UNIT 11. Materials in Industrial design: why do consumers buy products?

1. UNIT 11. Materials in Industrial design:why do consumers buy products?

2. Outline • Why is Industrial Design important? • What gives a product its character? • Making charts for sensory properties • Design: creating associations and perceptions Resources: • “Materials Selection in Mechanical Design”, 3rd edition by M.F. Ashby, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford UK, 2006, Chapter 17. • “Materials and Design, the Art and Acience of Materials Selection in Product Design”, by Mike Ashby and Kara Johnson Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford UK, 2002, ISBN 0-7506-5554-2

3. My Parker pens, 8 euros each Parker special edition 3000 euros Product value A product has a cost C the true cost of manufacture, marketing etc. a price P the price at which it is offered to the consumer a value V what the consumer thinks it is worth Do they write 375 times better? Product success requires that C < P < V What determines cost? Technical design, materials, processes What determines value? Both technical and industrial design; -- aesthetics, associations, perceptions

4. Product maturity and market saturation • As products mature and markets saturate, the products of competing manufacturers converge technically -- hardly differ in performance or cost ID allowsdifferentiation, enhanced value Corporate identity • Corporate and product identity are partly created and largely maintained through innovative industrial design ID creates corporate image The environment, in the broadest sense • Products are part of our environment. Products that give no sensual satisfaction damage the environment ID contributes to quality of life Why is industrial design important ?

5. Aesthetics Associations Perceptions Industrial design Product design Technical design Technical, industrial and product design Satis- faction Product must be life-enhancing Usability Product must be easy understand and use Functionality Product must work, be safe, economical Example: the car

6. What, who Context where, when why Function Product Features What gives a product its character?

7. Who? What ? Where ? When ? Why? What expectations? Men / Women Children / Elderly Sportsmen / Disabled ... Home / Office Europe / Africa... Context To fill a basic need To meet an aspiration ... Day / Night All the time / Occasionally... Establishing the context These steer all decisions that follow -- they set the MOOD

8. Product “character” What, who Context where, when why Aesthetics associations Personality perceptions Metals, ceramics Materials polymers, composites Function Product Features Shaping joining Processes surface treatment Biometrics Usability Bio-mechanics Product “physiology” Product “psychology” What gives a product its character?

9. Satis- faction Usability Functionality • Sound technical design • Proper choice of materials • Proper choice of manufacturing process Plenty of tools to do this Technical and industrial design Product must work, be safe and economical

10. Satis- faction Usability Functionality Three aspects • Interaction with the human body -- biometrics • Interaction with the mind -- intelligibility • Interaction with the human environment Now much researched Usability (“ergonomics”) Product must be easy to understand and use

11. Scale, movement, posture, work height Force (<230 N, lifting), Energy (<230 watts) Attention span (related to task) Bio-metric Bio-mechanical Physical matching Text, icons, symbols Embossed keys, knobs Audible signals Visual signals Operation Feedback Information transfer Usability Noise Vibration Illumination Climate Toxicity 30DB < noise level < 80DB Acceleration < 0.2 m/s2 Light 200 - 3000 lumens Temp, humidity within limits No toxicity Environmental disturbance Usability (“ergonomics”)

12. Examples of bio-mechanical matching

13. Satis- faction Usability Functionality Industrial design and satisfaction Product must be life-enhancing, rewarding Three facets • Aesthetics-- appealing to the senses -- sight, hearing, feel, taste, smell • Associations -- what does it remind you of ? What does it suggest ? • Perceptions-- what is your reaction to it ? How does it make you feel ?

14. Colour, transparency Form Feel, texture Taste, smell Sound Aesthetics The reaction of the 5 senses Wealth (Rolls Royce) Military hardware (Land Rover) Aerospace (many US cars) Plants/animals (VW Beetle) Children’s toys (Smart) Product personality Associations What does it remind you of ? Playful -- Silly Responsible -- Irresponsible Feminine – Masculine Rugged -- Threatening And - if you owned it ... Proud -- Disappointed Life-enhancing -- Life diminishing Perceptions How does it make you feel ? Product personality

15. But ... Material personalities NO intrinsic personality? -- materials acquire one through the way they are used? Wood in fine furniture -- craftsmanship in railway sleepers -- cheap utility Goldin jewelry -- luxury, wealth in micro-circuits -- technical efficiency Glassin a camera lens -- precision engineering in beer bottle -- disposable packaging

16. Aesthetics: tactile, warm, textured, it ages well Associations of fine furniture, musical instruments Perceptions of craftsmanship, tradition, heritage, quality Wood, leather Aesthetics: cold, clean, hard, stiff, strong, often ages well Associations of machinery, precision instruments, weapons Perceptions of strength, precision, durability, quality Metals Aesthetics: hard, abrasion resistant, permanence of colour Associations of culture, luxury, sophistication Perceptions of refinement, quality Ceramics and glass “Cheap plastic imitation” Aesthetics: colourful, warm, soft, smooth, flexible, do not age gracefully Associations of mass production, substitutes for metals, glass, wood Perceptions: deceptive, cheap, imitation ….but adaptable. Polymers Material moods

17. Warm/Cold - Soft/Hard

18. Acoustic pitch and brightness

19. Lamp, same spec. Creating associations and perceptions Context Children Bedroom Intermittent use …. Materials injection molded acrylic Context The office Continuous use….. Materials Pressed Steel Powder coated Office desk-lamp. Aesthetics: colour cream, angular metallic shape, smooth texture, heavy. Aesthetics: Primary colours, smooth curves, translucent, light Associations: Colour and form like that of computer consoles and keyboards. Associations: Form derived from nature, cartoons, comic strips. Perceptions: Subdued, modern, efficient; rugged, fit for task but also: dull, impersonal, suggesting the work-place Perceptions: Funny, playful, cheerful, clever. but also: eccentric, frivolous, fragile

20. Bang & Olfsen Roberts Brushed aluminium, black enamel Wood, leather, suede Materials create perceptions Aesthetics:use of primitives; brushed metal, black/matt finishes Aesthetics: soft shape and material, muted colour. Associations: Organ pipes, precision instruments. Advanced technology. Trend-setting design Associations: Handcrafted furniture and fittings. Perceptions: Old style craftsmanship, durable reassuring design Perceptions: High tech, advanced, sophisticated Quality. Symbol of discerning taste. “Only the best is good enough”.

21. Five products: redesign them for a new market Shaver Iron Hairdryer Mixer Toaster The KOODI CODE, U. of Arts and Design, Helsinki

22. Redesign 1: cuddlesome TURBO-PUFF dryer HISS iron LOLLIPOP shaver PIGGY toaster JELLIMIX mixer The KOODI CODE, U. of Arts and Design, Helsinki

23. Redesign 2: ruggedized M/95 heavy duty hairdryer BOLT ACTION iron STEALTH shaver KALASHNIKOV mixer JUNKERS FRONT LINE toaster The KOODI CODE, U. of Arts and Design, Helsinki

24. Primary colours in contrasting /panels Bold curvilinear forms Obvious, easily understood, controls Explicit, spherical legs and handle How did they do it? The “loveable” toaster

25. Mood boards A mood board captures aspects of • Context • Aesthetics • Associations • Perceptions • Materials What? Who? Why? Where? When?

26. How did they do it? Mood boards, sketches.

27. Case study: the compressor What aesthetics? What associations? What perceptions? What is the designer saying?

28. Robust “industrial strength” design • Angular, straight-edged forms • Repeated horizontal • Upward-converging diagonals • Subdued color • Use of texture to create contrasts • Minimal decoration

29. The low-cost air compressor • Angular, straight-edged forms • Repeated horizontal • Upward-converging diagonals • Subdued color • Use of texture to create contrasts • Minimal decoration

30. Satis- faction Usability Functionality So what? 1 (1) See product as a whole (2) Think of it in more than one way • What does the product do? • Who will use it? Where? When? Why? • What are their aspirations, self-image…? (3) The element of satisfaction is central to contemporary product design

31. So what? 2 Train yourself - look at products and ask: • What aesthetics? Why? • What associations? How did the designer do it? Why? • What perceptions? What made you perceive it that way? How (intentionally or unintentionally) did the designer do it? • And finally: what was the designer trying to say?

32. End of Unit 11