2.3 - Technology And Cultural Changes

Question 1

Socio-economic influences

Answer 1

Question 2

Post First World War, the Bauhaus and development of furniture for mass production

Answer 2

Question 3

The Second World War, rationing and the development of ‘utility’ products

Answer 3

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]

Question 4

Contemporary times, fashion and demand for mass producer furniture and decorative products

Answer 4

Question 5

Microelectronics

Answer 5

Question 6

The impact of microelectronics on designing and manufactured practice

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

The impact of the use of microelectronics in products

Answer 7

Question 8

The impact on product design of microelectronics and other technological advancements

Answer 8

Question 9

Glulam

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

Kevlar

Answer 10

Question 11

Precious metal clay

Answer 11

Question 12

Nano materials

Answer 12

Question 13

New methods of manufacture

Answer 13

Question 14

Electro hydraulic forming

Answer 14

Question 15

Advanced 3D printing of metals

Answer 15

Question 16

Fibre injection moulding

Answer 16

Question 17

Laser beam welding

Answer 17

Question 18

Physical vapour deposition

Answer 18

Question 19

The internet of things (IoT)

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Advancements in CAD / CAM

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Social, moral and ethical issues

Answer 21

Question 22

Sustainable materials and ethical production methods part 1

Answer 22

Question 23

Sustainable materials and ethical production methods part 2

Answer 23

Question 24

Culturally acceptable and non offensive products

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Products that are inclusive

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Products that could assist with social problems

Answer 26

Question 27

Poverty health and well-being

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Poverty health and well-being part 2 Recent health related products that have been developed include the following:

Answer 28

Question 29

Migration

Answer 29

Question 30

Migration part 2 Here are some examples of how designers companies and NGOs have responded to these needs

Answer 30

Question 31

Fair trade part 2

Answer 31

Question 32

Product life cycle The staged of product life cycle

Answer 32

Question 33

Product life cycle Introduction

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Product life cycle Growth

Answer 34

Question 35

Product life cycle Maturity

Answer 35

Question 36

Product life cycle Decline and replacement

Answer 36

Question 37

Product life cycle Evolution of products

Answer 37

- 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