NVQ 6437 & 6406 - Application of Techniques for the Design of Products & Develop design principles and techniques and processes for designing products.

Application of Techniques for the Design of Products.

1. Give Examples of how formal elements and principles of Balance, Proportion, Rhythm, Emphasis and Unity are applied in the design of products.

- Balance:  aka Symmetry, is when a shape, design or object have two or more halves which match up perfectly and are a perfect mirrored image of one another, much like this butterfly.

- Proportion: A proportionate design will adjust something so it has a suitable relationship with something else.

- Rhythm: rhythm creates an aesthetically pleasing flow throughout a design through the use of repetition of patterns. Rhythm includes variety and repetition.

- Emphasis: emphAsis, in design is when a certain point or area is singled out and is different to the rest to draw attention to it and make it a focal point. Minimizing the tone of that which is around the focal point also helps with emphasis.

- Unity: every element in the image works together to create meaning and the "sense of oneness to an visual image" the colours, shapes and designs will all be very similar and harmonious and in a neat repetitive order, not randomly placed.

1.2 Describe how formal elements and principles of design are visible in the work of two major designers.

Rob Janoff: Designer most well known for designing the apple logo that was first used in 1977 and is still used today. His work clearly shows the use of proportion when shown with the golden spiral

Milton Glaser: Most well known for his "I <3 NY" design also used in 1977.

This design shows the use of emphasis, The heart is in a bright red colour and stands out greatly next the the plain black writing therefore making this the focal point, there is also emphasis on the design as a whole as the black and red are both emphasized against the white background.

2.1 Describe a range of common techniques and materials used in design and manufacture.

The common materials used in design and manufacture depend on its purpose, lots of materials can be used on just one product:
- Card
- Wood
- Foam Board
- Polystyrene (sheets)
- Rigid Foam
- Hard wax
- Wire
- Corrugated Card and plastic

- Acrylic
- MDF

Smart Materials: 
- Thermometric ink
- polymorph
- PMC
- Paperfoam
- Potatopak

Techniques
Materials suitable, Process variations, Economic Factors, Design Implications, Typical Application and Quality Issues all contribute to the selection of the manufacturing technique.

DFMA or DFA
(designed for manufacture or designed for assembly)

2.2 Give examples of tools and equipment used in design.

The tools and equipment most commonly used in design depend on whether its for concept design or development of it.
Concept:
- Sketchpads
- Pens/pencils
- Paint and paintbrushes
- Wire
- Cardboard
- Wax
- Modroc
- Clay

- anything that can be experimented with

Development:
- Scanners
- Printers
- Computers
- 3D Printers
- anything that can be used in the development stage towards manufacture.

2.3 Describe the physical properties and capabilities of a range of materials, tools and equipment used in design.

Clay- The physical properties of clay are that is it malleable before dried out and once dried, shrinks and hardens, some clays also change colour during this process, it can also be decorated without damaging the material.

Glass - The physical properties and capabilities of glass are that, it is malleable when heated to very high temperatures, it can be coloured and is capable of displaying any number of designs, glass when cooled and hardened completely is also very durable, unless it is a small, thin part, then it is easily breakable, another property of glass is that is is transparent which is great when used in things like bottles because you can see the substance inside, and it is static which means it is non reactive with other materials, 

3D Printer / Pen - A 3D printer is capable of turning any idea or design into a 3D physical object by using materials which can heat and cool quickly and harden to hold their shape like plastic, a 3D pen works very much in the same way but instead of a machine controlling where the flow of the plastic goes, the user does, this gives a less neat finished product but works well when used with a 3D printer to fill in gaps and fix bits that may of gone wrong or not of been possible to do, together they make the capabilities almost endless, the plastics used in the 3D printers and pens hardens quickly and is very durable and lightweight.

2.4 Describe the characteristics of different materials and the potential of these characteristics to achieve different effects.

Corrugated Cardboard -  Corrugated cardboard is thin and lightweight, yet strong and when used as a box can absorb some impact to avoid damaging whatever is inside.
corrugated cardboard is good to use for models as it is rigid and stands up right but would be difficult to use for anything small.

Corrugated Plastic Corrugated plastic is much like corrugated cardboard in the face that is is light weight and strong and the "ladder" inside absorbs impact but corrugated plastic unlike corrugated cardboard is weather resistant and can be used with liquids.

Paper The properties of paper depend on its thickness: 

10-35 GSM (Tissue paper) is one of the thinnest, which tears easily but is transparent and can be branded with a company name or logo and comes in bright colours for a high quality impression.

70-150 GSM is the thickness used for paper bags, its strong enough to hold a certain amount of weight but will not last a lifetime. but more recyclable than plastic bags.

50-150 GSM (usually a glossy finish) Thicker paper, which is stronger enough to not be easily torn, and can take being handled a lot without getting ruined so this is usually used for leaflets or catalogs.

300-400 GSM Very thick, basically card, can be printed on, laminated, embossed, impressed ect, can be used for business. 

• Card can be used to make pop-ups, moving models and packaging.
• Balsa wood is used for detail on models and small components.
• Foam board can be used for interior-design models and large pieces of packaging.
• Polystyrene sheet is used in vacuum-forming, packaging and creatingproduct-design models.
• Rigid foam is good for product design and solid concept models.
• Construction kits are used to build models with moving parts.
• Wood-based materials such as MDF, plywood and solid timber are popular for making product-design, solid-concept and interior-design models.
• Hard wax is used for making product-design and other 3D models where detail must be carved into shapes.
• Plaster bandage with wire supports is used for 3D models that require rounded shapes.
• Paper and board should have straight edges and corners should be 90°. All moving parts must work smoothly and candle wax can be applied to assist movement.
• Corrugated card and plastic have edges that are difficult to finish. A plastic strip or PVC tape may help.
• Acrylic edges need to be scraped with the edge of a steel rule, or finesilicon-carbide paper, then polished with metal polish.
• Foam blocks need to be sanded gently, then filled with plaster filler or wood filler, before smoothing off. Apply colour using acrylic or water-based paints.
• MDF or solid timber - sand carefully, and fill with plaster or wood-filler, before smoothing. Apply paint or varnish to give a fine finish.
• 3.1 Document the planned design approach.

3.2 Use a selected technique to make a product, prototype or sample ensuring consistency with the selected approach and the brief.
I was given a brief to make a prototype of a book cover for the children's Anastasia story in an Art Deco style. The techniques I used to design the prototype were rough sketches on paper and then experimenting with those designs on illustrator. When it came to making the finished prototype, I had to measure the book to ensure i printed the cover to the correct size and then make sure to add the extra flaps to tuck on the side which also help with making sure the cover doesn't fit too tightly so it opens and closes and functions correctly.

3.3 Present the designed product, prototype or model in accordance with the brief specifications.

The prototype I made for the book cover was presented as shown, as a functioning dust cover/sleeve on a book of the right size.