A2 Product Design- The Effects Of Technological Changes On Society

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The steam engine was invented by

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James Watt

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Industrialisation led to changes in

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production, the workforce, transportation and infastructure

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Mass consumerism developed in the

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1930s

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Why do marketing companies target children

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To stimulate interest in products at a early age

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Key marketing strategies used to target children as new consumers

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Children are growing older younger, they have a natural urge to collect things, and need to be accepted by wearing the right brands

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Examples of targeting children as new consumers

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Blockbuster movies are now released with a wide range of associated merchandise such as toys and lunchboxes

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Built in obsolence

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Method of stimulating consumer demand designing products that wear out or become outmoded after limited use

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Example of built in obselence

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Laptops become obsolete nearly as soon as they are purchased

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Effect of mass product on employment

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Craftspersons are replaced by low-skilled workers in highly merchandised factories, low skilled jobs means low wages, development of trade unions, reduction in the workforce, high-skilled technical roles required, poor job satisfaction

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Technological obsolence

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occurs mainly in electronic industries, where companies are forced to introduce new products with increased technological features rapidly to stay ahead of the competition e.g. mobile phones

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Postponed obsolence

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Occurs when companies launch a new product even though they have the technology to release better product at the time e.g. Sony had designed the PS4 before it had even released the PS3

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Physical Obsolence

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Occurs when the very design of a product determines its lifespan e.g. disposable or consumable items such as light bulbs

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Style Obsolence

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Occurs due to changes in fashion and trends where products seem to be out of date and force the customer to replace them with current trends e.g. premiership clubs change their kit often and so fans need to constantly buy new kits

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Digital computers invented in

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1940s

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Silicon chips invented in

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1960s

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Use of computers in manufacturing

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quicker, printers have fast delivery times, reduce development times and costs, information and designs can be transferred digitally

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Miniaturisation

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technological development in the field of microelectronics have meant a reduction in size but also more multifunctional products

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Miniaturisation of mobile phones has been possible due to

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Advanced intergrated circuits, advanced battery technology, advanced liquid crystal displays

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Intergrated circuits

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allow more circuitry to be included on each microchip, increasing functionality and power

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Battery Technology

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includes lithium-ion rechargable batteries, providing a lightweight means of storing a lot of energy in smaller and thinner cells

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LCD

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enables colour screens that are thinner and brighter and require much smaller current, meaning greater energy and efficiency and slimmer housings

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How are mobiles now mulitfunctional

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They can now make voice calls, text messages, have bluetooth, internet, built in cameras, camcorders, games, and MP3s

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Smart Materials

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Sense the conditions in their environment and respond to them

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Smart glass

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Used to change light transmission properties of windows or skylights when a voltage is applied

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Advantages of smart glass

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Controls the amount of heat passing through a window, saves energy costs, provides shades, provides privacy

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Disadvantages of smart glass

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Expensive to install, requires constant supply of electricity, speed of control, degree of transparancy

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Shape memory allows (SMAs)

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Used in spectacle frames as the crystal structures of this advanced composite, once its deformed it can regain or 'remember' its original shape

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Advantages of SMAs

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Superelasticity, immediately recovers original shape, lightweight and durable

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Disadvantages of SMAs

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Not unbreakable, more expensive than similar polymer frames

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Thermochromic pigments

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Combined with polymers and used in 'chameleon' kettles which change colour when boiling and return to the original colour when cool

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Advantages of thermochromic pigments

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Immediate visual indication of temperature, safety feature, aesthetically pleasing

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Disadvantages of thermochromic pigments

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Limited colour range, not possible to engineer accurate temperature settings to colour changes

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Smart fluids

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Used in a cars suspension system to dampen the ride depending upon road conditions

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Advantages of smart fluids

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Improves handling, and road-holding as it adapts to the road, better and faster control

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Disadvantages of smart fluids

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More expensive than traditional systems

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Thermochromic liquid crystals

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Used in forehead thermometers, a layer of conductive ink is printed onto the reverse of a thermometer strip, the temperature generates the thermochromic ink to become translucent

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smart ink

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Display technology designed to mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper, each pixel point is a tiny pit containing a small number of black and white beads, which move showing the letters

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pizoelectric crystals

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A material that expands and contracts when an electric current is applied, used in inkjet printers

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Offshore manufacturing

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Assembly or full manufacturing in a country where labor and/or raw materials are cheaper, for export into the manufacturer's home country

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Companies outsource their manufacturing work to

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less developed countries

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Advantages of offshore manufacturing

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Economic regeneration of a local area, employment opportunities, improved living standards, development of infastructure and transport, enables the transfer of technology, cheap labour and lower regulations meaning a higher profit

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Disadvantages of offshore manufacturing

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Increased pollution and waste production, destruction of local environment to build factories, low wages, managerial roles occupied by those in the developed world, no unions, lower safety standards, locals can become dependent on the companies