2.3 - Technology And Cultural Changes Flashcards
Socio-economic influences
Post First World War, the Bauhaus and development of furniture for mass production
The Second World War, rationing and the development of ‘utility’ products
The 2nd world war (1939-45) brought about severe shortage of many goods
Rationing was introduced in Britain to provide fair distribution of essentials such as food, clothing, petrol, timber and furniture.
The shortage of timber for furniture manufacture was further exacerbated by the destruction of many houses and their contents during bombing raids, and the switching of a great deal of manufacturing capacity towards the war effort.
Furniture rationing was accompanied by the setting up of a committee, led by the furniture designer Gordon Russell.
His remit was to ensure that the scarce resources were used in an optimal way by designing and manufacturing a range of appropriate items.
The utility… [image]
Contemporary times, fashion and demand for mass producer furniture and decorative products
Microelectronics
The impact of microelectronics on designing and manufactured practice
They have had a massive impact because they have made it possible to incorporate powerful microprocessor ICs (the main element in a computer) in CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines.
Also made computers themselves capable of carrying out, at high speed the millions of calculations required for manipulating designs in a CAD programme.
The impact of the use of microelectronics in products
The impact on product design of microelectronics and other technological advancements
Glulam
- it has better strength to weight ratio than steel due to minimisation of defects
- ease of forming and shaping with lower energy costs
- variants such as cross laminated timber (CLT) are more sheet based and have strength in both directions and give great potential for imaginative designs
- it is a sustainable resource
Kevlar
Precious metal clay
Nano materials
New methods of manufacture
Electro hydraulic forming
Advanced 3D printing of metals
Fibre injection moulding
Laser beam welding
Physical vapour deposition
The internet of things (IoT)
The need to reorganise schedules.
It is also facilities ‘predictive maintenance’ whereby sensors constantly monitor the condition of elements of a machine; the data collected would indicate when servicing, repair or replacement of various parts is needed, and this would be automatically scheduled by the system
Advancements in CAD / CAM
The use of VR is becoming more important in CAD since it provides an environment where much more realism can be experienced through the use of devices such as gloves with haptic sensory feedback and 3D headsets.
It is now being harnessed so that designers will for example be able to shape pieces of virtual material with their hands and see the resulting form in a 3 dimensional environment rather than relying on the traditional keyboard and mouse to input their ideas and viewing the results on a flat 2D screen
Social, moral and ethical issues
Sustainable materials and ethical production methods part 1
Sustainable materials and ethical production methods part 2
Culturally acceptable and non offensive products
Advertising campaign was not successful because the local custom in some communities of blackening their teeth to make them more attractive as they believe that only demons and wild animals have white teeth.
Designers need to undertake thorough research to ensure that these situations do not occur, to avoid alienating potential consumers and wasting money
Products that are inclusive
Although the disability discrimination act of 1995 doesn’t specifically dictate requirements of product design it was instrumental in bringing about many of the accessibility improvements that we have seen and has strongly influenced design in areas such as public transport
It can sometimes be a problem that designers are unaware of the difficulties encountered by disabled consumers of their products
For this reason it is common for empathic research to be carried out to give them an idea of what it might be like for the disabled to use their products
Examples of this include the simulation of arthritis using specially adapted gloves and wearing obscured goggles to replicate levels of sight loss
The growth in participation and interest in the Paralympic Games has resulted in a wide range of specialised equipment for disabled athletes and has also been effective in raising awareness of the potential that inclusive design has for improving the lives of the broader population
Products that could assist with social problems
Poverty health and well-being
The declaration of human rights first published in 1948 is a United Nations document setting out the rights of people all around the world and has been published in 500 languages. Article 25 in the document says ‘everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family, including food clothing housing and medical care’. This declaration offers a guide to what should be available, but unfortunately some of the most basic requirements remain elusive to many.
Poverty health and well-being part 2
Recent health related products that have been developed include the following:
Migration
Migration part 2
Here are some examples of how designers companies and NGOs have responded to these needs
Fair trade part 2
Product life cycle
The staged of product life cycle
Product life cycle
Introduction
Sees the product being launched usually preceded and surrounded by a good deal of publicity particularly regarding how effectively it supersedes previous models
Sometimes products have evolved in response to the demand pull of consumers for particularly desirable features ie improved battery life or larger memory in a smartphone
Product life cycle
Growth
Product life cycle
Maturity
Product life cycle
Decline and replacement
Product life cycle
Evolution of products
- TV - slim design
- high end digital camera - increased pixel count
Etc
Progressive feature upgrade incorporated in new models of products result in many consumers eventually feeling they need to replace their device to keep up to date
There is currently a trend for mobile phone owners to keep their phones for between two and three years whereas a few years ago it was not uncommon for them to be changed after only 18 months
This means companies have to work even harder to eneurr they they are offering new features which consumers are eager to obtain
Other strategies to maintain sales and revenue include the development of complementary products such as smart watches and the offer of upgrade finance schemes
