Chapter 5 Products and applications

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Products and applications Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson you will have developed a knowledge and understanding of: ○how quality is important to both design and manufacture ○a life cycle for a graphic product ○how to target a product to the customer ○using common criteria for assessing quality.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Quality of design ○It is all about the fitness for purpose, what we think of aspects such as form, colour, texture, and our responses to the product. ○A good design will appear to be easy on the eye, aesthetically pleasing, and will function properly.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Key terms ○Classic design – something of lasting worth which has been designed or evolved. ○Durable – having a long usable life. ○Tolerance – the degree to which something is allowed to differ. ○Market push - manufacturer develops a product that will meet a need or a desire. ○Customer pull – demand made by the customer of the manufacturer. ○Trend – changes over a period of time.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Quality of manufacture ○How well is it made? ○When a graphic product such as a piece of packaging is well made, the materials will be fit for purpose, the colours will be consistent, the shape precise and the folds exact.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Life cycle of a graphic product ○There are four main stages in the life cycle of a graphic product: 1.Introduction and evolution 2.Growth 3.Maturity 4.Decline ○The product moves from the idea, and gradually evolves into a viable proposition. ○The result of rapid sales and an increase in demand. ○The product is known to the market. ○The product is no longer enjoying the demand it once had.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Understanding the needs and wants of customers Factors to consider: ○Who is the customer? E.g. A pensioner. ○What is the type of product being bought? E.g. A greetings card. ○Why is the product bought? E.g. To observe a birthday. ○How is the product to be used? E.g. sent in an envelope through the post. ○What do these factors mean for the designer? E.g. Size, colour, image, envelope, cost, nature (humour or other) etc.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Judging the quality ○Does the product meet the initial specification? ○Is it easy to use, or does it appeal to you? ○Does it do what was intended, and do we get enjoyment from the use? ○How well does it suit or fit into its environment? ○Has it been made from renewable energy sources and materials? ○How easily can it be disposed of after its usage?

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Examiner’s tip ○Not all of the questions listed for judging the quality of a product will be relevant for every product selected. ○However, it is worth using the checklist approach to ensure that you have not forgotten to consider any of the areas. It is also possible to create a rhyme or similar to learn these factors ready for the exam. ○As a way of learning these factors select a product and apply them to an evaluation of the selected product.

AQA GCSE Design and Technology: graphic products Summary ○The reason one product is chosen rather than another is very largely down to personal preference. ○Better decisions are generally made if the product is rated against a series of pre-determined criteria. ○Political, social or cultural changes are outside of the normal references for most designs, yet a change in the tax laws or the dominant culture of the area can influence how designs develop. ○The customer and the product have to be matched to enable a need to be satisfied.