teams create industrial designs for their products.


Session 19 • Gather a variety of portable music players (tape or CD players, digital

music players, and/or portable radios), or have students bring them in.

Sessions 21 and 22 • Obtain drafting paper, which is available at art or office supply stores.

Materials Needed

Sessions 19 and 20 • A variety of portable music players (several for each team)

• Chart paper and markers

Session 19 • A common product, such as an alarm clock, stapler, or TV remote

Session 20 • Teams’ chart paper with analysis tables from Session 19

Sessions 21 and 22 • Drafting paper (several sheets for each team)

Session 22 • Copies of Quiz 2 (one copy for each student)

T 50

Notes: VOCABULARY

Aesthetics

Dendriform

Differentiation

Ergonomic design

Functionality

Industrial design

User interfaces


ACTIVITY 4:Standing Out in the Crowd

INTRODUCTION

In today’s crowded marketplace, a product that works well and meets customer needs can

still fail if it doesn’t stand out from the competition. How can companies create the kinds of

products that make customers think, “I’ve got to get one of those”? In this activity, you’ll learn

how product developers use industrial design to create products that customers want. You’ll

see some examples of different kinds of industrial design and analyze several products to

determine which of their designs is most successful. You’ll also get a chance to apply some

industrial design techniques to your Redesign Proposal project.

Learning Goals

� Identify and describe the successful use of industrial design techniques.

� Use industrial design techniques to create a unique identity for a product.

FOR YOUR GLOSSARY

Aesthetics

Differentiation

Ergonomic design

Functionality

Industrial design

User interfaces

T 51

Notes: SESSION 18

WHAT IS INDUSTRIAL DESIGN? [Teams]

Divide the class into teams. Have teams analyze the products shown in Industrial Design

Comparison, using the questions on page 55 in the Student Guide.

Discuss Industrial Design [Whole Class]

Have teams share their answers to the questions in the Student Guide regarding the pairs of

products. Discuss aspects of industrial design, using the following questions:

1. Do the products with the most successful industrial design have any characteristics in common?

2. “Look and feel” is more important for some of these products than for others. For which

ones is it more important? Why?

3. Do some of the products emphasize aesthetics, while others focus on the user interfaces?

Which is more important?

4. Consider the target audience for each product. Do you think the product does a good

job of appealing to its target audience? Why or why not?

Students may not be able to provide complete answers

for all the products based on the photographs provided.

Because everyone has different tastes, and a large component of industrial design is

aesthetics, students may not all agree on which industrial designs are the most successful.

However, students can try to identify the common characteristics of the products that

they, as individuals, thought were successful.

If you are running short on time to complete this activity or if

students need additional time to complete their classwork,

Homework 4.1 and Style vs. Function may be omitted.


WHAT IS INDUSTRIAL DESIGN?

When you go shopping, what kinds of products catch your eye? Ones that are brightly colored,

or have unique shapes, or look like they’d be fun to use? For most products you see, a group

of people have thought very deliberately about how you will react to the way the product

looks, how you will respond to the product when you touch it or hold it in your hand, and how

you will interact with the product when you begin to use it. These people try to make sure that

the product has good industrial design.

The industrial design of a

product includes how it looks

(sometimes referred to as its

aesthetics), how it feels, and

the way that customers interact

with and use the product

through user interfaces. User

interfaces include any part of

the product that customers

touch, look at, or otherwise

make contact with as they use or operate the product. User interfaces may include such items

as buttons, handles, seats, laces, screens, and keyboards. Industrial designers may also be

concerned with making sure that a product is safe, has a good ergonomic design, and is

easy for customers to maintain and repair.

It’s important for most products to have a good industrial design for a variety of reasons:

1. Attracting customers: Customers are often drawn to products with designs that are

fashionable, dramatic, or pleasing to the eye, and are therefore more likely to

purchase them.

2. Keeping customers: If customers find a product easy to use and maintain, they are

more likely to continue using it or to purchase the same model or a similar model

from the same company.

3. Creating brand recognition: Companies can use industrial design to create an image

that is reflected in an entire line of products. For example, a car company may design

all of its sedans with a certain unique shape. Customers can then recognize a car made

by that company without needing to see the maker’s logo on the car.

WHAT IS ERGONOMIC DESIGN?

An ergonomic design takes into consideration people’s

physical capabilities and limitations. Products with

good ergonomic design can be used comfortably by

a wide range of users. For example, an ergonomically

designed desk chair could be used by someone

who was five feet tall and someone who was six feet

tall—without either person experiencing back strain.


4. Creating brand identity: Companies can create a certain image for their products

through industrial design. For example, if a company wants its product to be perceived

as cutting-edge, it might use aerodynamic shapes and polished metal surfaces. If it

wants the product to be perceived as safe or comforting, it might use softer shapes and

muted colors.

What are some characteristics of good industrial design? Look at the four pairs of products

in Industrial Design Comparison and answer the following questions for each pair:

1. Does one of these products appeal to you more than the other? If so, why?

2. What image were the industrial designers trying to create through the products’ aesthetics?

3. What are the products’ user interfaces?

4. How easy do you think each product would be to use?

5. What audience was each product designed for?

6. Overall, do you think one of these products has a better industrial design? If so, why?

HOMEWORK 4.1

Functionality refers to a product’s ability to perform its

intended use or operation. Describe several products for

which industrial design might be less important than

functionality, and explain why.


Industrial Design ComparisonScooters

RazorXLR8R Electric Scooter

ZAP ZAPPY Electric Scooter


Razors

BIC Classic Sensitive Shaver

Gillette for Women Venus


Athletic Shoes

Reebok Men’s Classic Cielo

Nike Men’s Air Hyperflight


Cheese Graters

IKEA Cheese Grater

OXO Multi-Grater

T 52

Notes: SESSION 19

Style vs. Function [Whole Class]

Ask students to share the list of products they made for Homework 4.1, and discuss the reasons

that industrial design is more important for some products than for others.

Possible Answers: Industrial design is less important for products that have a purely

technological function, such as an internal CD-ROM drive, because functionality

determines whether customers are satisfied with the product. Aesthetics may also

be less important for products that are used in industry, such as stamping machines

or large-scale food mixers, although user interfaces are very important for such

products. Industrial design is particularly important for products in a market that

has a large number of products competing for the same audience.

SEEKING GOOD DESIGN [Whole Class/Teams]

Display a common product, such as an alarm clock or a TV remote.

Ask students to analyze the product’s industrial design using each of the five categories listed in the

Student Guide. Have students determine the quality of the design based on this analysis.

Divide the class into Industrial Design teams. Give each team several different models of portable

music players, and have teams analyze each player to determine the quality of its industrial design.

Teams should create their analysis tables on chart paper and save them for Session 20.

Alternatively, or in addition, you might have students look

at one of the product photographs from Industrial Design

Comparison on pages 56–59 in the Student Guide.

If you are running short on time to complete this activity or if students

need additional time to complete their classwork, Homework 4.2 and

Limitations of Industrial Design may be omitted.


SEEKING GOOD DESIGN

How can you rate a product’s industrial design? One way is to look at how well a product

performs in each of the following categories,6

which address the most important aspects

of industrial design:

1. Quality of user interfaces: How easy is the product to use? Are the buttons or other

controls easy to operate, and is it clear what each one is for? Are you able to get the

product to do what you want without a struggle? Does the product seem safe? How

accessible is the product for people with disabilities?

2. Emotional appeal: How does the product make you feel? What kind of image does

it project? Is it pleasing to look at? How does it feel when you hold it in your hand?

Is it something that you would use every day?

3. Ease of maintenance and repair: If the product has batteries, is it easy to change

or recharge them? If the product were broken, would it be easy to fix?

4. Appropriate use of resources: Are any of the features of the product unnecessary?

What kinds of materials were used? What did the materials cost? If expensive materials

were used, were they necessary to the success of the design? Does it seem like the

manufacturers considered the environment in the design?

5. Product differentiation: Differentiation is the act of seeing or showing the differences

between objects. In the context of industrial design, differentiation is about how a product

stands out from other products and how it expresses the company’s identity. If you saw

an ad for the product, would you remember it or look for it in a store? Does the product

make a statement about the company that produces it? Does the product fit in with other

products from that company that you are familiar with?

While good industrial design is almost always important,

it’s especially important for products in a tight market that

are competing against many similar products to win the

interest of discriminating customers. Take, for example, the

portable music player. Think about all the different kinds of

music players you’ve heard about or seen. The companies that

make these players are all trying to appeal to an audience

that can be very discriminating and particular—an audience

that includes you!

6 From Product Design and Development by K. T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger. © 2000 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Track 1


Work as part of an Industrial Design team to compare the industrial designs of several

portable music players. First, write a brief description of your initial response to the product,

paying particular attention to its aesthetic qualities and its user interfaces. Is the product

something you’d be interested in buying? Why or why not? Then do a more detailed analysis

of each player, assessing its strengths and weaknesses in each of the above categories.

Develop a table to organize your analysis.

DID YOU KNOW?

You aren’t likely to see Shiro Kuramata’s chairs if you

visit the home furnishings area of your local department

store—but you may if you visit an art museum! Kuramata,

a Japanese artist and designer who worked during the

last half of the twentieth century, designed everyday

objects, such as chairs and sets of drawers, in a way

that focused attention on the form of objects we often

take for granted, and transformed them into something

new. His pieces move beyond the realm of furniture

into that of art.

Kuramata’s designs often incorporate innovative

materials, such as steel mesh, acrylic, and aluminum,

which make the chairs beautiful, if not exactly comfy.

For example, one of his chairs, called “How High the

Moon,” is made entirely of steel mesh. This means that

light can pass through the chair, making it seem ethereal and delicate. It also means that the seat is

not very soft! However, the chair’s softness—or lack thereof—is not the most important thing about it.

Terence Riley, the chief curator of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, said of the chair in an interview

with Newsweek magazine, “Like all great chairs, it’s not very comfortable. . . . There’s more to comfort

than it being soft on your tush. . . . [The chair] conveys a sense of the here and now.”

Another of Kuramata’s chairs, “Miss Blanche,” was inspired by a corsage worn by Vivien Leigh playing

Blanche DuBois in the movie version of A Streetcar Named Desire. The chair’s body is made of clear

acrylic, and red silk roses seem to be floating inside the arms and seat of the chair. While this chair

may not be comfortable for sitting, it is a beautiful and evocative work of art.

“Miss Blanche” Chair


HOMEWORK 4.2

Read The SC Johnson Administration Building: Form vs.

Function and answer the Questions for Reflection.


The SC Johnson AdministrationBuilding: Form vs. FunctionOne of the most important aspects of design for almost all products is functionality—the product should do

what it’s supposed to do, be easy to use, and have relatively trouble-free operation. For example, it won’t

matter to most consumers that a stereo is beautiful to look at if the sound quality is poor and the buttons are

hard to use. In most cases, good industrial design balances functionality (the user interfaces are easy to

understand, the product is ergonomically designed) and aesthetic appeal (the product is pleasing to look

at and has a form that is attractive to consumers), which usually go hand in hand.

However, in some instances, the design or form of an object is just as important—or even more important—than

its functionality. Moving beyond its original purpose, the object may offer a new way of looking at design as

well as at the object itself. For example, think about the clothing that fashion designers present in runway

shows. Although technically these garments are functional, in many cases they would be impractical or

uncomfortable to wear to work or school, not to mention expensive! However, they do represent the cutting

edge of fashion design. They set the trends, and, in some cases, they cause people to think about clothing

in new ways.

Although it’s important that

most products be designed with

functionality foremost in mind, it’s

equally important that some

designers take risks and produce

objects that, while not always

entirely practical, challenge how

people think about design.

Consider the example of the SC

Johnson Administration Building.

In 1936, the architect Frank Lloyd

Wright was asked to design a new

administration building for SC Johnson in Racine, Wisconsin. The completed building is a masterful and

influential piece of architecture, which incorporates many of Wright’s ideas, such as the value of work; the

importance of open, airy spaces that flow naturally together; and the use of organic forms. In designing the

building, Wright also pioneered the use of new construction materials and techniques, and these innovative

elements contribute to the success of the building.

SC Johnson Complex


The focal point of the building’s interior is the

Great Workroom, a large, open space where

the company’s clerical staff worked when the

building was first opened. The workroom is

surrounded by a mezzanine, with a penthouse

level for executive offices above that. One of

the most striking and innovative aspects of

the building is the use of what Wright called

“dendriform columns,” tree-shaped columns

with wide, flat plates at their tops, which narrow

down to thin columns as they reach the floor.

Another prominent feature is the use of skylights

and a band of glass tubes between the wall and the ceiling to allow natural light to penetrate the space.

In many ways, the SC Johnson Administration Building is successful both aesthetically and functionally.

In addition to being a powerful piece of architecture, the building is a pleasant space in which to work,

and employees who have worked in the space were happy there.

At the same time, though, certain aspects of the building’s functionality have been less than successful. Frank

Lloyd Wright was always experimenting with new materials and construction techniques. Some of these, such

as the dendriform columns, work exactly as designed, while others have had mixed results. For example,

Wright used Pyrex tubing to provide the translucent band of light between the walls and the ceiling of the

building. These tubes were also used to create skylights. Although the effect of these tubes was quite beautiful,

they didn’t function well as roofing material. As the tubes expanded and contracted in heat and cold, water

worked its way through the caulking, causing the roof to leak. For years, buckets were kept in the Great

Workroom to catch all the water when it rained! Eventually, the tubes in the ceiling had to be replaced with

ribbed sheets of plastic that replicated the look of the tubes. Also, the band of tubes between the ceiling and

wall unexpectedly caused a glare in some parts of the building, and blinds had to be installed over them.

In addition, the Administration Building and the accompanying Research Tower that Wright eventually designed

have had some maintenance challenges over the years—the inevitable result of experimental materials and

techniques. In fact, many of Wright’s buildings have had problems, such as leaky roofs and rooms that were

too hot or too cold. For many of the owners of these buildings, though, such inconveniences seem a small

price to pay for the privilege of living or working in such beautiful places. In some ways, what’s important

about Wright’s buildings, at least as much as their functionality, is their ability to open people’s eyes to the

possibilities of human-made spaces.

Great Workroom



1. Do you agree that it’s acceptable for form or design to take precedence over function in some

instances? Why or why not?

2. Based on the information in the reading, assess the industrial design of the SC Johnson Administration

Building, using the five criteria listed in Seeking Good Design on page 60. Do you think the building

has a good industrial design?

3. Can you think of objects you have seen whose design is more important than their functionality?

T 53

Notes: SESSION 20

Limitations of Industrial Design [Whole Class]

Discuss form, function, and the industrial design of the SC Johnson Administration Building, using the

Questions for Reflection from The SC Johnson Administration Building: Form vs. Function.

Possible Answers:

2. Quality of user interfaces: In many ways, the building has high-quality user

interfaces. Employees were happy working in the building, especially in the

Great Workroom, and worker efficiency improved. However, workers in the

building were probably inconvenienced by the leaking roofs and the glare

from the glass tubes.

Emotional appeal: Based on the pictures and information in the reading, students

can decide whether they believe the building has emotional appeal. The open,

airy structure and innovative use of organic forms lead many people to think

that the building is quite beautiful.

Ease of maintenance and repair: The building has several problems in this area.

The roof has leaked, original materials had to be replaced or (in the case of the

glass tubes causing glare) supplemented with other materials, and the building

and accompanying tower have both had maintenance problems over the years.

Appropriate use of resources: There is not much information about the cost of

materials or building construction in the reading. Students could argue that the

experimental materials that Frank Lloyd Wright used were unnecessary and,

given the difficulties with some of them, that they added to the long-term costs

of the building. However, students could also argue that these materials, such

as the glass tubes that suffused the Great Workroom with light, were essential

to the success of the building’s design.

Product differentiation: The interior of the building has a very distinct design and

many unique features, and stands out from other office buildings as an example

of the possibilities of incorporating beautiful design into spaces where people

work. At the same time, it incorporates many themes and ideas that Frank Lloyd

Wright used in other buildings throughout his career, and thus also fits in with

his overall style.

T 54

Notes: A BETTER PLAYER [Teams/Whole Class]

Have students work with their Industrial Design teams to sketch a new industrial design for a

portable music player. Have teams display their analysis tables from Session 19 and the sketches

of their new designs. Students should look at each design and give feedback to at least one other

team about its new design idea, based on the five criteria listed in Seeking Good Design on page

60 in the Student Guide.


A BETTER PLAYER

Now that you’ve seen some examples of industrial design,

how would you design a product? Look at your analyses of

portable music players. Are there areas in need of improve-

ment? Would you like a player that was bigger or smaller, or

just looked different? Would you reconfigure the buttons or

change the display?

With your Industrial Design team, develop a new industrial

design for a portable music player. Be sure to consider both

how the player looks and how users will interact with the product. Sketch your player on

drafting paper, labeling all of the important features that distinguish your design from the

original product.

Track 1

HOMEWORK 4.3

Think about the product you’re working on for your Redesign

Proposal project and generate some industrial design ideas

that you might incorporate into your product redesign.

T 55

Notes: SESSION 21

APPLYING GOOD DESIGN [Teams]

Have students work in their Redesign teams, and give each team sheets of drafting paper. Have

students develop an industrial design for their Redesign Proposal projects and create sketches

of this design.


APPLYING GOOD DESIGN

Share your industrial design ideas from Homework 4.3 with your Redesign

team and begin developing an industrial design for your product. To get

started, consider the industrial design of similar products and think about

how these designs could be improved upon. You might also consider

incorporating elements of design from other products that you like.

Your industrial design should take into account the following:

1. Quality of user interfaces: How will customers use the product? Will it be easy to

understand? Comfortable to use? Accessible for people with disabilities?

2. Emotional appeal: How will your product look? How will it feel to touch? What image

will the product convey to customers?

3. Ease of maintenance and repair: Does the product require any assembly or maintenance,

such as replacing batteries? Will these operations be easy for the average user to perform?

4. Appropriate use of resources: What are the main features of the product? Will it

have any “bells and whistles” that customers might not necessarily want or need?

What materials will you use? Are these materials expensive? If so, are they necessary?

Will use of the materials have adverse environmental impacts?

5. Product differentiation: How will your product stand out from similar products in the

marketplace? What kind of statement does your industrial design make about your product?

Once your Redesign team has decided on an industrial design for the product, create several

sketches of it, labeling the important features.

HOMEWORK 4.4

Continue to work on the industrial design

of your Redesign Proposal project.

T 56

Notes: SESSION 22

Applying Good Design [Teams]

Have students continue working on the sketches of their industrial designs for the Redesign

Proposal project.

Quiz 2 [Individual]

Use the second half of this session to have students complete Quiz 2.


HOMEWORK 4.5

Continue to work on your assigned tasks

for the Redesign Proposal project.

EXTENSIONS

4.1

Create a Web site or Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation that shows some examples of

good and bad industrial designs, as determined by you or by product reviewers, and

that identifies the design features that make each product successful or unsuccessful.

4.2

Research the requirements for starting a job as an industrial designer, and look for college

programs and internships that would prepare you for such a position.

4.3

Using a CAD program, draw the product that you are redesigning for your Redesign

Proposal project. Then use the CAD program to help you develop your industrial design

ideas. Pay special attention to aesthetics and user interfaces.

T 57

Notes:

ACTIVITY 5:Putting It On Paper

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

To make a concept a reality, designers must determine the physical characteristics of a product, such

as length and width, and present these characteristics in ways that will be understood by other

professionals, such as engineers, machinists, and potential investors. In this activity, students learn

how the features and characteristics of a product can be represented by words, technical drawings,

technical illustrations, and advertisements. Students compare the basic characteristics and information

presented in technical drawings and illustrations. They also learn about the role that patents play in

the design process, and conduct research to see if their product concept has already been patented.

To conclude the activity, Redesign teams create technical drawings or illustrations of their products.


Session 23 • Modify a large sponge for modeling technical drawing as described in Teacher

Information: A Not So Ordinary Sponge on page T 65.

• If isometric grid paper is not readily available, go to the Ford PAS Web

site to locate printable grid paper.

Session 25 • Go to the Ford PAS Web site to learn about linking to the U.S. Patent and

Trademark Office (USPTO) database, and practice using the database.

• Test students’ computers to be sure that they can access the images of patent

applications on the USPTO Web site.

T 58

Notes: Materials Needed

Session 23 • Copies of RM 5.1 Sample Drawings and Illustrations (one copy for each student)

• Modified sponge

• Isometric grid paper (at least two sheets for each student)

Session 25 • Computers with access to the Internet and a printer (at least one computer

for each Redesign team)

VOCABULARY

Abstract (n.)

Design patent

Dimension lines

Intellectual property

Isometric drawing

Orthographic drawings

Patent

Property rights

Scale

Structural component

Technical drawing

Utility patent


ACTIVITY 5:Putting It On Paper

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever tried to describe how to put together or use an object to someone else, and

the person just didn’t seem to know what you were talking about? How did you clear up the

confusion? Knowing how to communicate information about a product to different audiences

is an essential part of the design process. Product designers need to communicate ideas to

many different audiences, including customers, engineers, colleagues, and other company

divisions. They might present a technical illustration to an engineer who will develop the

product concept further, but present a descriptive paragraph and attractive drawings of the

product to a potential customer. In this activity, you’ll learn how designers reach different

audiences through descriptive writing, technical drawings and illustrations, and advertisements.

Learning Goals

� Create a technical drawing of a product to scale.

� Create visual representations of a product that are appropriate for specific audiences.

FOR YOUR GLOSSARY

Design patent

Dimension lines

Intellectual property

Orthographic drawings

Patent

Technical drawing

Utility patent

T 59

Notes: SESSION 23

WHAT’S IN A DRAWING? [Teams/Whole Class]

Distribute Sample Drawings and Illustrations (RM 5.1). Ask students to work in pairs to answer

the questions in the Student Guide. Have pairs share their responses with the class.

Drawing a Not So Ordinary Sponge [Whole Class]

Demonstrate for students how to create technical drawings of a simple object—in this case,

a modified sponge.

Begin by showing students the sponge from all sides and angles. With the class, make an orthographic

drawing that includes three views (top, front, and side). Choose one view of the sponge and include

its dimension details.

Students are encouraged to use any tools for technical

drawing that they happen to have available, but the

only tool they actually need for this purpose is a ruler.

Students may include an isometric drawing in their

technical drawings, but they are not required to do so.

SKILL RESOURCE

You might have students review Technical Illustration Guidelines, which

suggests some techniques that can be applied to technical drawing.

TEACHER INFORMATION

A Not So Ordinary Sponge on pages T 65–T 68 gives step-by-step instructions

for creating an orthographic drawing and adding dimensions to it.


WHAT’S IN A DRAWING?

When a written description isn’t enough, what should you do? In Module 10, Reverse

Engineering, you worked with a specific type of technical illustration: assembly drawings.

While these are helpful for depicting a product in an owner’s manual or showing the product

to a manager in your company, this type of illustration does not provide enough information

about a product’s dimensions, materials, and structural components for some audiences, such

as the technicians and engineers who will help manufacture the product. These audiences

need specific technical information with enough details to clearly convey design ideas.

If you are trying to convey

information about your product to

manufacturers or engineers, you

will need to create a technical

drawing—a scale representation

of a product or one of its compo-

nents that includes the multiple

views required to describe it

accurately. These views usually

include a front view, a top view,

and a side view. Technical drawing

is the language of engineers,

designers, and architects, who

use it to communicate design

ideas in as much detail as

possible to the people who may

be involved in manufacturing the

product, such as manufacturing

or mechanical engineers.

Study the examples of technical drawings and illustrations shown in Sample Drawings

and Illustrations and do the following:

1. Compare and contrast the information provided by each drawing.

2. Indicate which of the drawings could be used as a guide for manufacturing the object.

3. Indicate which of the drawings would be best to include in an owner’s manual, and

which would be best in a repair manual.

LABELING TECHNICAL DRAWINGS

The lettering on a technical drawing is extremely

important—it enables the engineer, architect, or designer

to communicate a complete description of an object to the

person who will make the object and to the client who will

buy it. Block letters (all caps) are used as the standard

style of lettering for engineering and architectural

drawings. While computer-aided design (CAD) systems

have decreased the importance of lettering skills,

engineers, designers, and architects still need to be able

to complete freehand sketches with hand lettering to

communicate with drafters and CAD operators.


HOMEWORK 5.1

Read Technical Drawings: Methods to Display Shape and Size. Choose one

ordinary object from home and create an orthographic drawing of it. Then add

the dimensions for each view. Refer to the reading and your classwork to

complete the drawing.


Technical Drawings: Methods to Display Shape and SizeCreating technical drawings involves using particular

tools and techniques. For example, when creating a

freehand sketch of an object, it’s important to always use

grid paper. This will help you make sure that your scale

is correct. A medium-weight lead or drawing pencil with

a rounded point works best for making freehand sketches.

These are the basic tools for technical drawing:

• A T-square, used for drawing horizontal lines

• Triangles (both a 45° and a 30/60°), used to

draw vertical and angled lines when placed on

the T-square

• A protractor, used to measure angles

• A ruler, used to make proportional drawings

at greater or reduced sizes

• A compass, used for drawing arcs and circles

Isometric Drawings—Giving a Three-Dimensional View

An isometric drawing shows many sides of the same object; the top, front, and side views are equally visible.

The purpose of an isometric drawing is to give people a realistic view of the object. The following figure

shows the angles used to draw an isometric figure:


Isometric grid paper makes it easier to figure out the angles and draw an object in 3-D. Figure 5.1

is an isometric drawing of Widget XYZ on isometric grid paper.

Orthographic Drawings—Showing the Shape of an Object

Orthographic drawings present usually three, but as many as six, different views of an object, all at

right angles to one another.

Figure 5.2 is an example of an orthographic drawing. Notice that the angle between the top, front, and

side views of the object is 90 degrees (a right angle)—just like the actual sides of the widget.

Figure 5.1: Widget XYZ on Isometric Grid Paper

Figure 5.2: Widget XYZ

TOP VIEW

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW


Imagine drawing a child’s wooden block.

Look at it from the top—this is the block’s

“top view.” Looking at the front face of the

block gives you its “front view.” Turning the

block to the right gives you its “side view.”

When making an orthographic drawing,

remember the following general guidelines:

1. Position the top view above the front view so that the lengths of each view line up.

2. Position the right side view to the right of the front view so that the heights line up.

Dimensions—Showing the Size of an Object

Illustrations or sketches often show an idealized view of an object. While illustrations are effective tools for

showing the general look of an object, a technical drawing needs to give enough information to convey its

actual shape and dimensions. Figure 5.3 shows how the dimensions of a birdhouse are conveyed in the

multiple views shown in a technical drawing.

Figure 5.3: Orthographic Drawing of a Birdhouse


Guidelines for Drawing an Object

Use the following guidelines to construct a basic orthographic drawing with dimension lines (lines to display

the length of the side of an object or the locations of particular features, such as holes and notches; these

lines run parallel to the object, include arrows at both ends, and have a blank space in the middle for the

numerical value of the length):

1. Study the object and determine the views (front, back, top, left side, or right side) that will be needed

to completely describe the object. If any sides are identical, you may not need to repeat those views.

2. Determine a scale that matches your paper. Most grid paper displays a �� or �� -inch grid. Measure your

object (if you are drawing a real object) and choose the actual length that will correspond to �� or �� inch

on your paper. For example, a 1-inch measurement of the actual object may be represented by �� inch

on your graph paper. Also, be sure to choose a scale that makes efficient use of your paper—fill the

page and show the object clearly. You don’t want to choose a scale so small that your drawing only

uses a tiny portion of the page!

3. Using a ruler and any other technical drawing tools you have available, draw each view on your

grid paper.

4. For each view, include dimension lines to display the length of the side or the location of particular

features, such as holes and notches. Dimension lines showing specific features should be drawn first,

closest to the object, with dimension lines showing the total length of the sides outside the feature

dimension lines. Figure 5.4 provides an example.

5. Indicate the ends of dimension lines with extension lines—short solid lines drawn outward from the side

of an object. These lines should not touch the views to which they refer, unless they connect to a center

line. Orient your dimension numbers horizontally so they can be read without rotating the page.

6. Include leader lines if necessary to indicate details about specific features of the object, such as a hole.

Leaders are freehand lines with at least one wave or curve and an arrowhead.

7. Technical drawings have standard sizes of 8.5" x 11", 11" x 17", 17" x 22", 22" x 34", and 34" x 44" (all

multiples of 8.5 x 11). A border line should be drawn �� inch from the paper’s edge around the drawing.

8. Include a title block listing the name and a description of the drawing, the name of the person who

drew it, the scale, and the date.


Figure 5.4: Border, Center, Dimension, Extension, and Leader Lines

T 60

Notes: SESSION 24

HOW GOOD A DESCRIPTION? [Teams/Whole Class]

Divide the class into teams and ask each team to assess the drawings done by its team members

for Homework 5.1, using the questions in the Student Guide. When teams have completed their

assessments, ask the following:

1. Were there any objects that were not well-represented by this type of drawing? (For example,

would an orthographic drawing provide useful information about the comfort or look of a large,

cushy upholstered couch?)

2. How do you think designers determine which type of drawing to use for each audience?


HOW GOOD A DESCRIPTION?

Share the technical drawing you completed for Homework 5.1, and look at the other students’

drawings. For each drawing you look at, answer the following:

1. Do you recognize the object you are looking at? What is it?

2. Does the drawing include all the necessary labels and dimension information?

3. Whom do you think this drawing would be useful to?

T 61

Notes: WHO HAS THE RIGHTS? [Teams/Whole Class]

Have students stay in their teams to look at the illustrations shown in Patent Illustrations and

answer the questions in the Student Guide. Then have teams share their answers with the class

and discuss the kinds of information included in patent illustrations.

Possible Answers:

1. Example 1 shows the head of an electric toothbrush; Example 2 shows a

portable stereo; Example 3 shows a slip-on shoe (or clog); Example 4 shows

a miniature flashlight.

2. For the toothbrush and flashlight, the illustration shows all the mechanisms

and details of the internal parts of each product. For the radio and the shoe,

the illustration only shows the outside design of each product.

3. In Example 1, the oscillation mechanism is being patented, not the whole

toothbrush. In Example 2, the applicants are patenting the external design for

the stereo, so the stereo mechanisms aren’t shown. In Example 3, the ornamental

design (the pattern of the fabric) is being patented, not the other properties of

the shoe. In Example 4, the entire miniature flashlight, from the casing to the

internal mechanism, is being patented.


WHO HAS THE RIGHTS?

For an inventor or product developer, one of the most important ways to use a technical

illustration is in a patent application. A patent protects designs and inventions by giving the

patent holder the exclusive right to make, use, import, and sell an invention within a country

(or group of countries) for a specified number of years. Without patents, all the hard work

that design teams put into creating new products could benefit other companies that would

be allowed to simply make copies of their designs. Patents protect one kind of intellectual

property, which is a unique product of the human mind; in addition to designs and inventions,

intellectual property also includes books, movies, and music.

In order to be granted a patent in the United States, a company or individual must apply to

the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Illustrations are often an important part of the patent

application. Patent applications have to clearly explain what the item is, how it works, and

how it is made. Since photographs of the invention or design are allowed only under certain

circumstances, technical illustrations are usually used in patent applications.

Look at the products in Patent Illustrations and answer the following:

1. What is the product shown in each illustration?

2. What details about the product are presented in each illustration?

3. What aspect of each product do you think the applicants are trying to patent?

HOMEWORK 5.2

Read Patents.


Patent IllustrationsPatent illustrations show the details of the aspect of an invention being patented. Major elements of this

aspect are shown and, in some cases, numbered. (If they’re numbered, a key describing each numbered

part should be included in the application.)

Example 1

Example 2


Example 3

Example 4


PatentsWhat Is a Patent?

A patent is a grant of property rights that is given to an inventor. In the United States, patents are granted by

the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). There are several different kinds of patents. A utility patent

protects processes, machines, products, materials, or improvements to any of these things. For example, an

inventor may apply for a utility patent to cover a new kind of speaker. A design patent protects new decorative

designs. For example, a designer may apply for a design patent to cover a new shoe design—not the material

or construction of the shoe, but the way that the shoe looks. There are also separate plant patents that cover

certain kinds of genetically altered plants. Patents usually last for 20 years from the date when the application

is filed with the USPTO.

Why Get a Patent?

Without a patent, inventors would have no way to keep others from producing copies of their inventions

and selling the copies. There would be no incentive to develop new products and processes if others could

immediately begin to profit from an inventor’s work. However, there are some circumstances in which it may

be better not to get a patent. If a company doesn’t want its competitors to have access to information about

a product, it may make information about the product or process a trade secret (since a patent would make

the information public). Companies maintain trade secrets by giving a limited number of people access to

the information and making those who do have access sign contracts stating that they won’t reveal what

they know. One of the most famous examples of a trade secret is the formula for Coca-Cola®.

What Information Do You Need for a Patent Application?

A patent application must include a detailed description of the invention or design. If the application is for

a utility patent, it must also explain how the invention is used and made (or how the process is carried out).

The application usually contains detailed black-and-white drawings of the invention or design. In order for

a patent to be granted, the USPTO must determine that the invention or design is both new and useful.

Because applying for a patent can be a complex process, many inventors and designers work with patent

attorneys who specialize in preparing these applications.

The Role of Illustrations in a Patent Application

A patent application may include many different kinds of technical illustrations, depending on the invention

or design. (However, some patent applications, such as those for certain processes, may not have illustrations

at all.) Design patent illustrations may be fairly simple, showing just the external design of a product, such as


the stereo and shoe (Examples 2 and 3) in Patent Illustrations. Some utility patents may include “exploded

assembly” drawings, such as Example 4 in Patent Illustrations. Others may include detailed labeled diagrams,

as in Example 1 in Patent Illustrations, where the major elements of the invention are shown and numbered,

and a key describing the numbered parts would be included with the illustration.

T 62

Notes: SESSION 25

SEARCH THE DATABASE [Teams]

Have students work in their Redesign teams to perform the searches described in the Student Guide.

Using the “quick search” provided by the USPTO is very similar to using any

other Internet search engine. However, it may take more time to download

and view the patent applications than students expect, as they will be

looking at an actual scanned image of each application.


SEARCH THE DATABASE

The USPTO Web site contains a database of all the patents issued in the United States,

dating back to 1790! There are a variety of ways to search the database, and it can be

confusing at first—a little practice is needed.

Go to the Ford PAS Web site to link to the USPTO Web site and perform a “quick

search,” which allows you to choose the type of information you want to search for.

For example:

• Patent title

• Abstract—a brief written description of the invention

• Patent issue date

• Patent number

• Inventor name

• Inventor state

First, look at a few of the applications. Then search the patent titles for

any title containing the name of the product that you are redesigning. (For

example, if you were redesigning a broom, you would search the titles for

“broom.”) If you are redesigning a specific aspect of a product, you could

search for just that aspect (for example, “broom handle”). Browse the

patents to see if anyone has designed a concept similar to yours.

Choose two or three of the patents most closely related to your Redesign Proposal project

and summarize them, including the following information:

1. The patent number and date of issue

2. The inventor

3. A sentence or two that describes the invention

4. A list of the features that distinguish each of these inventions from one another

and from your redesign concept

For each patent that you summarize, be sure to view the accompanying images and note

features of both the written and the illustrated descriptions of the object.


DID YOU KNOW?

Many new product ideas are patented each year, but not all of

them make it into the hands of consumers. Here are some products

that you probably won’t see on a store shelf any time soon:

• U.S. Patent 4,233,942: In 1980, William D. James was granted

a patent on a device to protect an animal’s ears (especially

the ears of long-haired dogs) while it is eating. A tube holds

each ear away from the animal’s head, and the tubes can be

adjusted to keep the ears away from food or water dishes.

• U.S. Patent 5,971,829: In 1999, Richard B. Hartman was granted a patent

for a motorized ice cream cone. The device comes in two versions: One

consists of a motorized, rotating cup into which a scoop of ice cream can

be placed, and the other consists of a motorized, rotating receptacle into

which an entire ice cream cone can be placed. People eating ice cream

out of this device could hold their tongues stationary against the ice

cream, instead of licking.

• U.S. Patent 4,809,435: In 1989, Gerald L. Printz was granted a patent

for a new kind of utensil. The end of the utensil to be grasped in the

hand has two separate handles, resembling chopsticks. However, these

chopstick-like handles are attached to a western-style utensil, such as a

fork or spoon. In this way, a person can have an experience similar to

that of using chopsticks without actually having to learn how to use them.

HOMEWORK 5.3

Read Reaching Customers Through Print Ads and generate

ideas for a print ad for your Redesign Proposal product.


Reaching Customers ThroughPrint AdsOne of the many ways that companies introduce new or redesigned products to their customers is through

print ads. Print ads appear in magazines, in newspapers, or on billboards. There are many different kinds

of print ads—some of which don’t even feature the product. However, one kind of ad that is especially useful

for introducing potential customers to a new product is one that shows people actually using the product.

This kind of ad allows companies to demonstrate the features of the products while showing happy customers

at the same time.

Look at the following ad, which shows three different people using a trash can:

Here is what this ad intends to communicate to potential customers:

• Product features: The ad clearly shows that the trash can has a large capacity and a lid that opens

easily when you step on a pedal at its base.

EZ Trash Can–For easy clean up and

disposal with just a

tap of your foot!


• Ease of use: The ad shows that it’s easy to dispose of trash even when your hands are full, take out

a full trash bag by pulling out the inner can, and put in a new bag. This is reinforced by the text

accompanying the ad (“easy” and “just a tap of your foot”).

• Customer satisfaction: The people in the ad are smiling; they seem pleased with how well the trash

can is functioning and how easy it is to use.

• Product image: The people in the ad are young and contemporary, the garbage can has a sleek

metallic design, and the accompanying text is in a modern font. The ad is meant to appeal to young

hip people who have busy lives.

As you develop an ad for your own redesigned product, think about what you want to convey to customers

regarding your product’s features and image, its ease of use, and customer satisfaction with your product.

T 63

Notes: SESSION 26

ADVERTISING YOUR REDESIGN [Teams]

Have students work in their Redesign teams to develop some preliminary ideas for a print ad

to introduce their Redesign Proposal product to customers. Each team member should develop

a print ad; the team will then select which ad(s) to include in its redesign proposal.


ADVERTISING YOUR REDESIGN

Imagine that your Redesign team is developing a print ad to introduce

your redesigned product to customers. How would you convince customers

that your product concept is a good one? Create a print ad for your product

that shows some of the product’s features and the image you’re trying to

convey with the product. Use the list of ideas you generated for Homework

5.3 as a starting point.

HOMEWORK 5.4

Continue to work on your print ad

for the Redesign Proposal project.

T 64

Notes: SESSION 27

DRAWING YOUR PRODUCT [Teams]

Have students work in their Redesign teams to create either a technical illustration or a technical

drawing of their redesigned product. Each team member will create an illustration or drawing;

the team will then select one to include in its redesign proposal.


DRAWING YOUR PRODUCT

Although some audiences may prefer less-detailed images of your

product, others will want to see the exact product specifications.

Working with your Redesign team, choose one of the following options:

1. Prepare a technical illustration that could be included as part of a patent application

for your product concept.

2. Prepare an orthographic drawing that shows the dimensions of each view of the

product to show to a manufacturing engineer.

Once you’ve chosen an option, have each member of your Redesign team make a technical

illustration or orthographic drawing of your product. Select the best one to include with your

final redesign proposal.

MATERIAL AND USAGE SPECIFICATIONS

Before a designer is ready to meet with a manufacturing engineer, he or she needs more information

than just what is included in a dimensioned drawing. The designer needs to have determined the

material specifications (what materials will be needed), based on the usage specifications of a product

(how it will be used). For example, if a manufacturing engineer were presented with a dimensioned

drawing of a birdhouse, the engineer’s first question would be, “Is this birdhouse going to be made

from wood, metal, plastic, or glass?” In order for the designer to answer that question and provide

the engineer with the proper specifications for the birdhouse, the designer would need to have

answers to some of the following questions (which address both materials and usage):

1. Will the birdhouse be used for decorative indoor use or functional outdoor use?

2. Will the birdhouse be expected to withstand usage for 1 year or 10 years?

3. Given the amount of money that the company wants to spend on total production costs for

each birdhouse, how much can the birdhouse materials cost?

4. What materials are readily available?

5. Will the birdhouse be delivered as a finished product or as a kit that the customer assembles?

(The answer to this question will affect assembly cost, packaging method and cost, and

shipping cost.)

6. Will any testing or quality inspections be done before the final product is shipped?


HOMEWORK 5.5

Continue to work on your

Redesign Proposal project.

EXTENSIONS

5.1

Prepare a freehand, orthographic drawing of a large object, such as a building or vehicle.

Have your teacher, a classmate, or someone employed in architecture or a design field

give you feedback on the sketch. Revise your sketch with this feedback in mind.

5.2

Create a 3-D version of your redesigned product by building a scale model.

5.3

Use a CAD program to draw your redesigned product and create drawings from different views.

What new information does each view provide to the person drawing or to the audience?

5.4

Use a CAD program to make an orthographic drawing of your product and include the

product’s measurements.

T 65

Notes: TEACHER INFORMATION: A NOT SO ORDINARY SPONGE

To show students how to create a technical drawing, you will use a modified sponge as a model.

Before drawing the sponge, modify it by inserting a new feature (such as a notch or a hole), so that

students have to include information about the feature’s dimensions in their technical drawings.

Figure TI 5.1 shows an isometric (3-D) drawing of a modified sponge, drawn on isometric grid paper.

Part I: Orthographic Drawings

Orthographic drawings present three different views of an object, all at right angles to one another.

Figure TI 5.2 shows an orthographic drawing of the sponge shown in Figure TI 5.1.

To create an orthographic drawing of the sponge, do the following:

1. Look at all sides of the sponge.

2. Note any features, such as notches and holes.

3. Choose the view that provides the most information about the sponge to be the “front view”

in your drawing.

4. On a piece of paper, draw the outline of the front view in the lower left portion of the page.

Figure TI 5.1: Isometric View of a Modified Sponge

T 66

Notes: 5. Draw the outline of the top view above the front view, aligning the lengths of the views

(as shown in Figure TI 5.2).

6. Draw the outline of the right side view to the right of the front view, aligning the heights

of the views.

7. Draw any features as they appear in each view. In Figure TI 5.2, a solid line is used to outline

the hole where it is visible. Draw center lines (long-short-long dashed lines that meet at the

center of a hole) to show the location of the hole’s center. Use a dashed line in views where

the hole is not visible, as in the top and side views.

8. Label the views, and include a title block in the bottom right corner.

Figure TI 5.2: Orthographic Drawing of a Modified Sponge

T 67

Notes: Part II: Adding Dimensions

Technical drawings may include dimension lines that display the lengths of the sides of the object

and show the location of features, such as notches or holes. Dimension lines run parallel to the

length being indicated; they have arrows at both ends, and leave a space in the middle to indicate

the numerical value of the length. Dimension lines showing specific features should be drawn first,

closest to the object (in this case, your sponge); the lines showing the total lengths of the sides

should then be drawn outside these shorter lines (as shown in Figure TI 5.3).

Short solid lines indicating the ends of dimension lines are called extension lines. Extension lines

should be drawn outward from the sides of the sponge without touching it, except when the extension

line connects to a center line.

Any features should be identified with an arrow drawn with a wavy line (called a leader line). Next to

each leader line, the feature should be labeled and its dimensions given (in the case of the sponge

shown in Figure TI 5.3, the diameter of the hole is given).

After completing the orthographic drawing of your sponge, add the dimensions to one view:

1. Label the dimensions of the hole (or other features) and draw dimension and extension lines,

close to the sponge.

2. Label the dimensions of the sides of the sponge and draw dimension and extension lines,

outside the lines indicating the dimensions of features.

3. Draw a leader line for the hole. Label it, and indicate its diameter.

Figure TI 5.3 shows the front view of the sponge, including dimension, extension, and leader lines

and the format for labeling length and diameter.

T 68

Notes: Figure TI 5.3: Front View of a Modified Sponge

Orient numbers indicating length horizontally.

T 69

Notes:

ACTIVITY 6:Putting It All Together

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

In this activity, Redesign teams complete their ongoing project. They then present their redesigned

products to the group for review.


Session 29 • Review the Redesign Proposal Guidelines on pages 9–11 in the Student Guide.

• Confirm invitations to industry representatives and members of the community,

who will act as the audience during the presentations.

• Check with teams about any technology they will need for their presentations.

(If a team needs a computer with a specific application, make sure that it will

be available before students begin their presentation planning.)

Materials Needed

Session 28 • Computers with access to the Internet and a printer (one computer for each team)

Session 29 • Copies of RM 1.1 Redesign Proposal Assessment (one copy for each guest)

• Copies of RM 6.1 Redesign Proposal Presentation Peer Assessment

(enough copies for each student to assess each presentation)

• Copies of RM 6.2 Presentation Skills Assessment (one copy

for each student)

Session 30 • Copies of Module Test (one copy for each student)

T 70

Notes: VOCABULARY

There are no new vocabulary words for this activity.


ACTIVITY 6:Putting It All Together

INTRODUCTION

In this activity, you’ll have a chance to present the redesigned product you’ve been developing

throughout the module and see the products that your classmates have redesigned.

Learning Goals

� Create a redesign proposal for a product.

� Design and deliver an effective presentation of a product redesign proposal, including

visual representations.

FOR YOUR GLOSSARY

There are no glossary words for this activity.

T 71

Notes: SESSION 28

REDESIGN PROPOSAL PREPARATION [Teams]

Have students work in their Redesign teams to prepare their Redesign Proposal project presentations.


REDESIGN PROPOSAL PREPARATION

Working with your Redesign team, prepare a presentation showcasing your redesigned

product. Your presentation should not exceed five minutes, so choose the information to

include carefully!

HOMEWORK 6.1

Prepare for your Redesign

Proposal presentation.

DID YOU KNOW?

Although many new or redesigned products are developed by companies and entrepreneurs,

there are also other ways in which these products come into existence. For example, some

organizations within the government focus on research and development, which can lead

to products that eventually find their way into the marketplace.

One such group is the Processed Foods unit at the Western Regional Research Center

of the Agricultural Research Service, the USDA’s research arm. This group, led by Tara

McHugh, Ph.D., has researched the use of fruit and vegetable purees in new products and

has developed an edible film that could someday replace the plastic wrap you use to wrap

up your sandwich! The wraps would come in such flavors as strawberry, apple, broccoli,

and carrot. Once used, they could be microwaved or heated with the food they covered,

adding some flavor and extra nutrition to the meal. Because the film is completely edible

and biodegradable, its use could keep some waste out of the environment. The wraps

could also help people increase their intake of fruits and vegetables. The wraps were

honored with a “Best of What’s New” award in Popular Science magazine in 2001.

Although as of 2004 the wraps were still being researched, they could be on the

market someday. A fruit bar made of pear puree developed by McHugh and her

colleagues is already being manufactured and sold by a company in the

Pacific Northwest, which licensed the process for making the bar from the

USDA. To find out more about this product, visit the Ford PAS Web site.

T 72

Notes: SESSION 29

REDESIGN PROPOSAL PRESENTATIONS [Teams/Whole Class]

Give each classroom visitor a copy of the Redesign Proposal Assessment (RM 1.1) and explain

that they will use this assessment to give the students feedback on their presentations.

Hand out the Redesign Proposal Presentation Peer Assessment (RM 6.1). Students should

complete the assessment for each team at the conclusion of its presentation.

Have Redesign teams present their proposals.

At the end of the session, hand out the Presentation Skills Assessment (RM 6.2). Students

should use this assessment to evaluate their own presentation skills.


REDESIGN PROPOSAL PRESENTATIONS

Present your redesign proposal. As you listen to other Redesign teams’

presentations, assess their proposals using the Redesign Proposal

Presentation Peer Assessment. Use the Presentation Skills Assessment

to assess your own presentation.

HOMEWORK 6.2

Prepare for the Module Test.

EXTENSION

6.1

Conduct research to find a new or redesigned product that has recently come onto the

market or will be coming onto the market in the next year. Develop a presentation or report

about the product that showcases features of the product’s design, your analysis of the

design, and the reasons that you think (or don’t think) the product will be successful.

T 73

Notes: SESSION 30

Module Test [Individual]

Use this session to have students complete the Module Test.

Module 11: Different by Design • For Further Reading • 93

For Further Reading

Activity 1

Product Design

Industrial Designers Society of America. (2003). Design secrets: Products. Gloucester, MA:

Rockport Publishers.

Interiors and Sources. (n.d.). ISdesigNet magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2003, from

www.isdesignet.com/index.html.

Kelley, T. (2001). The art of innovation: Lessons in creativity from IDEO, America’s leading

design firm. New York: Currency Books.

Lynn, G. S. (1989). From concept to market. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Universal Design

Center for Universal Design. (2002–2003). Universal design education online resources.

Retrieved April 30, 2003, from www.udeducation.org/res_mat/index.asp.

Activity 4

Industrial Design

Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2000). Industrial design A–Z. Los Angeles: TASCHEN America, LLC.

LaSalle, S., & Britton, T. A. (2003). Priceless: Turning ordinary products into extraordinary

experiences. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

User Interfaces

Norman, D. A. (2002). The design of everyday things. New York: Basic Books.

Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things.

New York: Basic Books.

Activity 5

Graphic Rendering

Ching, F. D. K. (1997). Design drawing. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Lin, M. W. (1997). Drawing and designing with confidence: A step-by-step guide.

New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Technical Drawing

Bertoline, G. R. (1998). Introduction to graphics communications for engineers

(B.E.S.T. series). New York: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math.

Module 11: Different by Design • For Further Reading • 94

References

Activity 1


Corporate Design Foundation. (Spring, 1996). Getting a grip on kitchen tools.

@issue: The Journal of Business & Design, 2(1), 16–24. Retrieved April 22, 2003,

from www.cdf.org.

Mace, R., Hardie, G., & Plaice, J. (1991). Accessible environments: Toward universal

design. In Preiser, Vischer, and White (Eds.), Design interventions: Toward a more

humane architecture (p. 156). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, as quoted in

Welch, P. (Ed.). (1995). Chapter 1: Adaptive environments center and MIG

communications. Strategies for teaching universal design. Retrieved May 14, 2003,

from www.adaptenv.org/universal/pdf/strategies1.pdf.

Universal Design Education Online Web Site. (2002–2003). Learning about universal

design. Center for Universal Design. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University.

Retrieved May 14, 2003, from www.udeducation.org/learn/index.asp.

Listening to Customer Needs



Product Need Statements

Ulrich, K. T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2000). Exhibit 4-7. Product design and development

(2nd ed.), p. 70. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Module 11: Different by Design • References • 95

The Art of Idea Generation

Garmston, R., & Wellman, B. (1999). The adaptive school: A sourcebook for developing

collaborative groups. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.

Kelley, T. (2001). The art of innovation: Lessons from IDEO, America’s leading design firm.

New York: Currency Books.

Getting Customer Feedback



Ulrich, K. T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2000). Product design and development (2nd ed.),

pp. 63, 66. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Activity 2

Knowing the Competition

Ulrich, K. T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2000). Product design and development (2nd ed.).

Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

A Designer’s Concept

Ayers, J., & Massa, D. (February 2, 2003). Biomimetic underwater robot program.

Retrieved April 23, 2003, from www.neurotechnology.neu.edu.

Bowerman, B., & Knight, P. (May, 1997). The modern athletic shoe. Retrieved April 23, 2003,

from web.mit.edu/invent/iow/bowermanknight.html.



National Distance Running Hall of Fame. (2003). Bill Bowerman. Retrieved February 11, 2004,

from www.distancerunning.com/inductees/2002/bowerman.html.

Ransdell, E. (January, 2000). The Nike story? Just tell it! Fast Company (31), 44.

Retrieved February 11, 2004, from pf.fastcompany.com/magazine/31/nike.html.




Yemma, J. (1998). The bionic lobster. Boston Globe. Retrieved February 11, 2004,

from cache.ucr.edu/~currie/lobster.html.

Did You Know?

ThomasRegister.com. (2007). Thomas register of American Manufacturers. New York:

Thomas Publishing. Retrieved December 11, 2007, from www.thomasnet.com/

prodsearch.html?cov=NA&which=prod&what=eraser&navsec=search.

Choosing a Concept


pp. 139, 142. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Activity 3

Manny’s Batting Gloves

Ulrich, K. T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2000). Exhibits 13-4 and 13-5. Product design and

development (2nd ed.), p. 301. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Did You Know?

Rivlin, G. (March, 2003). Segway’s breakdown. Wired, 122–123, 147–149. Retrieved

September 18, 2003, from www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.03/segway.html.

Segway. (2001–2003). Segway™ HT i Series. Retrieved September 18, 2003, from

www.segway.com/segway/specs_iseries.html.

Activity 4

What Is Industrial Design?

Cagan, J., & Vogel, C. M. (2002). Creating breakthrough products: Innovation from

product planning to program approval. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.



Seeking Good Design


pp. 227–230. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.


Did You Know?

Exhibition: Overview: Shiro Kuramata: 1934–1991. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2003, from

www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/exhib_detail/97_exhib_shiro_kuramata.html.

Gordon, D. (October 27, 2003). Meet the titans of taste. Newsweek, p. 64.

Shiro Kuramata. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2003, from

www.paulhughes.co.uk/conthome/kuramata/shiro.html.

Shiro Kuramata 1934–1991. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2003, from

www.nyu.edu/greyart/exhibits/shiro/html/kuramata.html.


Lipman, J. (1986). Frank Lloyd Wright and the Johnson Wax buildings. New York: Rizzoli.

PBS Frank Lloyd Wright Web site. (n.d.). The life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Retrieved January 11, 2003, from www.pbs.org/flw/buildings/index.html.

Schellhardt, T. D. (February 18, 1997). This office building is a work of art, unless it’s

raining. Wall Street Journal, as quoted in Torres, L., & Marder, M. K. (January, 2002).

What art is: The esthetic theory of Ayn Rand (Suppl.). Retrieved January 11, 2003,

from www.aristos.org/whatart/ch10b.htm.

Twombly, R. C. (1979). Frank Lloyd Wright: His life and his architecture.

New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Activity 5

What’s in a Drawing?

ITEDO Software LLC. (2001–2003). What exactly is a technical illustration?

The Information Portal for Technical Illustration. Retrieved April 10, 2003,

from www.itedo.com/E/157_213.php.

Labeling Technical Drawings

Johannsen, R. (1998). Technical drawing program: Study guide: Lettering.

Retrieved October 31, 2003, from

www4.district125.k12.il.us/faculty/djohanns/TechEdHomePage/SG2.html.


Technical Drawings: Methods to Display Shape and Size

Johannsen, R. (1998). Introduction to technical drawing: Study guides. Retrieved October

31, 2003, from

www4.district125.k12.il.us/faculty/djohanns/TechEdHomePage/TDStdyGids.html.

Sanders, C. (1998). 3-D drawing and geometry. The Math Forum. Philadelphia: Drexel

University. Retrieved October 31, 2003, from mathforum.org/workshops/sum98/

participants/sanders/Isom.html.

TEKit. (n.d.). Orthographic views/Isometric views. Retrieved October 31, 2003,

from www.foothillsgraphics.com/iso.htm.

Who Has the Rights?

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). USPTO Kids’ Pages: Whowhatwhenhowwhy.

Retrieved April 25, 2003, from www.uspto.gov/go/kids/kidprimer.html.

Patents

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). How to get a patent. Retrieved April 18, 2003,

from www.uspto.gov/web/patents/howtopat.htm.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). What are patents, trademarks, servicemarks,

and copyrights? Retrieved April 18, 2003, from

www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/whatis.htm.

Did You Know?

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 4,233,942

[Animal ear protectors]. Retrieved March 4, 2004, from

patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nphParser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/

search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=4233942.WKU.&OS=

PN/4233942&RS=PN/4233942.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 4,809,435 [Eating utensil].

Retrieved March 4, 2004, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?

Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search–bool.html&r=8&f=G&l=

50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=4809435&OS=4809435&RS=4809435.


U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 5,971,829 [Motorized ice cream

cone]. Retrieved March 4, 2004, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-

Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-

bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=5971829.WKU.&OS=PN/

5971829&RS=PN/5971829.

Activity 6

Did You Know?

Gately, G. (August 29, 2003). Don’t throw that wrapper away: Eat it!

Retrieved March 3, 2004, from abcnews.go.com/sections/living/Healthology/

HS_ediblewrapper_030827.html.

Wood, M. (March 18, 2002). Edible food wraps win national award. Retrieved March 4,

2004, from www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/020318.htm.

Wood, M. (December 12, 2002). Pear bars capture orchard-fresh flavor. Retrieved

March 4, 2004, from www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/021212.htm.


PICTURES AND IMAGES

Activity 1


OXO. (2003). Good Grips swivel peeler [Photograph]. Reston, VA: World Kitchen, Inc.

Activity 4

Industrial Design Comparison

BIC Corporation. (2003). Bic Classic sensitive shaver [Photograph]. Milford, CT.

Gillette for Women. (2003). Venus [Photograph]. Boston: The Gillette Company.

Nike, Inc. (2003). Nike men’s air hyperflight [Photograph]. Beaverton, OR.

OXO. (2003). Good Grips multi-grater [Photograph]. Reston, VA: World Kitchen, Inc.

Pryke, S. (Designer). (2003). Grater REDA [Photograph]. Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

Razor USA LLC. (2003). Razor XLR8R electric scooter [Photograph]. Cerritos, CA.

Reebok International Ltd. (2003). Reebok men’s classic Cielo [Photograph]. Canton, MA.

ZAP. (2003). ZAPPY electric scooter [Photograph]. Santa Rosa, CA.

Did You Know?

Kuramata, S. (1988). Miss Blanche [Acrylic resin and aluminum chair embedded with

artificial roses]. Blackwell, B. (Photographer). (1997). San Francisco: San

Francisco Museum of Modern Art.


SC Johnson. (n.d.). SC Johnson Complex and Great Workroom [Photographs]. Racine, WI:

SC Johnson, Inc.


Activity 5

Patent Illustrations

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number D469,078 [Radio, cassette tape

recorder, and CD player]. Retrieved April 25, 2003, from

patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=

PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=

D469,078.WKU.&OS=PN/D469,078&RS=PN/D469,078.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number D470,996 S [Ornamental design

for a shoe]. Retrieved April 25, 2003, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-

Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.

htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=D470,996.WKU.&OS=PN/D470,996&RS=PN/D470,996.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 6,530,672 [Miniature flashlight].

Retrieved April 25, 2003, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-


htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,530,672.WKU.&OS=PN/6,530,672&RS=PN/6,530,672.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 6,536,066 [Toothbrush oscillating

head]. Retrieved April 25, 2003, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-


htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,536,066.WKU.&OS=PN/6,536,066&RS=PN/6,536,066.

Did You Know?

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 4,233,942 [Animal ear protectors].

Retrieved March 4, 2004, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-



4233942&RS=PN/4233942.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 4,809,435 [Eating utensil].

Retrieved March 4, 2004, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-


bool.html&r=8&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=4809435&OS=4809435&RS=

4809435.


U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. (n.d.). Patent number 5,971,829 [Motorized ice cream

cone]. Retrieved March 4, 2004, from patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-



5971829&RS=PN/5971829.

COPYRIGHT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Every effort has been made to locate all copyright proprietors; any errors or omissions

in copyright notice are inadvertent and will be corrected in future printings. Grateful

acknowledgement is made to the following for permission to reprint copyrighted material.

Illustrations

CLOGEZE shoe patent courtesy of CLIPEZE, Inc.

Sears Kenmore® Laundry Center Dimension Drawing © Sears Brands, LLC. All rights

reserved. Used with permission.

Vanguard locker courtesy of Penco Products, Inc.

Photographs

BIC trademark, BIC logo, BIC Sensitive Shaver, Cristal, and the Cristal Pen Design are

trademarks of CIC Corporation and are reproduced with permission.

Cross Ion gel ink pen courtesy of A.T. Cross Co.

JanSport backpack courtesy of JanSport, Inc.

Kuramata, S. (1988). Miss Blanche [Acrylic resin and aluminum chair embedded with artificial

roses] (90 cm x 55 cm x 60 cm). Blackwell, B. (Photographer). (1997). San Francisco Museum

of Modern Art. Donated through the Accessions Committee Fund: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald

G. Fisher, Mrs. George Roberts, and Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Walker, Jr. © Shiro Kuramata. Used

with permission.


Nike Men’s Air Hyperflight courtesy of Nike, Inc.

OXO Multi-Grater and Veggie Peeler courtesy of OXO International.

REDA grater used with the permission of Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

Reebok Men’s Classic Cielo courtesy of Reebok International Ltd.

SC Johnson Complex and Great Workroom courtesy of SC Johnson, Inc.

Venus Gillette for Women courtesy of The Gillette Company.

ZAPPY electric scooter courtesy of ZAP® (Zero Air Pollution) Electric Vehicles.

Text

Excerpts from The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley courtesy of the author.

“Getting a Grip on Kitchen Tools,” @issue: The Journal of Business & Design, used and

adapted with permission from Corporate Design Foundation. For more information on @issue,

visit www.cdf.org.

Product Design and Development by Karl Ulrich and Steven Eppinger, used and adapted

with permission from McGraw-Hill Education. © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Excerpts from Segway’s Breakdown by Gary Rivlin courtesy of the author.

“What’s in a Drawing?” Inside Technical Illustration courtesy of ITEDO Software LLC.


T 74

Reproducible Masters

This section includes reproducible masters for student and teacher use.

2.2RMRM

Module 11: Different by Design • RM 1.1

1.1

REDESIGN PROPOSAL ASSESSMENTName: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Use the following assessment to make sure that you have completed all of the necessary elements of your

redesign proposal. Your teacher will use these criteria and point assignments to evaluate your work.

Comments:

StudentChecklist Criteria

MaximumPossiblePoints

TeacherScore

Redesign Proposal Presentation (60 points)

Redesign Proposal Design Log (40 points)

Total Points

Was completed in the allotted amount of time.

Provides an explanation for the product choice and demonstrates a clear need for the product to be redesigned.

Includes a list of all the product concepts generated by the team.

Includes minutes from all team meetings.

5

10

Describes the process of collecting customer feedback,and contains a product need statement chart.

10

Includes a benchmarking table detailing the characteristics of potential competitive products.

10

Includes a decision matrix and a rationale for the finalproduct concept choice.

10

Provides information about how customer feedback wascollected and incorporated into the redesign.

5

Includes sketches of the product’s exterior, which incorporates the principles of good industrial design.

10

Presents a technical drawing or illustration that includesall the necessary information and adheres to the principles of technical drawing and illustration.

10

Includes a print ad showing the product in use, designedto appeal to the target audience.

5

Details a feasible product redesign concept that meets customerneeds and has the potential to succeed in the marketplace, andexplains how the redesign improves the original product.

15

5

5

100

2.2RMRM

Module 11: Different by Design • RM 1.2 • 1

1.2

CUSTOMER COMMENTS

Wristwatch

• “The fastener is not exactly in the middle of my wrist because of the way

the links are set up, so it feels a little weird, like it’s lopsided.”

• (Regarding the stopwatch feature) “The buttons are so tiny, and to stop

and start you practically need to stick a pin into the button for it to

register—I use the stopwatch to run intervals, so I actually care about a

second or two, and it often takes me three or four seconds just to push the

darn button in.”

• “The watchband isn’t adjustable.”

• “The metal of the band doesn’t move with my wrist, so it can cut off

circulation at times.”

• “There’s no second hand.”

• “There are no numbers on the watch face, so I find it difficult to tell small changes in time.”

• “It keeps slipping on my wrist, and if I tighten the band so it doesn’t slip, it’s uncomfortable.”

• “The date is too small to read.”

• “The little piece that holds the end of the band in place either falls off or slips around, so there’s a big

tail flapping on my watch.”

• “It’s really hard to replace the battery.”

• “I want to use it as a travel alarm, but the sound of the alarm is so soft that it’s really pretty useless.”

• “I travel across the country, and I have to reset it every time I change time zones. A dial or an easier

way to change the time would be cool.”

Cell Phone

• “I can never remember which button to push when the phone is ringing.

It is counterintuitive to push the button that says ‘send’ to answer.”

• “To hear well, I have to hold the phone a half inch away from my ear,

otherwise I kind of squish the tiny speaker part and I can’t hear at all.

I have to hold it one way to hear well and another way to speak well.”

• “It dials numbers on its own if I don’t lock it.”

• “It has an odd shape, which, combined with the small size, makes it

difficult to find in my purse or coat pocket.”

• “It is awkward to hold and talk on.”

• “The battery does not seem reliable.”

• “Only the number buttons are labeled.”


• “My phone doesn’t recognize when it is being charged—I don’t know if it’s working right away or not.

There is no beep or anything.”

• “I just can’t press the buttons! They are awkwardly inserted into the phone.

• “I work outside, and I can’t read the display when I’m in the sun.”

• “My whole family uses it around the house, and we’re always misplacing it.”

TV Remote

• “It’s really loud when it falls on the floor.”

• “It’s difficult to find the controls I actually care about, like changing

channels or the volume.”

• “I can never seem to point it in the right place for it to work. I have to hold

it at a funny angle.”

• “It is not very responsive—I have to hit the buttons very deliberately and

repeatedly.”

• “The text rubbed off the buttons.”

• “There is not a clear on/off switch.”

• “The buttons seem to be arranged in a haphazard way.”

• “The buttons are labeled, but they are labeled with symbols and signs I

don’t understand—quite cryptic.”

• “Some buttons have multiple functions, depending on the setting. I haven’t figured this out yet.”

• “Mine has about 600 buttons. Do I need to say more?”

• “My family is always losing it. Why can’t it have a pager like our portable phone?”

• “It really uses a lot of batteries. Too bad it’s not rechargeable from a stand or something.”

Clock Radio

• “I can’t tell what level the volume is set at just by looking at it.”

• “My volume control and tuner control look exactly the same.

One is located above the other on the side of the clock. I can

never remember which is at the top and which is at the bottom,

and invariably I lose my station when all I want to do is

adjust the volume.”

• “The volume control is difficult to find and hard to adjust. It is a

very small knob set into the radio, which means I need to turn the radio toward me to locate it and use

my fingernails to make small adjustments. If I use my finger, the volume goes way up or down.”

• “I would like to be able to disable my snooze button. I think I might be able to get up on time if I

couldn’t turn the alarm off so easily by hitting the clock while still mostly asleep.”

• “My clock doesn’t have a snooze button. This drives me crazy.”


• “It has three wake options—buzzer, radio, or CD—but it’s very difficult to change the option

that is selected.”

• “The time display is too small to read without my glasses.”

• “I almost always get the a.m. and p.m. mixed up when I set the alarm.”

• “The buttons used to adjust the time are on top of the clock radio, and my cat keeps walking on them

and changing the time.”

• “I really like using it, but it takes up a lot of space on my small bedside table.”

• “The buttons are so sensitive, just dusting it makes me lose my station.”

• “This sounds weird, but my wife and I each have clock radios—and they never display the same time.

Boy, I wish they could be matched up or something.”

• “I really like to read and listen to the radio in bed, but the quality of the radio is terrible.”

• “Can you say ‘antenna’? I can’t get any stations at all! Why don’t clock radios have antennas

that work?”

2.2RMRM


1.3

NEED STATEMENT TABLE PEER ASSESSMENTName: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Use the following assessment to evaluate another team’s table of product need statements. Assess the

statements and provide any comments or thoughts that you think will be helpful to the team.

Team members’ names: ______________________________________________________________________________

Criteria Yes No

The team members did the following:

Comments:

Comments:

This chart accurately reflected the customer feedback that the team used to

create the product need statements.

Give a brief summary of the product needs that the team believes are important:

• Created product need statements that used appropriate language andaddressed the customers’ comments.

• Made a strong case for why the new product did or did not address each need.


What could be improved about the team’s product need statement chart?

The most memorable information from the team’s presentation of its chart was:

A question I have about the team’s product need statements is:

2.2RMRM

Module 11: Different by Design • RM 2.1

2.1

DIVE WATCH BENCHMARKING TABLE

1 Mariner No Nylon 50 m No Plastic case

2 Atlantis Yes Fabric 100 m Yes Digital time display

3 Regal No Metal 100 m Yes Displays date

4 Infinite Yes Metal 200 m Yes Titanium case

Sample Product Displays Band Maximum Scratch- Commentsname depth? type depth resistant

display?

2.2RM

IDEA GENERATION SKILLS ASSESSMENTName: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Use the following assessment to monitor your skill development in working as part of a team to generate

new ideas. Read the skill descriptions and assess your current level according to the rating scale. Then think

about how you can improve, and answer the Questions for Reflection. Your teacher may also use these

criteria to evaluate your progress.

Rating Scale

4 Excellent—I understand and use this skill well enough that I could teach or explain it to someone else.

3 Competent—I use this skill successfully whenever it is needed in my work.

2 Developing—I am gaining competence in using this skill, although I am not always sure I have used

it successfully.

1 Learning—I am learning this skill and require help to use it successfully.


Team Skills Rating

a. Our team assigns the roles of facilitator, recorder, and contributor at idea-generationmeetings and rotates these roles regularly.

b. Our team decides on a specific, well-defined topic and sticks to that topic throughout the meeting.

c. Our team focuses on idea generation rather than on discussion.

Individual Skills

d. As facilitator, I make sure that the idea generation stays on topic and within the allottedtime, encourage all team members to share ideas, guide the conversation away from discussion or criticism, and encourage the creative energy of the team.

f. As a contributor, I develop and share several ideas relevant to the topic at hand. I speakin turn so that all contributors have an opportunity to share ideas, and I refrain from criticizing others’ ideas and engaging in long discussions.

e. As recorder, I note all the ideas generated during the meeting, and organize these notesso that they can be easily understood by other team members after the meeting.



1. Which of the skills listed above is your strongest skill?

2. Which of these skills do you need to work on?

3. How might you work on this skill in the future? Describe one or two ways:

SAMPLE DRAWINGS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

Refrigerators

2.2RMRM


5.1

WARMER COLDER OFF COLDEST

FREEZER REGRIGERATOR

14

34

78


Locker

Washer/Dryer Unit

©Sears Brands, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.


i n p u t

T r a c k 00

Electric Motor

Portable Stereo

2.2RMRM


6.1

REDESIGN PROPOSAL PRESENTATION PEER ASSESSMENT

Name: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Use the following assessment to evaluate another team’s redesign proposal presentation. Assess

the proposal and provide any comments that you think will be helpful to the team.

Team members’ names: ______________________________________________________________________________

Criteria Yes No

This redesign proposal presentation did the following:

The team members did the following:

Comments:

• Demonstrated that the product chosen was in need of redesign.

• Showed how customers were involved in the redesign process.

Comments:

• Used a drawing or illustration to show information about the productredesign.

• Explained why their redesign improved the original product and why the redesigned product would meet customers’ needs.

• Provided convincing evidence that their redesigned product had achance of succeeding in the marketplace.


What could be improved about the team’s redesign proposal?

The most memorable information from the team’s presentation of its redesign proposal was:

A question I have about the team’s redesign proposal is:

Give a brief summary of the team’s redesign proposal:

2.2RMRM


6.2

PRESENTATION SKILLS ASSESSMENTName: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Use the following assessment to monitor your skill development in giving a presentation.

Read the skill descriptions, assess your current level according to the rating scale, and think about how you

can improve. Then answer the Questions for Reflection. Your teacher may also use these criteria to evaluate

your progress.

Rating Scale

4 Excellent—I understand and use this skill well enough that I could teach or explain it to someone else.

3 Competent—I use this skill successfully whenever it is needed in my work.

2 Developing—I am gaining competence in using this skill, although I am not always sure I have used

it successfully.

1 Learning—I am learning this skill and require help to use it successfully.

Presentation Skills Rating

a. I present my main ideas clearly, concisely, and effectively.

b. I choose appropriate visual aids to support my message.

c. I use gestures, such as hand motions, and facial expressions to support my verbal message.

d. I use appropriate volume and vocal variety to emphasize points where appropriate.

e. I summarize the content at the conclusion of the presentation.

f. I consider my audience’s point of view when preparing my presentation.

g. I include details and other “extras” in my presentation that help bring the informationalive for the audience.



1. Which of the skills listed above is your strongest skill?

2. Which of these skills do you need to work on?

3. How might you work on this skill in the future? Describe one or two ways:

2.2RMRM

Module 11: Different by Design • Glossary • 1

G

GLOSSARY

Activity 1

Customer needs: The features and capabilities that a user requires in order to effectively use a product.

Focus group: A number of customers brought together to discuss their experiences with a product; usually

moderated by a member of the product design team.

Product need statements: Descriptions of the features and capabilities that a new product will have.

Qualitative: Of or relating to quality; involving a descriptive analysis.

Quantitative: Of or relating to the measurement of quantity or amounts; involving a numerical analysis.

Universal design: A design that works for everyone who uses it (that is, accessible to a variety of people,

including those with physical disabilities or limitations).

Activity 2

Benchmarking: A process that product designers use to analyze and compare the details of different brands

and models of one type of product, which helps them generate new ideas for a redesign of that product.

Product concept: An idea for a new or redesigned product.

Activity 3

Base-case model: The basic financial model that product development teams use to forecast revenues

and losses for a product over time. This model includes the basic expenses and revenues associated with

developing, manufacturing, and selling a new product.

Decision matrix: A table used to rate product concepts based on selection criteria that the design team

generates.

Activity 4

Aesthetics: The look or style of a product or other item.

Differentiation: The act of seeing or showing the differences between objects.

Ergonomic design: The aspect of product design that deals with people’s physical capabilities and

limitations; good ergonomic design indicates that a product can be used comfortably by a wide range

of users.

Functionality: A product’s capacity to perform its intended purpose, trouble-free.

Industrial design: The aspect of product design that concerns the way a product looks and feels, and the

way that customers interact with and use the product.

User interfaces: Any part of a product that customers touch, look at, or otherwise make contact with as they

use or operate the product.

Module 11: Different by Design • Glossary • 2

Activity 5

Design patent: A patent that protects new decorative designs.

Dimension lines: Lines included in a technical drawing to display the length of the side of an object or

the locations of particular features, such as holes and notches. These lines run parallel to the side of the

view that they refer to and include arrows at both ends and a space in the middle for the numerical value

of the length.

Intellectual property: A unique product of the human mind.

Orthographic drawings: Technical drawings that show three different views of an object, all at right angles

to one another.

Patent: The grant to an inventor of the exclusive right to make, use, import, or sell his or her invention within

a country (or group of countries) for a specified number of years.

Technical drawing: A detailed scale representation of a product that includes multiple views, providing

a particularly accurate description of the product.

Utility patent: A patent that protects processes, machines, products, or materials, or improvements to any

of these things.

2.2RMRM

Module 11: Different by Design • Quiz 1 • 1

Q1

MODULE QUIZ 1Name: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

1. What are some criteria that customers, industry associations, product reviewers, and companies use to

judge the success of a product design?

2. Look at the two versions of a common product that your teacher has displayed, and compare and

contrast their features.


3. The ScienTex Company has asked your development team to redesign its standard calculator so that it

can be used easily by people with impaired vision. Look at the following product need statements and

develop at least three product concepts for the company to consider:

• The number and function buttons on the calculator are labeled in such a way that they can be

identified without the use of sight.

• The buttons on the calculator can be manipulated without the use of sight.

• The calculator presents answers to calculations in such a way that the answers can be accessed

without the use of sight.

2.2RMRM


Q2

MODULE QUIZ 2Name: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

1. You are a member of the product design team at E-Z Par Golf Company. Your team is redesigning a line

of E-Z Par’s golf clubs. The company’s financial department has estimated the following costs and

volumes for Quarters 2 and 3 of the second year of the product development plan:

Development costs: $200,000 for Quarter 2

Ramp-up costs: $350,000 for Quarters 2 and 3

Marketing and support costs: $150,000 for Quarters 2 and 3

Production volume: 200,000 clubs for Quarter 3

Unit production cost: $31 per club for Quarter 3

Sales volume: 200,000 clubs for Quarter 3

Unit price: $62 per club for Quarter 3

Present this information in a costs and revenues schedule that summarizes the financial details by quarter,

and determine whether your company will make a profit or experience a loss by the end of the third quarter.


2. Analyze and compare the industrial designs of the two pens shown here.

A.

B.

2.2RMRM

Module 11: Different by Design • Test • 1

T

MODULE TESTName: __________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

You work for Winter Warmth, a maker of winter coats and jackets. Winter Warmth would like to produce a

new product line, and you are part of a design team working on the project. This is what a few customers

had to say about Winter Warmth’s best-selling jacket:

• “The zipper tag is way too small and hard to manage with mittens on.”

• “I ski a lot and I seem to get snow in the side pockets—so when I put my hands in the pockets,

my hands get all wet.”

• “I like the hood, but when I’m not using it, it feels bulky and in the way.”

• “Snow gets inside the jacket, between the edge of the cuff and my gloves.”

• “I wear mine to exercise outside in the winter. For the first 10 minutes of my jog, my temperature

is good; for the rest, I just get too hot.”

• “It’s supposed to be waterproof, but I still get wet.”

• “It sure keeps me warm, but it seems a little bulky.”

• “I can’t fasten the snaps with my mittens on.”

• “I like to wear a lot of layers, and I get too hot sometimes. I wish I could take the lining out and just

wear it as a shell.”

• “You’ve got to get the sides lined up just so, or it won’t zip. That’s hard to do when it’s cold and you’re

wearing gloves—which is exactly when I need to do it.”

Complete the following steps:

1. Create a list of product need statements based directly on the customer comments.

Module 11: Different by Design • Test • 2

2. Use your list of product need statements to create a concept for a new Winter Warmth jacket.

3. Create a potential magazine ad for your jacket that highlights the new features. The ad should

contain a sketch of the jacket, including elements of good industrial design. The ad should also

include a bulleted list of phrases that describe the benefits of the new jacket, reflecting the needs

expressed in the customer comments.

QUIZZES AND TEST ANSWER KEYS

Answers to Module Quiz 1

1. [30 points] Possible Answers:

Consumers look for products that are durable and safe, perform their functions well, don’t break down, are

attractive to look at (depending on the product), and are a good value for their purchase price. Product reviewers

also look for these characteristics and may additionally want the products to perform well under more rigorous

performance tests, compare favorably when benchmarked against similar products, or meet or exceed certain

technical specifications. Design associations, in addition to looking for well-made, high-performance products, may

look for products that have cutting-edge technology or style, point toward future trends, or stand out as unique or

different from similar products. Companies look for products that appeal to customers, create a customer base that

returns to the company to buy more products, and sell well enough with high enough profit margins to make the

company a profit.

2. [30 points] Answers will vary but should address differences in ease of use, performance, and product features.

Answers may also address differences in style, materials or construction, and price.

3. [40 points] Answers will vary, but concepts should address each product need statement. For example,

a student could suggest a calculator with large buttons labeled in Braille and an attached printer that prints the

calculations and answers in Braille.

Answers to Module Quiz 2

1. [50 points] Though the E-Z Par Golf Company will have a loss of $700,000 at the end of the second quarter,

by the end of the third quarter, E-Z Par will make a $5,000,000 profit.

Module 11: Different by Design • Answer Key • Quiz 1 and 2 • T 75

E-Z Par Costs and Revenues Schedule

2. [50 points] Students should analyze the industrial designs in terms of quality of user interfaces, emotional appeal,

and product differentiation. They may also address ease of maintenance and repair and

appropriate use of resources. Possible answers include the following:

• Quality of user interfaces: Pen A has a very thin, round barrel. It may be difficult for some people to hold for

long periods of time. Pen B has a large, comfortable-looking grip, although it also looks like it might be awkward

to write with, especially for people with small hands.

• Emotional appeal: Pen A has a traditional plain look, which might not evoke a strong emotional response from

customers. Pen B has dramatic curves and a soft-looking barrel, which may appeal to customers looking for a fun

or playful pen. In certain settings, such as professional offices, Pen A may seem more appropriate.

• Product differentiation: Pen A is similar to many pens on the market in shape and size and may not stand out

on a shelf. Pen B has a unique shape and an appealing look, which may cause customers

to single it out for purchase.

• Ease of maintenance or repair: Not much can be determined about maintenance and repair by looking at the

pictures. However, students may assume that Pen A is disposable and that Pen B is refillable. Neither pen, then,

is likely to be repaired. This might matter more for Pen B, which is probably more expensive.

• Appropriate use of resources: Not much can be determined about material costs by looking at the

pictures. However, students may suggest that Pen A is less expensive to make, because fewer kinds

Module 11: Different by Design • Answer Key • Quiz 2 • T 76

$ Values in Thousands Q3Q2

–200

–350–350

–150–150

–6,200

200,000

–0.031

12,400


Ramp-up costs ($)



Production volume


200,000Sales volume

0.062Unit price ($)

5,700–700Quarter revenues or losses ($)

Sales revenues ($)

of materials are used and the construction seems simple. Pen B looks like it would be more complicated

to manufacture and consists of more materials, so it might be more expensive. However, the higher

manufacturing cost is probably reflected in the purchase price.

Answers to Module Test

1. [35 points] Possible Answers:

• The jacket can easily be zipped by a person wearing mittens or gloves.

• The jacket can be snapped by a person wearing mittens or gloves.

• The jacket’s side pockets can be sealed against snow.

• The jacket hood can be kept out of the way when not in use.

• The jacket is waterproof.

• The jacket keeps the wearer warm.

• The jacket has a slim profile.

• The jacket keeps wearers from overheating in instances of exertion, even if they have on several layers

of clothing.

• The jacket’s cuffs are closed against snow.

2. [35 points] Answers will vary, but concepts should address all or most of the product need statements

generated in Question 1. For example, the jacket could have an extra-large zipper tag for easy grasping, and the

snaps could be magnetized so that the two halves snap together when brought near each other. The jacket hood

could be zipped off or stuffed into a pouch when not in use. The jacket could be made of waterproof material that

allows excess body heat to pass through it.

3. [30 points] Answers will vary, but the ad should show a customer using the product, preferably in an outdoor

environment, and the jacket should have an attractive external design. The bullet points should address the need

statements that were generated in Question 1.

Module 11: Different by Design • Answer Key • Quiz 2 and Test • T 77

T 78

Notes:

References

Activity 3

Teacher Information: Creating and Scoring a Decision Matrix

Ulrich, K. T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2000). Exhibit 7-5. Product design and development (2nd ed.,

p. 145). Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.

Activity 5

Teacher Information: A Not So Ordinary Sponge

Johannsen, R. (1998). Introduction to technical drawing: Study guides. Retrieved October 31,

2003, from www4.district125.k12.il.us/faculty/djohanns/TechEdHomePage/TDStdyGids.html.

Pictures and Images

Sample Drawings and Illustrations (RM 5.1)

Bodine Electric Company. (2003). Electric motor [CAD drawing]. Chicago.

Penco Products, Inc. (2004). Assembly image of a single tier Vanguard locker [Illustration].

Oaks, PA.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. (2002). Sears Kenmore® laundry center dimension drawing

[Illustration]. Hoffman Estates, IL.

Module Quiz 2

A.T. Cross Company. (2003). Cross Ion gel ink pen [Photograph B]. Lincoln, RI.

BIC Corporation. (2003). BIC CRISTAL ball pen [Photograph A]. Milford, CT.

Notes: