The product must
comply with British
Standards in order
to be used – this
guarantees the
safety of the public.
This is especially
important with
products that take
their power directly
from the mains.
Plastic can be a cheap option – needs to
be produced in bulk to make it cost
effect, batch production might only just
scrape back what you put in.
Does is need some
way to isolate
power?
Annealing
Spray painted
Clean edges – none
sharp.
Must use a
compatible fuse in
the mains plug.
Safety
Protection against
Issues
battery leak.
QA and QC must be
Finishes
Pattern applied
regular.
Could the
product be taken
apart and have
the components
used elsewhere?
Could the product be
manufacture from
recycled/recyclable materials?
Varnish or stain
Environm
ental
Issues
6R’s – recycle, reuse, reduce,
reuse, refuse and repair.
What happens to the product
after it’s reached the end of it’s
life?
Could it be
recycled?
How long will the
components last?
What is the
impact of this?
Life
Span
Should something
with a long life
cycle cost more?
Would it end up in
landfill? Or could
Should cheaper
components be
components by
reused?
bought to
reduce the
Would they be
price?
influenced by “green
factors”?
Where/when
are they most
likely to use the
product?
Timb
er
Plas
tic
Brazing
Hammering
Sustainable and cheaper
than the others.
What will people
want in that
particular age range?
Tarnished
Meta
l
Strong – can be
heavy. It is also
expensive.
Compos
ite
Carbon fibre would
be strong and tough
to resist impact.
Mp3
Speaker
Would people pay
more, less or the
same for a portable
speaker?
Would making the
speaker a certain
size make the
quality lower?
Well established brands such
Colour choices
as Apple – more expensive
and well known.
Less established brands are
usually cheaper but often
associated with lower quality.
Portab
ility
Quality
Make it out of
durable and robust
material?
Bold
General aesthetics
Themed
Brandi
Futuristic
Design movements Design style
ng
Styles,
Plug into to mains to power – this can limit it
and stop the product being portable.
Shapes
Need to know: BSI regulations for
and Sizes
mains operated equipment.
Battery powered – increases
How to
portability, but can lower
quality as batteries can’t
Power
Could use rechargeable
sustain bigger speakers for a
batteries that charge
while product is plugged
into mains.
Ergonomi
cs
Needs to be easy to use and for
long length of time.
Need to get anthropometric data of
target market to design an
appropriate product.
people to interact with – buttons,
sizes and grip (if portable) are all
Would size depend
important.
on needs of target
If it is gadget like –
market?
would having shuffle,
different views (e.g.
Size What size is
album, genre) be
acceptable it to be
better?
classed as portable?
Does the speaker need
to protect the player?
If it’s likely to break
What are their
during it’s uses (e.g. if it
interests, likes and
was taken to beaches etc)
dislikes?
is it better to make it
What is their
inexpensive?
You can’t have big
spending
speakers or surround
threshold?
sound and portable.
What aesthetic features
Or do you make it more
would persuade them to robust by spending more
buy the product? Do
on hardy materials?
they have a favourite
design era?
Target
market &
Needs
Which is held highest –
function, cost, gadgets,
portability, quality,
longevity, aesthetics?
Material
s
May not give a
quality finish to the
product.
Modern vs
Vintage
Minimalistic
Materials
Add a cover or
something to slide
over the speaker?
Protecti
on
How do you keep
Anthropometr
Does it need
ics
radio?
Operations
On/off
switch
Do you need other basics
e.g. fast forward, rewind
play and pause if they are
already on the mp3
player?
Function
It could also charge the product while
playing music.
Not all products
the speaker safe
Docking
charge the same way
during transport?
– some have different
ports.
Universal: this
Brand Specific: closes the product
option opens up the
down to only work with one specific
product to more
If it was portable it would need to run
brand – if you choose a well known
buyers but could
on batteries which would run down too
one e.g. Apple the product will still sell put off people who
quickly if the product also docked and
well, however you would have to raise buy for quality as
charged the mp3 player.
the price to fit with the current
universal docks
product pricing.
seem lower quality.