Materials and Process Chapter 2 Reflection

 What Influences Product Design?

According to the book, the market, technology, investment climate, environment, and industrial design. Let's see... I'm studying one of those things, which means I need to get my butt in gear for the other four! Technologies mixed with scientific research should be a thought on the back burner at all times, because new technologies mean cooler, more efficient and effective designs. The market is also powerful, considering almost 95% of all products fail there. That isn't necessarily because the product was a failure either. Sometimes, it is because the market temperatures weren't right. People weren't receptive to the idea or it wasn't advertised properly to the right margin. Trying to predict how the marketplace will react to a product is crucial, and the more you know, the better equipped you will be to deal with that type of problem. The market is mostly driven by desire, and one of their biggest desires is greater functionality in the products they already have. Using electricity, magnets, and other materials to create useful do-dads, bells, and whistles (but especially ones that make sense for that product) can help here exponentially. Developments in science offer new combinations of, and lighter, stronger materials (THE BASIS FOR EVERYTHING). Finding new ways to utilize them in products can make or break the design. Powering different components that have been developed to be smaller and more efficient, can be addressed merely by doing some extra research. Education about surface technologies will be key in the years to come. Trying to design products with the ecosystem and waste management in mind is also important, although not as much for this generation, but future ones. Thinking of the lifespan of a product, and using materials that will break down organically, without releasing harmful toxins and chemicals is IMPORTANT for our environment. The average life of a product is usually only 10 years, keeping that in mind is key. Extending the life of a product or making the design so it rapidly decomposes after its end is reached with no problem are 2 ways we can address that problem. In the marketplace, making sure the value of a product exceeds the cost is important when thinking of your target audience. Without this, a product will, inevitably, flop. When taking industrial design into consideration, consider the old adage "form follows function". If you live by this, you are an engineer, not a designer. However, if you combine this adage as the core, and design aesthetic features around it that don't compromise the functionality at all, you can successfully design popular, useful things. Giving a product simple, easy-to-use interfaces whilst giving it a customized personality and a brand/identity (if it is part of a brand collection) is also quite important.

-Randa Marie