Unit A563: Responding to a design brief
Learning objectives
• To know that products are designed for a specific purpose
or audience in mind
• To to be able to give the audience an overview of what
your project is about and what you are setting out to
achieve
• To understand the requirements of your target market /
end users
• To be able to form a design brief based around the OCR
exam board themes
Unit A563: Making Quality Products
Coursework theme
For this piece of coursework you will be required to design
something different for what you did in your previous
coursework
Unit A563: Making Quality Products
Coursework theme
Criteria 1 Responding to a design brief and
producing a specification 4 marks
Page 1 to include the following:
•
Introduction
Explain what and why you are researching the information on this page
•
Design Brief
Explain the objective of the project, briefly mentioning the main criteria involved
•
Situation/ Needs
You must set your project in a real life situation making it as realistic as possible i.e. promoting a local small business. The
Situation links in with your design brief and user needs
•
Needs
Identify the needs for both your product and your user. Link this closely with your Questionnaire. User needs to be linked to
industry or the end user for the evaluation.
•
User Group
•
Spider diagram
Give a description of who the product is being designed for and the key characteristics
Create a spider diagram to identify key areas of concern and research
•
Image/photograph
Include an image which is relevant to your project i.e. target market, promotion of a small business
•
Conclusion
Explain what you have found and how you are going to implement / Use this information
Introduction
Situation
This project is going to be about designing and making a steady
hand game suitable for a young child with the aim of improving
their hand-eye coordination skills. Before beginning research
and getting information on what we will be actually making, we
need to decide what information we will need. To help me
gather info, I will split this page into sections and talk about the
situation linked to the steady hand game, my design brief and
initial specification. I will also need to do a brainstorm which is
made up of questions relating to this project I will need to
answer. Finally, I will do a section on the needs of this game;
why it needs to be developed.
Research has been carried out to see if toys that improve
a child’s hand-eye coordination could actually help
develop a child’s brain during childhood when they can
acquire a condition like Cerebral Palsy. This is one of
the reasons why the steady hand game will be made to
be sold in shops like ‘The Early Learning centre’ and
other stores in the U.K similar to this one.
Initial Specification
The material used must be safe to use and look appealing to the target market.
The metal around the wire used to activate the sound output, must be a good
conductor of electricity.
All materials used must be recyclable and methods used to obtain them must be
environmentally friendly.
 The target market will not only be the children but also the adults because they
are buying the product. Therefore they must be familiar with the toy’s theme; it
has to be popular.
As the toy is serving two purposes, improving a child’s hand-eye coordination
as well as an entertaining game to mark the release of the new film, this toy will
be quite expensive as the materials used might be.
The toy’s control will be semiconductors which is a bit like an Integrated
Circuit. The output will be sound and light. The toy will need a thristor and
resistors.
The toy must be aesthetically pleasing; it must feel smooth and look good. The
designer must incorporate colours which are bright and appealing.
The toy must serve its function, which is to improve the hand-eye coordination
for a young child aged 4-6years. Its secondary function is to entertain the child
using noise, light and theme.
The toy must be ergonomically sound. It must be user friendly; simple to use
and the objective of the game understandable. The game must serve its purpose
and be 100% efficient. This means it must be effective with a waste of time or
effort. The simplicity of the product raises the efficiency as you are considering
the needs of the target market.
The size of the handle which the child will hold will be in the shape of a
cylinder with a diameter of 2cm and a length ranging from 6-10cm. Further
research is needed to find the exact hand size a of a child aged 4-6.
This game must be checked and all health and safety hazards identified before
being sold. The product must be tested by various test users and safety
precautions must be identified before purchase.
The Steady Hand game will also be produced to mark
the release of Walt Disney’s brand new film, “Peter Pan
3– Captain Hook’s Return”. This toy will therefore also
be sold to all shops relating to Disney. This widens the
target market meaning more toys will be sold.
Design Brief
The objective of my project is to design and make a toy for a young child to
improve their hand eye coordination, (decreasing levels of Cerebral Palsy in the
U.K). This toy will be chiefly sold to nurseries and will be available in Early
Learning Centres, or shops selling products for growing children. This toy will
be for children aged 4-6 because this is the period they can use the steady hand
game effectively. All precautions will be taken to achieve a safe product. The
theme of the toy will be related to Disney’s Peter Pan because of the launching
of the new film “Peter Pan 3”. Therefore this toy can be purchased in any
Disney related shop.
Needs
Baby toys that encourage the brain to perfect hand to eye coordination
can lead to baby having excellent physical skills and balance. The ability
to control our muscles underlies every move we make. Repetitive
practice is what helps the brain and the hand link together which in turn
leads to improved hand to eye coordination. Good hand-to-eye
coordination also benefits general physical coordination, balance and
confidence.
What sound or light
outputs will make
As it happens, the U.K is Europe’s country with the second highest rate
the toy entertain
of Cerebral Palsy in children. Cerebral palsy (CP) isn't a particular
children?
disease or illness. The term simply means a physical condition that
affects movement, and the coordination of the brain. There is no cure for
this conditions but there are many ways of helping the child or treating
What sound or light
this condition.
inputs will make the toy
To help the brain develop, the steady hand game can be used to improveentertain children?
your body’s hand-eye coordination and also hand muscles. To
understand better, the specific needs of the user, I will carry out a
What is the main target
questionnaire.
market and who are the
main users of Walt
Disney?
What main colours
does Disney use to
make their toys
appealing?
Brainstorm
What will be the
input in the steady
hand game’s
circuit?
What materials can I
use that is safe and
appealing to user?
Which metals can
be recycled?
What is the ideal price
of toys promoting
upcoming Disney
Films?
Conclusion
From the information on the Needs section, I can do
further research on my next pages into how exactly the
steady hand game improves a child’s muscle performance.
The questionnaire I will conduct will also tell me further
information that I will need about the specific needs of my
user, i.e., hand size of children aged 4-6.
Questions on brainstorm will also be answered through
the course of this project.
Healson Ihuoma, February 2007—February 2008, Steady Hand Game, Systems and Control 1974, Centre No. 13337, Candidate No.
1-20
AIMS
Identify the needs for my product
Develop detailed specification and criteria for my product
TERM
I will design and promote a prototype of the packaging of a toiletries range. I will design the logo, packaging and point of sale display
for this product. This range of toiletries will include, a shampoo and bubble bath. My target market for this range will be 7-11 year old l
girls. I chose to design a range for this target market as I believe, little girls are becoming more independent than in previous years. I
believe little girls will soon be able to buy or at least chose their own toiletries so I believe there would be a big demand for my product
as not many products on the shelves are targeted at my target market. Therefore I do not share my target market with any other
competitors.
The theme I will have to decide must appeal to my target market and persuade them to buy the product. I have decided to base my
toiletries range on is a princess theme. Bearing in mind that my target market are still quite young the product has to appeal to the
parents as well, as they could also purchase the product on behalf of the target market..
There is a big need for my product on the market as not many toiletry ranges are aimed at my target market. I believe there is a gap on
the market and with my unique product I will be able to sell my product efficiently. The need for the logo is to promote, advertise and
make the target market more aware of the product. The need for the packaging is to hold, protect, advertise and promote the product
whilst the need for the point of sale display is to advertise, promote and increase the awareness as well as the number of sales of the
product..
EXPLANATION
Target Market
My target market is young girls aged between 6 – 12. The design of my packaging and point of sale display
must be suitable and appropriate for the target market and because of my young target market , it should also
appeal to the parents in order for them to purchase the product.
Logo and Name
My logo has to appeal to the parents so they can buy their children the gift set, and also has to be attractive to
younger girls as they can then persuade their parents to buy them the product. The name of the product has to
be unique, suitable and memorable so that my target market will be attracted to the product. By making the
product name memorable the product would be advertised through word of mouth
Anthropometrics
This involves taking into account the size of the average young girls hand in order to ensure it is easy to grip
and hold.
Environment
The packaging of my product has to be environmentally friendly. I will have to research what cardboard types
are manipulative and are biodegradable.
Social and Ethical
Issues
Size and Weight
Theme
Sports
Car
Romantic
Celebrations
Religious festivals
Seasonal
Floral
Animals
Materials
Cardboard
MDF
HIP
Acrylic
Acetate
Paper
Foamboard
Hardboard
Colour
Primary
Secondary
Bright
Fluorescent
Metallic
Deep
Pastel
Luminous
Target Market
Teenagers
Children
Couples
Elderly
Parents
Sportsmen
Tourists
Babies
Product
Perfume
Hair Gel
Shower Gel
Moisturiser
Lip Gloss
Shampoo
Conditioner
Confectionary
Safety
The point of sale display has to have no sharp edges and safe to use. It has to be stable and lightweight
The materials that my display will use should be biodegradable and lightweight. The materials need to have
high levels of manipulability to change it into the exact shape required.
Function and Use
To design and package a pack of toiletries for young girls that will be sold at all supermarkets and cosmetics
stores such as Boots.My product must be at high volume production. The packaging must protect, advertise
and hold the products safely.
The theme for my product should be attractive to young girls and persuade them to buy my product.
Ergonomics
This involves my design considerations that will take the consumers movement into account. The packaging
must be easy to hold and easy to open to ensure the customer is satisfied and will purchase the product again.
Competition
Although there are lots of toiletries sets on the market, there is only a small fraction aimed at young girls of my
target market age range.
I am now going to analyse and evaluate my brief below so I can carry out my
research and write my specification.
Theme
Target Market
Function and Use
Ergonomics
Logo and Name
The size of the point of sale display has to be large enough to be seen, and small enough to fit on the till.
Therefore it has to be a moderate size and easy to carry. Similarly it should be lightweight to carry but not too
lightweight so that it is unstable and topples over easily.
Materials
Theme
Competition
Materials
Safety
Anthropometrics
Environment
Social and Ethical Issues
I have to ensure that my product, logo or slogan does not offend anybody, any religion or ethnic group.
CONCLUSION
I have found out that :
There is a great need for my product, logo and point of sale display
There are several factors that I need to take into consideration when designing my product e.g. environment
Design Brief
I will be designing and making a steady hand game that allows players three lives before switching on a
latched buzzer to indicate that the game is over. It will include a seven segment display to show how
many lives remain and each time a life is lost the buzzer sounds. The game will also have a time limit
for completion to raise the level of difficulty, the length of time can be altered by a potentiometer, and
once the time limit is over a LED will light to indicate the time is over. I will also include a standby LED
to show if there is power in the circuit. This game will be made for children at the ages of six years and
above.
Introduction
I chose to make a steady hand game because I think it will be a very popular product if it is sold. I think that
this game is not only fun to play but, I think it is very good in making children concentrate. I will make and
send out a questionnaire to find out if people will be willing to buy a steady hand game; and if they are what
colours and design they want (identifying their need).
Specification
After doing the questionnaire I have found out what my product must have in order to make my
product successful. Here is a list of what my product must be and look like:
It must be a steady hand game.
It must be aesthetically pleasing.
It must be ergonomically sound.
It must be durable.
It must be brightly coloured.
It must have cartoon pictures.
It must be safe.
It must function well.
It must have a seven segment display.
It must have a buzzer to indicate the game is over.
It must have a time limit which is adjustable.
It must be made for children aged five years and above.
It must be made of MDF.
Interview
I have interviewed a primary school teacher who teaches a class of five to six year olds in year one. She teaches in Tower
Hamlets in a school called Halley Primary. She says that she loves teaching and having fun with the children.
I asked her many questions to find out if my product will not only be fun but, have other good and important uses. She said
that the steady hand game may be very useful in primary schools for children who are learning to write. She believes that the
steady hand game will be useful and helpful for children who are beginning to write, because the hand movements involved
in playing the game may help them evolve their writing skills. She also thinks that the steady hand game needs a lot of
concentration if you want to win, this may help the children concentrate more in their lessons. Lastly, she believes that the
steady hand game can also be used to motivate the children to finish their work so they can play after they finished.
When I have finished making my product I will test it and see if the product is fun to play, by using a five year old to play
with it.
Questionnaire
I did a questionnaire (below) to identify a need for my product and find out if people are
interested in buying a steady hand game also what colour and design they would like it to be.
These are the results after doing the questionnaire:
Questionnaire: Steady Hand Game
1) Do you like steady hand games?
Yes □
No □
2) What age group do you think the steady hand game should
be made for?
3-6years □ 7-10years □ 11-14years □ 15year+ □
3) What materials should the case be made of?
MDF □ Polystyrene □ Acrylic □ Plywood □
4) What colours do you want the case to be?
Bright colours □ Pale colours □ Dark colours □
5) What pictures do you want drawn on the case?
Cartoons □ Animals □ Patterns □ Plants □
Nineteen people out of twenty said they like
steady hand games, therefore this may mean
that people may buy this product when it is
made.
Most people said that the steady hand game
should be made for children 3– 6 year old.
The majority of people think it will be good
to make the case out of MDF.
People think the steady hand game will look
the best if it is brightly coloured.
Most people think by having cartoons on the
case it will make the product look attractive.
Conclusion
After doing this questionnaire I now know what the public wants, I will make the case of the
steady hand game out of MDF, and make it a target market of five years and above. The case
will be coloured in bright colours and it will have cartoons on it to make it eye catching.
Systems and Controls GCSE
Name: Athia Hannan
Form: 10.5
Candidate No.
Centre no.