Factors Influencing Design

There are seven factors you will need to consider when it comes to designing your system. You will need to explore each factor through research, and justify design requirements and decisions based on these factors. You should note that some factors may influence other factors, such as Environment of Use impacting Materials.

The seven factors are:

• Function
• User Needs
• Materials & Components
• Environment Use
• Safety
• Cost
• Waste and Energy

The following are questions to help prompt your thinking, but not the only questions or parameters that may need to be queried. Each project will individually need broadly explore elements of each factor, and so there is no one formula for you to follow here.

Function

The function explores what the system is designed to do.

• Core performance
  • What problem is the system going to solve? What opportunity is it seizing?
• Inputs
  • What input will go into the system?
• Processes
  • What will the system do with the inputs to achieve a set output?
• Expected Outputs
  • What output will the system provide to the user?
• Required performance (for example):
  • Accuracy in movement
  • Impact force it needs to be able to withstand
  • Minimum battery life
  • Input/Output Tolerances

User Needs, Requirements and Parameters

This will be informed by research into user needs, the requirements of the function, and parameters determined by user needs.

• Lifespan
• Durability
• Ease of Use
• Maintenance costs, frequency
• Performance parameters, for example:
  • Speed
  • Performance
  • Accuracy

A parameter a measurable element of performance

Materials and Components

Determining the materials and components that match the users needs and expected performance of the system.

• Mechanical components - levers, linkages, springs, gears, bearings...
• Gears - 3D printed, acrilic laser, purchased?
• How will you account for internal forces?
• Electrical supply - zinc batteries, li-ion, DC adaptor, solar?
• Power usage, voltage and current required
• Housing - required strength, required size
• Aesthetics
  • Shape, Colour, Finish
  • Quality
  • Neat wiring, professional look

Environment of Use

This is going to be very specific to you. Consider the conditions you're system is going to be used it - will it need to be waterproofed? Essentially, how do you account for where and when it will be used.

Prompting thoughts:

• Inside?
• Outside?
• Wet?
• Dry?
• Dust?
• Vibration
• Power access
• UV exposure
• What else…?

Safety

This is a broad area of safety across development including for engineers as well as users.

• Safety in the workshop
• Safety for testers
• Safety for users
• Minimised Risk of electric shock
• Identifying pinch points / other hazards
• Legal compliance (Electrical Safety Act 1998)
• Age restrictions?

Cost

Anything related to spending money.

• Initial and ongoing costs
• Cost of components
• Housing / Finishes
• Cost of ongoing Power Consumption
• Cost of ongoing Maintenance

Waste and Energy

• Material waste – how are you minimising that impact?
  • Include: test prints and prototyping
• Recycling, reclaiming, reusing
• Power Consumption
  • Creation - how are you being waste considerate and energy efficient during production?
  • Ongoing - - how are you being waste considerate and energy efficient post production?
• eWaste disposal
• Considering Embodied Energy
• End-of-life – provide a plan for reusability of components, housing - provide information on what can be recycled/reused, what is trashed?