Form and Function:Part 7 – Form, Function and BeautyMr. Williams – Grade 7 Science

The Product Development Process• When companies design a new product, they need to

consider 3 important sets of factors:– Design Factors– Manufacturing Factors– Sales Factors

Design Factors

• When a company wants to sell a particular product to the consumers they need to consider a number of design factors.

Individual Users

Society:

The Economy Legal Aspects

Safety and Health

The Environment

Manufacturing Factors

• Companies also need to consider factors related to the manufacturing of goods before the process begins. These factors are:

Stability of MaterialsEx. Is the material

waterproof, flexible, hard, made of fabric or velcro…etc.

Availability and Cost of Materials

Ex. Are the materials found in Canada at a reasonable cost? What are concerns of safety?

DisposalEx. Should the product last a

long time, or should the company make money on

replacements?

Shipping CostsEx. How can shipping cost as

little as possible

Sales Factors

• Once a product is manufactured, it becomes available to the public for purchase. The company needs to consider the following:

Packaging Design, Displays and Labeling

Ex. Packages are designed to protect the item, but also

attract customers

AdvertisingEx. Advertising informs

potential customers of the product availability and allows them to compare

different products.

Customer SupportEx. After a product is sold, customers may need more

information about the product or help using it.

Sale PriceEx. The price of a product

determines who can buy it. It also determines the

amount of profit for the company.

Symmetry

• When looking at a structure it is easy to see its shape and size. The shape also helps us distinguish it from other products.

• This can be achieved through symmetry.

• Symmetry – When an object can be divided in half creating two identical mirrored images

• Line of Symmetry – Is an imaginary line that divides a symmetrical object into two mirrored halves.

When we divide the butterfly vertically, we

can see it is symmetrical

Symmetry

Sometimes there are multiple lines of

symmetry. How many can you find

in the picture?

Symmetry in Nature

• Symmetry exists all around us.

• For Example – Look at yourself in the mirror, you are symmetrical from one side of the body to the other. Although, no one is perfectly symmetrical!

• Internally we also have two kidneys, two symmetrical rib cages, two lobes in the brain…etc.

The Vitruvian Man. This is one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s more famous

drawings showing symmetry of the human

body.

Aesthetics• Symmetry is very important when looking

at the aesthetics of a structure.• Aesthetics – The concept of how visually

attractive or beautiful something is.• When looking at aesthetics it is important

to point out that there are some structures that reject symmetry as part of their design. Asymmetrical structures do not have any symmetry, and sometimes are appreciated by people because of their unique design.

Asymmetrical Design

The Taj Mahal in India is designed to highlight the

visual appeal of symmetry

Hundertwasser rejects symmetry in his designs to create

aesthetic appeal

Symmetry and Center of Gravity• Symmetry is considered attractive, however,

symmetry also usually means an increase in the structures stability because the dead load is spread out more evenly across the structure.

• Usually, in a symmetrical structure, the center of gravity is located along the line of symmetry…however…

• When a line of symmetry is drawn it is only a visual and does not always account for the structures center of gravity, as the structure may have different materials within it.

Symmetry and Center of Gravity Cont’d

The center of gravity in this pyramid is located

internally and through the line of symmetry

Hundertwasser rejects symmetry in his designs to create

aesthetic appeal

Ergonomics• We use tools everyday to do work! How

these tools are designed and utilized is part of the study of ergonomics.

• Ergonomics – The science of using knowledge of human characteristics to design structures and systems that are comfortable, safe, and efficient.

• Ergonomic design of different tools and workstations help reduce injuries in individuals and allow more efficient use of systems

Ergonomics Cont’d…• Designers that create tools and

workstations to function easier use a number of principles in their ergonomic design:

• 1. Tools and workstations should allow workers to change their positions regularly• 2. Tools and workstations should reduce

the amount of force or effort needed to complete a task• 3. Tools and workstations should promote

good posture for the body

Ergonomics Cont’d…• Designers that create tools and

workstations to function easier use a number of principles in their ergonomic design:

• 1. Tools and workstations should allow workers to change their positions regularly• 2. Tools and workstations should reduce

the amount of force or effort needed to complete a task• 3. Tools and workstations should promote

good posture for the body