C. Making principles

Question 1

What factors do designers need to consider when choosing materials/components?

Answer 1

Availability
Functional need
Cost

Question 2

What should a designer consider about the availability of the material/component when deciding what to use in their product?

Answer 2

Are the chosen materials available in stock form?

Have the materials been sourced from a renewable supply? What are the environmental impacts of the material?

Are expensive/rare materials needed that will be harder to source?

Question 3

What should a designer consider about the cost of the material/component when deciding what to use in their product?

Answer 3

Does the cost of manufacturing meet the expected budget?

Does the selected production method impact the cost of materials?

Question 4

What should a designer consider about the functionality of the material/component when deciding what to use in their product?

Answer 4

Will the selected material function as expected? Is it strong enough? Will it resist wear and tear?

Is the product safe

What standards does it need to conform to?