You are not alone!In a Product Design Exam

Brian Russell

The examination room

• Surrounded by 160 other students

• Surrounded by good examples of design

• Surrounded by loads of materials and finishes

• Surrounded by standard components

• Surrounded by different examples of manufacturing

Just a polo shirt?

• Designed by René Lacoste in 1926 and originally known as the tennis shirt the design for the polo shirt has been copied by manufacturers throughout the world.

It’s a Design Classic

A Design Icon!

What else do we know?

• Made from piqué cotton jersey knit (which means the fabric is knitted not woven)

• The logo is CNC embroidered in small batches

A great example of batch production because only small quantities are needed.

And the sweatshirt?

• Also batch produced• The fabric is a mixture of cotton and polyester

A good example of a combined material

What else are you wearing?

• Just check out how many standard components you are wearing

• It is usually cheaper to manufacture these in large quantities in specialist factories rather than for each manufacturer to make their own

• Repairs are much easier when standard components are used

Standard components generally help products to be considered as environmentally better

Just a school chair?

• The school chair is based upon another Classic Design by Robin Day “The Polypropylene Chair”

• Over 14 million of the original chairs have been produced

• Loads of copies

A Design Icon because it was so innovative when first designed

Why so popular?

• Very cheap to produce in large quantities• Ergonomically very good – fits almost everyone!• Seat is flexible• Stacks so easy to store/transport

Very easy to copy once Robin day had done the hard work. Copies are made under license as the design is patented.

Design features

• Seat is injection moulded in one piece in polypropylene– can you see the injection point?

• Legs are fabricated in mild steel – welded together then powder coated

• Screwed to seat (an example of a standard component!)

Try feeling these features when you are sitting on the chair!

The exam desk

• Made from mild steel tubing with a plywood or MDF top

• Designed to stack for easy storage/transportation

Saving space is a vital as they are only used for a few weeks a year

Ergonomics continues

• Designed to complement the school chair

• Correct working height

• Regulation size work area

Designed to fit the 5th-95th percentile

Materials and manufacturing

• The desk top is a good example of a combined material

• Most are MDF with a veneer on top• Some are plywood with a melamine

laminate on top• The edges and the slot have been

routered

Using standard materials has helped keep the cost down

Materials and manufacturing

• The frame has been fabricated from mild steel tubing

• It has been welded together and powder coated to give a hard durable finish

• The top is held in place using screws

The screws are a standard component!

BIC pen

• László Bíró designed the first ballpoint pen in 1931 and we continue to use the word Biro to describe all ballpoint pens.

• In 1950 Marcel Bich bought from Bíró the patent for the pen, which soon became the main product of his BIC company.

Another Design Icon!

Safety

• Have a look at the pen top• Most are now manufactured with a hole in them• This is to prevent children choking to death if

they swallow them

This is a great example of risk assessment!

Don’t take spectacles for granted

• They are a great example of flexible manufacturing.

• The frames are mass produced (but adjusted for each customer)

• The lenses are sometimes made as one-offs• They are assembled using standard

components such as screws

Every pair built to match your own prescription!

Even jewellery

• Jewellery is often constructed using standard components. These are known as “findings”.

Using standard components make it much easier to repair or replace lost parts

Watches as well

• Many watch parts are standard components such as straps, hands etc.

Think about all of the human factors which have been taken account of

Keys

• The keys in your pocket are also a resource• Standard blanks are manufactured in large

quantities• They are usually cut in small batches• Replacement keys are cut as one-offs• Most commonly made from brass or nickel alloy

The blanks are usually forged or stamped out

Key cutting

• Usually done with a grinding operation• This is an example of the general manufacturing

group “wastage”• It is easy to remember as the bits of metal that

are cut off the blank are waste materials

Grinding is a type of abrading

Water bottle

• Take a water bottle into the exam?• Blow moulded from PET• The top has been injection moulded from HIPS• Every year over 50 billion plastic water bottles

are sent to landfill in this country

A great example of a product which must be recycled or reused!

The exam paper itself!

• The exam paper booklet has been printed using offset lithography

• The colours are produced from 4 process colours – yellow, cyan, magenta and black

• It is made from A3 paper which has been creased and stapled

Staples are a standard component!

Offset lithography

• Flat aluminium plates (specially treated)

• Photographically exposed then wrapped around roller

• Exposed parts attract water• Non exposed parts allow ink to

stick• Print onto plain roller to reverse

image• Transfers to the paper

This is the correct answer for any printing question!

The exam room• The doors are made from blockboard as they

need to be very strong• The door furniture (handles etc.) are all standard

components• The doors and frame are finished in gloss paint• Walls eggshell paint on concrete block• Climbing bars varnished

What other finishes can you identify?

How many other components?

There is always a clock

• Made from standard components• Clock mechanisms are now standard

components!• Clock face screen printed• Powered by battery

Batteries cause big environmental problems!

Instruction board

• Usually a flip chart to record start and finish time• Aluminium frame• The whiteboard surface is melamine covered

chipboard or MDF and is a good example of a combined material

Lots of human factors to consider – size weight etc.

Feel better?

• No other exam has so many resources to assist you

• But don’t turn around to look around!

You are being watched!